1 88 



ERICACEAE. 



Pyrola elata Nutt. Very similar to P. bracleata; but leaves broadly obovate 

 or orbicular, obtuse, thinner, not shiny; flowers paler. In wet places in 

 woods. 



Family 68. ERICACEAE. Heather Family. 



Perennial herbs or shrubs; leaves simple, commonly alternate, 

 articulated to the stem, without stipules; flowers regular, or 

 nearly so; corolla generally gamopetalous, 4- or 5-lobed; stamens 

 as many or twice as many as the corolla lobes, hypogynous; style 

 single; ovary with as many cells as the corolla-lobes, or rarely 

 less; seeds small; endosperm fleshy. 



Calyx adherent to the ovary. 

 Calyx free from the ovary. 

 Fruit a berry-like drupe. 

 Fruit a dry capsule. 

 Leaves linear, small. 

 Leaves elliptical, large. 



274. Vaccinium, 188. 



275. Arctostaphylos, 189. 



276. Phyllodoce, 189. 



277. Menziesia, 189. 



274. VACCINIUM. Huckleberry. 



Branching shrubs with alternate leaves sometimes coriaceous; 

 flowers small, solitary or in racemes or clusters; corolla various in 

 shape, epigynous, 4- or 5-cleft ; stamens 8 or 10 ; anthers sometimes 

 2-awned on the back ; fruit a 4- or 5-celled or sometimes 8-10-celled 

 berry; seeds numerous. 



Tall shrubs, 1-2 m. high. 



Low shrubs, less than 50 cm. high. 



Branches sharply angled; berries red or wine-color. 



Branches terete; berries blue, with a bloom. 



V. macro phyllum. 



V. scoparium. 

 V. caespitosum. 



Vaccinium macrophyllum (Hook.) Piper. Huckleberry. Shrub, 1-2 m. 

 high, glabrous throughout or nearly so; leaves oval or ovate, acute, rarely 

 obtuse, cuneate at base, finely serrate, paler beneath, 1-4 cm. long, short- 

 petioled; pedicels slender; calyx-limb entire; corolla nearly globose, yellowish, 

 4-5 mm. long; fruiting pedicels erect; fruit without a bloom, dark-wine-color 

 or nearly black. Open pine woods, common. 



Vaccinium scoparium Leiberg. Low bushy glabrous shrub, 15-40 cm. 

 high, with numerous erect branches, green and all sharply angled; leaves very 

 small, oval to ovate, serrate, bright green; corolla ovoid, 2 mm. long; berries 

 light red, 2-4 mm. in diameter. In lodgepole pine forests, Blue Mountains. 



Vaccinium caespitosum Michx. Low bushy shrub, 10-30 cm. high, 



rous or minutely puberulent; leaves obovate, obtuse or acute, crenulate- 



ilate, cuneate at base, very short-petioled, 1-2 cm. long; flowers solitarv 



• axils longer than the»drooping pedicels; calyx-lobes very short; corolla 



pink, ovoid, 5-6 mm. long; berry blue, with a bloom, sweet, 3-5 mm. in di- 



ter. North hillsides, common. 



