ERICACEAE 



If the word ubiquitous could be applied to any plant 

 on Nantucket, it could be applied to the Mealy-plum vine. 

 Over all the Commons is spread a veritable carpet of these 

 leathery, shining, evergreen leaves, with small pretty pink- 

 tipped, urn-shaped flowers successfully concealed, and 

 later, small bright red "plums" partially hidden beneath 

 the elliptical leaves. Practically everywhere one can pull 

 up yards of this woody-stemmed vine, which trails over 

 the ground and spreads its long fingers over the bare 

 gravel of the rutted road. 



The Nantucket people have used this plant in various 

 ways, from employing it as a tonic to making wreaths and 

 garlands of it for winter bouquets and wedding decorations. 



It is also interesting that the vine is one of those natives 

 which prove the glacial origin of Nantucket. 



ERICACEAE HEATH FAMILY 



Calluna vulgaris, (L.) Hull. 



Purple-pink, sometimes Ling, 



tending to white 



Scotch Heather. 

 July-August 



Calluna: name from Greek, to brush or sweep, brooms being 



made of the twigs. 

 Vulgaris: Latin for common. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil. 



THE PLANT: erect, five inches to fifteen inches high, 

 shrubby, densely branched; the twigs more or less woody, 

 with very short hairs or hairless. 



THE LEAVES: evergreen; densely packed; overlapping 

 each other in four rows along the branches; very minute; 

 triangular; sessile. 



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