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European Mistletoe | | Name : | European Mistletoe | | Synonyms : | Phoradendron serotinum common names:
Americanmistletoe
Birdlime
Goldenbough
Viscum album common names:
All-heal
Birdlime
Devil'sfuge
Europeanmistletoe
| | Parts Used : | American mistletoe: Leaves
European mistletoe: Plant, berries, young twigs | | Habitat : | American mistletoe: Eastern, southern and western United States.
European mistletoe: Found in Europe and northern Asia. | | Description : | American mistletoe: An evergreen, semi-parasitic plant thatgrows on other trees, most commonly the poplar and the apple. It bearssmall yellow flowers in early spring, but better known are its pearlyberries. The branching woody stem is swollen at the nodes and bearsopposite, leathery, yellowish-green, obovate to elliptic leaves whichare hairy when young but glabrous at maturity. The flowers grow injointed spikes, developing into mucilaginous, white berries.
European mistletoe: An evergreen, semiparasitic plant foundon the branches of deciduous trees. Roots growing from the yellowish-green,forked stem penetrate through the bark into the wood of the host.The leaves are opposite, leathery, yellow-green, and narrowly obovate.Pale yellow or green flowers appear from March to May, the femaledeveloping into sticky white berries which ripen from September toNovember.
The Chinese mistletoe (Loranthus yadoriki) Sang-chi-sheng;or (Lorantus kempferi) Sung-lo. | | Constituents : | American mistletoe: Emetic, nervine.
European mistletoe: Cardiac, diuretic, stimulant, vasodilator,narcotic, antispasmodic, nervine | | Uses : | American mistletoe: Used for cholera, epilepsy, convulsions,hysteria, delirium, heart problems, and nervous debility. The NativeAmericans used it to cause abortion. An extract of the plant is knownto increase uterine contractions and raise blood pressure when injectedinto the blood. The plant has also been used medicinally to stop bleedingafter parturition (after childbirth). Also used as an oral contraceptive.
European mistletoe: In olden times, mistletoe was the acceptedtreatment for dropsy and epilepsy, although nowadays its commonestuse is to strengthen the nerves and improve the circulation. A goodheart tonic and antisclerotic,it also raises the blood pressure and speeds up the pulse, donot take mistletoe if high blood pressure is present. Combinedwith bear's garlic and hawthorn it will safely arrest, perhaps evencure, the progress of hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.Has been used to treat epilepsy, convulsions, hysteria, delirium,and St. Vitus dance.
The tea can be used as a wash for chilblains (inflammation, itching,and swelling of the feet, toes, or fingers caused by mild frostbite),and leg ulcers and made intoa compress for varicose veins. | | Dosage : | European mistletoe:
Prepare an infusion of the leaves and young branches (diced), using1 tsp. of herb to 1 pint of water. It is unnecessary to allow it tosteep more than 30 minutes. The dosage is 1 tbsp. daily, increasingto 3 if no improvement is shown. Not recommended for children.
The juice from mistletoe berries dabbed on obstinate pimpleswill cause them to disappear. And it will also loosen stiffjoints when massaged into the skin.
Cold Extract:
1. soak 1 tsp. young twigs in 1 cup of cold water for 24 hours. Take1 cup per day, in 3 equal parts morning, noon, and night.
2. soak 6 tsp. leaves in 1 1/2 cups cold water for 6 to 8 hours.Take 1 1/2 cups in the course of a day, a mouthful at a time.
Juice: Wet the leaves and young twigs. When the water hasbeen absorbed, press to extract the juice. Take 2 to 4 tsp. per day. | | Safety : | American mistletoe: The berries are poisonous, and children'sdeaths have been attributed to eating them. Do not use without medicalsupervision. May cause dermatitis. Do not use for blood pressure regulationwithout medical supervision.
European mistletoe: Use with care, preferably under medicaldirection. Large doses have a detrimental effect on heart action.Also eating the berries can be dangerous, especially for children.Do not use if Hypertensive or persons with heart trouble, particularlyin large doses. Consult a medical doctor. | | Myths : | Mistletoe is an evergreen shrub which clings to its host tree highup among the branches and gains its nourishment by penetrating thebark of its host with its roots and purloining what sap it requires.It is peculiar in the manner of its growth. The branches turn alwaystoward the object to which the plant is attached, a curious habitwhich made the ancients think of it as a visible god protecting itssacred tree and which aroused in all early peoples so much of wonder.
Mistletoe (the 'golden bough') was chief of the seven sacred herbsof the Druids, and others being vervain, henbane, primrose, pulsatilla,clover and wolf's bane. Readers keen to follow the Druidic exampleshould gather their mistletoe on the sixth day of the moon's waning.
Mistletoe appears in many Greek and Roman myths, and is reputed tohave been used to make Christ's cross (Viscum album).
Often of religious importance, mistletoe figured in folk lore talesand mythology in every country where it grew.
The power of this herb is of renewing itself when cut, one reasonwhy it was held in mystic honor. In all countries it was worshippedas the soul and embodiment of the holy forest. To the Norseman onlythe 'mistil' could inflict injury on the Sun God, Baldur; to the Romanonly the 'viscuan' could unlock the door of Hades for Aeneas to enter;to the English Druids only 'Misleta' cut from an oak by the lightof the moon could give protection to man.
Culpeper spelled this herb as misselto. |
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