Viscum album 4593798 222898263 2008-07-01T17:25:02Z TXiKiBoT 3171782 robot Adding: [[lv:Baltais āmulis]] {{Taxobox | name = ''Viscum album'' | image = MistletoeInSilverBirch.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Viscum album'' growing on a [[poplar|''Populus'']] species | regnum = [[Plantae]] | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Santalales]] | familia = [[Loranthaceae]] | genus = ''[[Viscum]]'' | species = '''''V. album''''' | binomial = ''Viscum album'' | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] }} '''''[[Viscum]] album'''''<ref name=Zuber2004>D. Zuber (2004). Biological flora of Central Europe: ''Viscum album'' L. Flora 199, 181-203</ref> is a species of [[mistletoe]], the species originally so-named, and also known as '''European Mistletoe''' or '''Common Mistletoe''' to distinguish it from other related species. It is native to [[Europe]], and western and southern [[Asia]]. It is a [[parasitic plant|hemi-parasitic]] [[shrub]], which grows on the stems of other trees. It has stems 30-100 cm long with dichotomous branching. The [[leaf|leaves]] are in opposite pairs, strap-shaped, entire, leathery textured, 2-8 cm long and 0.8-2.5 cm broad, yellowish-green in colour. Usually [[dioecious]], the [[flower]]s are inconspicuous, yellowish-green, 2-3 mm diameter. The [[fruit]] is a white or yellow [[berry]] containing several [[seed]]s embedded in the very sticky, glutinous fruit pulp. Up to four [[subspecies]] are commonly accepted<ref name=FloraEuropea>[http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Viscum&SPECIES_XREF=album&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Viscum album'']</ref><ref name=FloraChina>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242414826 Flora of China: ''Viscum album'']</ref><ref name=Bean>Bean, W. J. (1980). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 8th ed. 4: 725-726. ISBN 0-7195-2428-8</ref><ref name=Blamey>Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-40170-2.</ref> and two others sometimes so. They differ in fruit colour, leaf shape and size, and most obviously in the host trees utilised. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''abietis''''' (Wiesb.) Abromeit. Central Europe. Fruit white; leaves up to 8 cm. On ''[[fir|Abies]]''. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''album'''''. Europe, southwestern Asia east to Nepal. Fruit white; leaves 3-5 cm. On ''[[Malus]]'', ''[[poplar|Populus]]'', ''[[Tilia]]'', and less often on numerous other species, including (rarely) ''[[oak|Quercus]]''. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''austriacum''''' (Wiesb.) Vollmann. Fruit yellow; leaves 2-4 cm. Central Europe. On ''[[larch|Larix]]'', ''[[pine|Pinus]]'', ''[[spruce|Picea]]''. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''meridianum''''' (Danser) D.G.Long. Southeastern Asia. Fruit yellow; leaves 3-5 cm. On ''[[maple|Acer]]'', ''[[hornbeam|Carpinus]]'', ''[[walnut|Juglans]]'', ''[[Prunus]]'', ''[[Sorbus]]''. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''creticum''''' has recently been described from eastern [[Crete]] <ref name=Böhling>Böhling, N., Greuter, W., Raus, T., Snogerup, B., Snogerup, S. & Zuber, D. (2003). Notes on the Cretan mistletoe, Viscum album subsp. creticum subsp. nova (Loranthaceae/Viscaceae). ''Israel J. Pl. Sci''. 50 (Suppl.): 77-84. </ref> Fruit white; leaves short. On ''[[Turkish Pine|Pinus brutia]]''. *'''''Viscum album'' subsp. ''coloratum''''' Kom. is treated by the ''Flora of China''<ref name=FloraChina /> as a distinct species ''[[Viscum coloratum]]'' (Kom) Nakai. ===Mythology and symbolism=== It has always attracted interest and has been surrounded by a number of myths and legends. In some countries it plays a part in [[Christmas]] festivities. It also features in the popular [[Asterix]] comic books, where mistletoe collected from [[oak]]s was considered to have special qualities. <gallery> Image:Viscum album fruit.jpg|Fruit of subsp. ''album'', Poland Image:Jemioła.jpg|Plant of subsp. ''austriacum'' on ''Pinus sylvestris'', Poland Image:Koeh-281.jpg|19th century illustration by Köhler Image:VIscum album fruit kz.jpg </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200006582 Flora of Pakistan: ''Viscum album''] *[http://www.flora-x.de/viscum1.htm ''Viscum album'' subsp. ''creticum''] *Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening'' 4: 676. ISBN 0-333-47494-5 {{commons|Viscum album}} [[Category:Santalales]] [[Category:Parasitic plants]] [[Category:Medicinal plants]] [[an:Bisca]] [[ca:Vesc]] [[cs:Jmelí bílé]] [[da:Almindelig Mistelten]] [[de:Weißbeerige Mistel]] [[es:Viscum album]] [[eo:Blanka visko]] [[fr:Gui (plante)]] [[fy:Mistel]] [[hsb:Lišćowcowy jemjel]] [[it:Viscum album]] [[lv:Baltais āmulis]] [[li:Haamsjeut]] [[hu:Fehér fagyöngy]] [[nl:Maretak]] [[ja:ヤドリギ]] [[no:Misteltein]] [[nn:Misteltein]] [[pl:Jemioła pospolita]] [[ro:Vâsc european]] [[ru:Омела белая]] [[sr:Имела]] [[fi:Misteli]] [[sv:Mistel]] [[uk:Омела біла]] [[zh:槲寄生]]