GAMOPETALtE- I 115 



will be seen from this list that, in the past, considerable 

 attention was bestowed on the order Labiate by the 

 followers of yEsculapius: no doubt tlie strong arouia 



which many memtters of this family possess would 



attract attention and suggest the possibilities of medi- 

 cinal virtues. Further, in " faith " cures a, good aroma 

 is an asset of great value, and there can be little doubt 

 that our predecessors made great use of psychological 

 factors in their treatment of disease. In the lists of 

 plants supplied to herbalists the Labiates are very 



|trongly represented. 



Ericaceae.— The Heath Family. In this order are in- 

 cluded some plants, like the Ling or Heather, which cover 

 large tracts of country. These are, fortunately, not of a 

 poisonous nature. To the same family belong the Rhodo- 

 dendron, Bilberry, Whortleberry, and Cranberry. 



In the flowers the calyx is mostly wanting or very 

 insignificant. The corolla is composed of 4 or 5 fused 

 petals. The stamens are either 5 or 10 in number when 

 the corolla is made up of 5 petals, or are 4 or 8 in number 

 when the flower has 4 petals. The pistil is composed of 



4 or 5 fused carpels. 



In the Gamopetalag the stamens are attached to the 

 corolla. It is very useful to remember that in the 

 Ericaceae ihe stamens are quite unconnected with the 

 corolla A knowledge of this fact helps considerably in 

 facilitating the identification of the order. 



Rhododendkox.— Among the poisonous plants of the 

 Ericacea? must be reckoned the Rhododendron (including 

 under this term the Azalea), many species of which are 

 in cultivation. The genus is not British, but it can 

 scarcely nowadays be omitted from a study of British 

 plants, owing to the universal distribution of its members 

 throughout the British Isles. All of these possess acrid 

 narcotic properties. The honey which is secreted from 



