HEATH FAMILY 



489 



Sympetalae 



Among the fifty or more families of the Sympetalae, there are 

 some families of considerable economic importance. As previ- 

 ously stated, the Sympetalae are characterized by a gamopet- 

 alous corolla. Also the ova- 

 ries are commonly inferior. 

 Their flowers are commonly 

 showy and insect pollinated. 



Heath Family (Ericaceae). 

 The plants of the Heath 

 family are mostly shrubs, 

 and they are distributed 

 from the polar regions to the 



FIG. 438. One of the 

 Bindweeds (Convolvulvus 

 sepium), showing the corolla 

 composed of united petals. 



FIG. 439. Alfalfa 

 Dodder twining about an 

 Alfalfa plant and drawing 

 nourishment from it by 

 means of parasitic roots 

 (x). Below, at the 

 right, also a fruit, called 

 capsule, of the Dodder is 

 shown much enlarged. 



tropical forests. The flowers are usually regular, and both calyx 

 and corolla are 4-5 lobed. The stamens are as many or twice 

 as many as the lobes of the calyx or corolla, and the flowers are 

 hypogynous or perigynous. 



Some, as the Cranberries, Blueberries, and Huckleberries, pro- 

 duce berries that are valuable fruits. The Heath family also 

 includes some highly prized ornamental shrubs, such as the Rho- 



