Mistletoe white berries that it bears in clusters of two to six. The Eastern mistletoe of North America is similar, but has shorter, broader leaves and longer clusters of 10 or more berries. The word 'mistletoe' derives from the older form 'mistle' adding the Old English word "tān" (twig). 'Mistle' is common Germanic (Old High German "mistil", Middle High German "mistel", Old English "mistel", Old Norse "mistil"). Further etymology is uncertain, but may be related to the Germanic base for 'mash'. Parasitism has evolved at least 12 times among the vascular plants . Molecular data show the mistletoe habit has evolved
Legend of the Mistletoe Bough Legend of the Mistletoe Bough The Legend of the Mistletoe Bough is a horror story which has been associated with many mansions and stately homes in England. A new bride, playing a game of hide-and-seek during her wedding breakfast, hides in a chest in an attic and is unable to escape. She is not discovered by her family and friends, and suffocates or dies of thirst. The body is found many years later in the locked chest as a skeleton in a wedding dress. Notable claimants for the story's location, some still displaying the chest, include Bramshill House and Marwell