Mistletoe.

Manawatu Herald, 7 January 1896, Page 3

Mistletoe.

The presence of bunches of mistletoe on the high branches of trees has, I dare say, says a correspondent to a Home paper, been noticed by most people, but many are no doubt at a loss to account for its growth in such a situation. In the first place, the mistletoe is a parasitic plant ; that is, it encroaches on the branches of trees -to sustain its growth. As well as relying on the assistance of its host to acquire its development it also relies almost entirely on birds for the dispersal of its seeds. The bird which is the chief agent in the distribution of these seeds in the missel (modification of mistletoe) thrush, which is a great lover of them. In some parts of the country it is thought that unless the seeds pass through the stomach of this bird they will not germinate, but I

may point out that this is not necessarily the case. It is, however, rather strange,that seeds planted by persons very seldom come -to anything ; at any rate, that is as far as my experience goes.