220 ERICACEAE 



fruit, which matures in July and August on red pedicels, is 

 bluish black and contains a small stone shallowly grooved 

 between 8 lines, which run from the base to the middle or 

 nearly to the tip. 



Distribution. — The Alternate-Leaved Dogwood grows on 

 low land along streams and lakes and at the base of woody 

 slopes. It ranges from New Brunswick to Minnesota and 

 south to Missouri and Florida. In Illinois, it ranges across 

 the entire northern part of the state and extends southward 

 in the east to Clark County and in the west to Calhoun County. 



The very beautiful Flowering Dogwood, C. florida Linnaeus, 

 is abundant in many parts of the state, especially on the borders 

 of w^oods, and is familiar to many people. It is in reality 

 a small tree, which may be recognized during flowering season 

 by the brilliant white leaves that surround the inconspicuous 

 flowers. 



ERICACEAE 

 The Heath Family 



The heath family includes herbs, shrubs and trees that bear 

 opposite, alternate or whorled leaves, which usually are 

 leathery and persistent and lack stipules. The perfect flowers 

 have 4 or 5 distinct or partially united sepals, a regular corolla 

 of 4 or 5 more or less united petals, and stamens of the same 

 number or twice as many as the petals. The ovary is made 

 up of 2 to 5 united carpels, the styles of which are united 

 and provided with a capitate or peltate stigma. The fruit 

 usually is a capsule but sometimes may be a berry or drupe. 



There are over 1,000 species in this large family, which is 

 distributed throughout the world. Among about 60 genera, 

 more than 20 are native in the northeastern United States, 

 and 5 are represented in Illinois by native shrubby species. 



Key to the Shrubby Genera 



Leaves in close clusters of 3 to 5 at the end of upright 



branches Gaultheria, p. 226 



Leaves definitely arranged along the length of branchlets. 

 Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate and nearly sessile 



Andromeda, p. 223 



Leaves broader and distinctly, if shortly, petioled. 



Margins of the leaves entire Arctostaphylos, p. 227 



