i8o THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



Crowberry is a shrub and has the heath habit, 

 having a tufted manner of growth, being thickly 

 branched, hairless, with slender, wiry, spreading or 

 trailing branches. 



The leaves are evergreen, linear to oblong, 

 crowded, short, with the leaves rolled back, adapted 

 to dry conditions. They turn red when old, the 

 margins are roughish, the bent-back border hiding 

 the downy underside and forming a tube closed at 

 both ends. The upper surface of the leaf is protected 

 by a strong, smooth cuticle. The stomata are on the 

 under surface, and open into the closed tube filled in 

 part by the hairs. This is an adaptation to prevent 

 excessive loss of water by transpiration in situations 

 where, owing to the character of the soil or the water 

 or to low temperature, the rate of absorption of 

 water by the roots is slow. It also serves the purpose 

 of preventing the stomata from being clogged by dew 

 or rain. This last is deposited on the smooth upper 

 surface and runs off. 



The flowers are in racemes, axillary, pink or purple, 

 small, stalkless. The sepals are rounded and hollow. 

 The petals are somewhat spoon-shaped, with a 

 membranous margin, bent back. The stigma is 

 nine-rayed. The anthers are red, with long stalks. 

 The fruit, a berry-like drupe, is black, or plum- 

 coloured. 



The flowers are in bloom in May and June. The 

 plant is a perennial shrub, and 6 to i8 in. in height. 



The Crowberry is a dioecious plant. The flowers 



