BOTANICAL HISTORY. 



Old World, the south of Africa, especially, only this 

 one should present those special characteristics. This 

 is connected with the calyx. Ericaceous flowers are 

 monopetalous, but one would think that the flowers 

 of Calluna were divided into four petals. But, in 

 truth, what appears to be four pink petals are four 

 sepals or divisions of the calyx, which have been un- 

 usually enlarged so as to enclose the monopetalous 

 corolla, and have assumed the rosy pink tinge the cor- 

 olla ought to have had. To replace the ordinary 

 calyx, four normal leaves have become enlarged, and 

 serve as calyx-like bracts to the real calyx. The 

 common name Heather, however, clings to it yet. It 

 was proposed, when Calluna was separated from Erica 

 proper, that it should be known as Ling, while Heather 

 should be retained for the other three species of the 

 old genus, which is found to a limited extent in va- 

 rious English localities. But this has not been gen- 

 erally adopted." 



Rand says of this change : "It is proper to add 

 that the Calluna is the 'oldest' Erica, if we may so 

 speak, and was the type of the genus of Linnaeus. 

 When the many other Ericas were found, it was dis- 

 covered that they differed slightly botanically from 

 the Calluna, but all had been classed as Erica. Cal- 

 luna was but one, it was easier and less productive 

 of confusion to change one than so many, so the origi- 

 nal Erica became Calluna." 



The word "Ling" is, by some botanists and writ- 

 ers, characterized as a synonym of heath and Calluna 

 vulgaris. It is of Scandinavian origin, and doubtless 

 by the hardy Norsemen, during their temporary pos- 



