278 



ERICACEAE. 



KALMIA. American Laurel. 

 (Family Ericaceae). 



Small trees or mostly shrubs: 

 evergreen. Twigs moderate or 

 slender: pith small, rounded, con- 

 tinuous. Buds minute, naked or 

 with 2 small green scales, soli- 

 tary, sessile, the end-bud abortive. 

 Leaf-scars clustered at end of the 

 season's growth, variously alter- 

 nate or opposite or in whorls of 

 3, half-round or shield-shaped, 

 sometimes raised for a time by a 

 finally deciduous base, or sunken : 

 bundle-trace a transverse line: 

 stipule-scars lacking. The small 

 subglobose 5-celled capsules are 

 persistent in winter. (Includes 

 Kalmiella). 



Kalmia is reputed among the 

 most poisonous of the Ericaceae. 

 For an analysis of the subject, 

 with bibliography, reference may 



be made to Pammers Manual of Poisonous Plants. The 

 woody genera listed there as containing poisonous or medici- 

 nal properties are Andromeda, Arctostaphylos, Calluna, Epi- 

 gaea, Erica, Gaultheria, Kalmia, Ledum, Lecothoe, Lyonia, 

 Rhododendron and Vaccinium. 



1. Large shrubs or small trees: leaves large. (1). K. latifolia. 

 Small shrubs: buds with 2 scales. 2. 



2. Twigs 2-edged: leaves opposite. (2). K. polifolia. 

 Twigs terete. 3. 



3. Leaves mostly in whorls of 2 or 3. (3). K. angustifolia. 

 Leaves alternate. 4. 



4. Twigs glandular-hairy. (Kalmiella), K. hirsuta. 

 Twigs hisute, not glandular. K. cuneata. 



