HEATH FAMILY. 217 



* * * Leaves tardily deciduous, ihirkish : Jioicers borne on the naked shoots in 



earliest spring : curotlu almost wheel-shaped, hriyht rose-pur/ile. 



R. Datiricum, cult, from Siberia ; a low shrub, with small oblong leaves 

 (l'-2' long) sprinkled with minute dots, becoming rusty beneath. 



15. AZALSA. (Name in Greek means arid ; not applicable to these ornar 

 mental shrubs, which grow in low, wet, or shady grounds.) 



§ 1. Chinese Azaleas, with thickish almost or quite erergreen leanes, rather 



leafy calyx, short-tubed corolla a/iprouchiii/j to bell-shaped, and often 10 



stamens, — therefore in strictness rather Rhododendrons : 



A. Indica, cult, from China and Japan, &c., is however the Azalea of 



florists, Howering in late winter and early spring in consei-vatories, with red, 



purple, pink, wliite or variegated showy flowers, green rather shining leaves, 



and shoots beset with appressed awl-shaped rusty bristles. 



§ 2. True Azaleas or False Honeysuckles, with deciduous leaves, slen- 

 der cylindrical tube to the corolla, the chiefly 5 stamens and the style long 

 and protruded : hardy ornameiitul shrubs. 

 * Flowers developed later than the leaves, in summer, very fragrant. 



A. Vise6sa, Clammy A. Swamps E. & S. ; 4° -10° high, with bristly 

 branchlets, oblong-obovate mostly smooth leaves commonly pale or whitish 

 beneath, often glossy above, and white or rosy-tinged very clammy flowers. 



* * Flowers developed with or rather before the thin and veiny mostly pubescent 



leaves, in late spring, slightly fragrant. 



A. nudifl6ra, Purple A. or Pinxter-flower. Swamps, chiefly E. & S. ; 

 go _ go high, with oblong or obovatc leaves ; branchlets and narrow tube of the 

 rose or pink-red corolla rather glandular-pubescent, and calyx very small. 



A. calendul^cea, Flame-colored A. In and near the Allcghanies, 

 especially S., and cult, in hybrid forms ; has yellow or flame-colored corolla and 

 larger calyx-lobes than the preceding. 



A. P6lltica, planted from the Old World, a native of the Caucasus ; has 

 larger (2' or more broad) golden or orange-yellow flowers, terminating naked 

 branches, the tube clammy-downy. 



16. RHODORA. (Name made fi-om the Greek word for Rose, from the 

 color of the flowers and general likeness to Rhododendron.) 



R. Canadensis. Cold wet grounds, from Pcnn. N. & PI : low shrub, with 

 handsome rose-pink flowers in spring, somewhat earlier than the pale rather 

 hairy leaves. 



17. LEIOPHYLLUM, SAND -MYRTLE. (Name from the Greek, 

 meaning smooth letf. ) 



Ii. buxifblium. In sand, from New Jersey S. ; evergreen shrub a few 

 inches high, much branched, with oval or oblong Myrtle-like leaves (from 4' to 

 near ^' long), and umbels of small white flowers in late spring. 



18. LEDUM, LABRADOR TEA. (An old Greek name.) Fl. early 

 summer. 



L. Iatif61ium, Common or Broad-leaved L. Low and damp or wet 

 gi'ounds from I'enn. N. ; 2° - 5° high, with oblong leaves, usually 5 stamens, 

 and oblong pods. 



19. CLETHRA, WHITE ALDER. (Old Greek name of Alder, from 

 some resemblance in the foliage.) Fl. in summer. 



C. alnifdlia, the only common species, in low grounds, ti° - 10° high, with 

 wedge-obovate sharply serrate straight-veined leaves, and upright panicled 

 racemes of fratrrant small flowers. 



