

NAT. ORDER. 



EricecE. 



ARBUTUS UVA URSI. BEAR-BERRY. 



Class X. Decandria. Order I. Monogynia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx, five-parted. Corolla, ovate, the mouth pelucid 



at the base. Bcrrtj, five-celled. 

 Spc. Char. Stalks, procumbent. Leaves, quite entire. 



The root is perennial, long, branched and fibrous ; the stems are 

 numerous, procumbent, spreading, woody, scarcely a foot in length, 

 and seldom divided into branches ; the leaves are oblong, obtuse, nar- 

 rowed towards the base, entire, thick or fleshy, smooth, without foot- 

 stalks, of a dull green color, and closely surround the upper part o( 

 the stalk ; the Jlowers are whitish or flesh-colored, and terminate the 

 stems in small clusters, upon short pedicles ; the calyx is very small 

 and divided into five obtuse teeth ; the corolla consists of a single 

 petal, which is tubular, oval, contracted, and divided at the margin 

 into five minute reflexed segments ; the filaments are ten, short, 

 downy, tapering, and crowned with erect reddish anthers ; the ger- 

 men is oval, and placed above the insertion of the corolla ; the style 

 is tapering, longer than the filaments, and terminated with a simple 

 Btigma ; ihe/ruit is a pulpy, round, red berry. It flowers in June 

 and July. 



The Uva ursi is an evergreen creeping plant, with small oblong, 

 oval leaves, resembling very closely those of the common garden 

 box. It is indigenous both to Europe and the United States. The 

 leaves contain tannin, mucilage, gallic acid, extractive, resin and 

 Jiino. Wherever this plant is found, it is in great abundance, botii 

 in this country and in Europe, and seeks a barren, sandy soil, and 



Vol. Ui.— 71. 



