Mistle

Lore & Background

Mistle is a minor character in The Witcher: Blood Origin, appearing as a companion to Éile. She is part of a band of outcasts and travelers, and her presence adds depth to the world of the Continent. Details about her background and fate remain sparse, but she is remembered for her loyalty and resilience.

In Their Own Story

A mistletoe seed germinates on the branch of a host tree or shrub, and in its early stages of development it is independent of its host. It commonly has two or even four embryos, each producing its hypocotyl, that grows toward the bark of the host under the influence of light and gravity, and potentially each forming a mistletoe plant in a clump. On having made contact with the bark, the hypocotyl, with only a rudimentary scrap of root tissue at its tip, penetrates it, a process that may take a year or more. In the meantime the plant is dependent on its own photosynthesis. Only after it reaches the host's conductive tissue may it begin to rely on the host for its needs. Later, it forms a haustorium that penetrates the host tissue and takes water and nutrients from the host plant. Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds who eat the 'seeds' (in actuality drupes). Of the many bird species that feed on them, the mistle thrush is the best-known in Europe, the phainopepla in southwestern North America, and Dicaeum flowerpeckers in Asia and Australia. Depending on the species of mistletoe and the species of bird, the seeds are regurgitated from the crop, excreted in their droppings, or stuck to the bill and causing the bird to have to wipe it off onto a branch. The seeds are coated with a sticky material called viscin. Biochemically, viscin is a complex adhesive mix containing cellulosic strands and mucopolysaccharides.

Reader's Guide

Mistletoe species grow on a wide range of host trees, some of which experience side effects including reduced growth, stunting, and loss of infested outer branches. A heavy infestation may also kill the host plant. Viscum album successfully parasitizes more than 200 tree and shrub species. All mistletoe species are hemiparasites because they do perform some photosynthesis for some period of their life cycle. However, in some species its contribution is very nearly zero. For example, some species, such as Viscum minimum, that parasitize succulents, commonly species of Cactaceae or Euphorbiaceae, grow largely within the host plant, with hardly more than the flower and fruit emerging. Once they have germinated and attached to the circulatory system of the host, their photosynthesis reduces so much that it becomes insignificant. Most of the Viscaceae bear evergreen leaves that photosynthesise effectively, and photosynthesis proceeds within their green, fleshy stems as well. Some species, such as Viscum capense, are adapted to semi-arid conditions and their leaves are vestigial scales, hardly visible without detailed investigation. At another extreme, other species have vigorous green leaves. Not only do they photosynthesize actively, but a heavy infestation of mistletoe plants may take over whole host tree branches, sometimes killing practically the entire crown and replacing it with their own growth. An example of a species that behaves in this manner is Viscum continuum. There are 1500 species of mistletoe, varying widely in toxicity to humans; the European mistletoe (Viscum album) is more toxic than the American mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum). The primary active toxic compounds in American mistletoe are phoratoxins (in Phoradendron) and their effects can include blurred vision, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, although these rarely occur. In European mistletoe (Viscum), viscumin is the more dangerous active toxin. It acts by irreversibly inhibiting ribsomal protein synthesis in cells, which leads to the death of the affected cell, tissue damage in the area of exposure from mass cell death in the very short term, with the potential for organ failure and death depending on the level of exposure.

Did You Know?

• Mistle appears in The Witcher: Blood Origin as a companion to the main character Éile.
• She is part of a group of outcast travelers, reflecting the harsh realities of the Continent.
• The character's name is distinct from the real-world parasitic plant mistletoe.
• Her role in the series is minor but adds to the ensemble of characters in the prequel.