| Viscum album | |
|---|---|
| |
| Viscum album growing on a Populus species | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Santalales |
| Family: | Santalaceae |
| Genus: | Viscum |
| Species: | V. album
|
| Binomial name | |
| Viscum album | |
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Viscum album is a species of mistletoe in the family Santalaceae, commonly known as European mistletoe, common mistletoe or simply as mistletoe (Old English mistle).[2] It is native to Europe and western and southern Asia.[3]
Viscum album is a hemiparasite on several species of trees, from which it draws water and nutrients. It has a significant role in European mythology, legends, and customs. In modern times, it is commonly featured in Christmas decoration and symbology. (V. album is found only rarely in North America, as an introduced species; its cultural roles are usually fulfilled by the similar native species Phoradendron leucarpum.)
- ^ Chappuis, E. (2014). "Viscum album (Europe assessment)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T203473A2766017. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ Zuber, Doris (2004). "Biological flora of Central Europe: Viscum album L.". Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 199 (3). Elsevier BV: 181–203. doi:10.1078/0367-2530-00147. ISSN 0367-2530.
- ^ O'Neill, A. R.; Rana, S. K. (2019). "An ethnobotanical analysis of parasitic plants (Parijibi) in the Nepal Himalaya". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 12 (14): 14. doi:10.1186/s13002-016-0086-y. PMC 4765049. PMID 26912113.