Genus 7. 



HEATH FAMILY. 



6S-3 



7. CHAMAECISTUS Oeder, Fl. Dan. i : 4, pi. 9. 1761. 



[LoiSELEURiA Desv. Journ. Bot. (H.) i : 35. 1813.] 

 A low glabrous depressed straggling branched shrub, with small linear-oblong petioled 

 obtuse entire coriaceous and evergreen leaves, and small solitary or few flowers on terminal 

 erect pedicels, the bud-scales few, persistent. Calyx 5-parted, the segments ovate-lanceolate, 

 persistent. Corolla broadly campanulate, with 5 obtuse imbricated lobes. Stamens 5, included ; 

 filaments slender, adnate to the corolla; anthers globose-didynious, dorsally attached to the 

 filaments, longitudinally dehiscent. Disk obscurely 5-lobed. Ovary globose, 2-3-celled ; style 

 short, straight ; stigma capitate ; ovules numerous. Capsule subglobose, 2-3-celled, septicidally 

 2-3-valved, the valves 2-cleft. Seeds ovoid, the testa granular. [Greek, ground cistus.] 

 A monotypic genus of the colder parts of the northern hemisphere. 



I. Chamaecistus procumbens (L.) Kuntze. Alpine 

 or Trailing Azalea. Fig. 3227. 



Azalea procumbens L. Sp. PL 151. 1753. 



Loiseleuria procumbens Desv. Journ. Bot. (11) I: 35. 1813. 



C, serpylUfolia S. F. Gray, Bot. Arr. Brit. PI. 2: 401. 1821. 

 Chamaecistus procumbens Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 388. 1891. 



Tufted, much branched, diffuse, branches 2-4' long. 

 Leaves mostly opposite, rather crowded, dark green above, 

 paler beneath, 2"-4" long, the midrib very prominent, on 

 the lower side, the margins strongly revolute ; petioles 4" 

 long or less ; flowers 1-5 from terminal coriaceous buds : 

 pedicels z"-A" long ; corolla pink or white, about 2" high, 

 longer than the purplish sepals ; capsule about i" thick. 



Summits of the higher mountains of New England, Mt. 

 Albert, Quebec ; Nova Scotia ; Newfoundland and Labrador to 

 arctic America and Alaska. Also in Greenland, northern 

 Europe and Asia. July-Aug. 



8. KALMIA L. Sp. PI. 391. 1753. 



Erect branching shrubs, with entire evergreen coriaceous leaves, alternate, opposite, or 

 verticillate in 3's. Flowers in naked' umbels or corymbs. Calyx 5-parted or 5-divided, the 

 segments imbricated in the bud, persistent. Corolla saucer-shaped, the limbs strong!}^ 

 lO-keeled in the bud, 5-lobed, with 10 pouches below the limb, the keels extending from the 

 pouches to the lobes and sinuses. Stamens 10, shorter than the corolla; anthers oblong, 

 awnless, the sacs opening by large terminal pores ; filaments erect in the bud, soon curving 

 outward, placing the anthers in the pouches of the corolla, straightening elastically when the 

 flower is fully expanded. Disk lO-crenate. Ovary 5-celled ; ovules numerous; style slender; 

 stigma depressed-capitellate. Capsule subglobose, obscurely 5-lobed, 5-celled, septicidally 

 5-valved from the summit. Seeds small, subglobose. [Dedicated by Linnaeus to his pupil, 

 Peter Kalm, 1715-1779, who travelled in America.] 



Six known species, of North America. Type species: Kalmia latifolia L. 

 Flowers in mostly compound umbels or corymbs ; twigs terete. 

 Leaves oblong, znostly obtuse ; flowers 3"-5" broad. 



Leaves glabrous beneath or nearly so. i. K. angustifolia. 



Leaves densely puberulent beneath. 2. K. Carolina. 



Leaves elliptic or oval, acute at both ends; flowers 8"-i2" broad. 3. K. latifolia. 



Flowej-s in simple terminal umbels ; twigs 2-edged. 4- ^- polifolia. 



I. Kalmia angustifolia L. Sheep-laurel. 

 Lambkill. Wicky. Fig. 3228. 



Kahnia angustifolia L. Sp. PI. 391. 1753. 



A shrub, 6'-3 high, with few nearly erect 

 branches, and terete twigs. Leaves oblong or 

 oblong-lanceolate, mostly opposite, or verticillate 

 in 3's, obtuse or sometimes acute at the apex, nar- 

 rowed at the base, petioled. glabrous, dark green 

 above, light green beneath, i'-24' long, 3"-io" 

 wide ; young twigs and petioles often slightly 

 glandular ; flowers 3"-5" broad, purple or crimson, 

 numerous in lateral compound or simple corymbs ; 

 pedicels filiform, slightly glandular-canescent, 6"- 

 12" long, recurved in fruit ; calyx-segments ovate, 

 acute, glandular-canescent, persistent; capsule de- 

 pressed-globose, 5-lobed, canescent. lJ"-2" in 

 diameter, the apex impressed ; style long-persistent. 



In moist soil, in swamps or on hillsides. Newfound- 

 land to Hudson Bay. south to Georgia and Michigan. 

 Spoon-wood-ivy. Kill-kid. Calf-kill. Sheep-poison. 

 Dwarf laurel. .Tune-July. 



