64 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



Sarcpdes sanguined, the Sierran snow plant, is bright 

 red in color. 



The Monotropacese are not known to be in cultiva- 

 tion. 



175 Ericaceae (from the genus Erica, the ancient 

 name of the heath, from erico, to break). HEATH 

 FAMILY. Fig. 46. Shrubs or sub-shrubs: leaves alter- 

 nate, often evergreen: flowers bisexual, regular or 

 slightly irregular; calyx 4-5-fid, persistent; corolla 

 gamopetalous, rarely polypetalous, often urceolate, 4- 

 5-lobed, convolute or imbricated; stamens alternate 

 with the petals, of the same number or double the 

 number, inserted at the base of a hypogynous disk, 

 not epipetalous; anthers sometimes appendaged, open- 

 ing by terminal pores, rarely by longitudinal slits; 

 ovary superior or inferior, 4-5-celled or falsely 10- 

 celled, many ovuled; style and stigma 1: fruit a cap- 

 sule, rarely a berry or drupe. 



The 67 genera and about 1,400 species are very gen- 

 erally distributed. Erica, the largest genus, with 420 

 species, is confined to the Old World. The family is 

 closely related to the Pyrolaceae and Clethraceae; also 

 to the Epacridaceae and Diapensiaceae. The northern 

 Ericaceae are largely evergreen and variously adapted 



47. DIAPENSIACE.E: 1. Diapensia, o, flower; 6, floral diagram. 

 PRIMULACE*: 2. Primula, a, flower b, floral diagram. PLUM; 

 BAQINACE.A:: 3. Armeria, flower. 4. Statice, calyx. 5. Plumbago, 

 floral diagram. 



in foliage to a xerophytic habitat. Ledum is polypeta- 

 lous. Rhododendron has a funnel-form corolla; Kal- 

 mia, a cup-shaped corolla with elastic stamens in pock- 

 ets. The anthers of Epigsea dehisce longitudinally. 



Arclostaphylos Uva-Ursi (bearberry) of Europe and 

 America is medicinal. The volatile oil of wintergreen is 

 obtained from the leaves, and stems, of the North 

 American Gaullheria procumbens. A very poisonous 

 substance is found in some species of Rhododendron, 

 Lyonia and Leucothoe; and possibly the poisonous 

 quality of Kalmia and Rhododendron honey is due to 

 this. Species of Gaylussacia (North America) yield 

 huckleberries; species of Vaccinium yield blueberries. 

 The fruits of V. Myrtillus (Europe) are bilberries. The 

 European heaths furnish commercial honey. Cranber- 

 ries are the fruit of V. macrocarpon and V. Oxycoccus. 

 Many species of Ericaceae are ornamental. 



Forty to 50 genera are in cultivation in N. America. 

 Among these are the Strawberry Tree or Madrona 

 (Arbutus); Bearberry (Arctpstaphylos) ; Heather (Ca- 

 luna); Heath (Erica); Trailing Arbutus or Mayflower 

 (Epigsca) ; Labrador Tea (Ledum) ; Sourwood or Sorrel 

 Tree (Oxydendrum) ; Azalea, Rhodora, Rhododendron 

 or Pinxter Flower (Rhododendron); Laurel (Kalmia); 

 Blueberry and Cranberry (Vaccinium); Huckleberry 

 (Gaylussacia) ; also Menziesia, Chamsedaphne, Cassiope, 

 Andromeda, and others. 



176. Epacridaceae (from the genus Epacris, derived 

 from the Greek meaning on the top; many species grow- 



ing on hilltops). EPACRIS FAMILY. Shrubs or small 

 trees: leaves alternate, usually stiff, small, and heath- 

 like: flowers bisexual, regular, hypogynous; disk pres- 

 ent; calyx of 4-5 sepals, bracted at the base; corolla 

 gamopetalous, 4 5-lobed; stamens 4-5, hypogynous or 

 epipetalous; anthers opening by longitudinal slits; 

 carpels 4-5; ovary superior, 1-10-celled; ovules solitary 

 or many; style and stigma 1 : fruit a drupe or capsule. 



The 21 genera and about 300 species are almost 

 exclusively confined to Australia and New Zealand. 

 One species is found in South America. The family is 

 closely related to the Ericaceae, but has one whorl of 

 stamens. The genus Styphelia contains 172 species. 

 S. sapida furnishes edible berries. 



A few species of Epacris are grown as ornamental 

 plants in the greenhouses of North America. 



177. Diapensiaceae (from the genus Diapensia, the 

 derivation of which is obscure). DIAPENSIA FAMILY. 

 Fig. 47. Low shrubs: leaves alternate, evergreen, reni- 

 form or imbricated or moss-like: flowers bisexual, reg- 

 ular, hypogynous; disk absent; calyx of 3-5 sepals; 

 corolla with 5 separate petals, or gamopetalous; lobes 

 imbricated; stamens 5, epipetalous or hypogynous, al- 

 ternating with the corolla lobes, often also alternating 

 with 5 staminodia; anthers opening by a longitudinal 

 slit; ovary superior, 3-celled; ovules very numerous; 

 style 1; stigmas 1-3: fruit a capsule. 



Diapensiacese has 6 genera and about 10 species 

 of circumpolar distribution, extending southward to 

 Carolina and the Himalayas. The family is related to 

 the Ericaceae, and to the Epacridaceae. The 3 carpels and 

 5 stamens are important distinguishing characteristics. 

 Four or more genera are in cultivation in America; 

 of these, Galax aphylla (Galax) of North Carolina has 

 reniform leaves; Pyxidanthera barbulata (Pyxie, Flow- 

 ering Moss, or Pine-barren Beauty) of southern New 

 Jersey has subulate leaves; Shortia, of North Carolina 

 and Japan, and Schizocodon soldanelloides (Fringed 

 Galax) of Japan both have orbicular leaves. 



Order 47. PBIMULALES 



178. Myrsinaceae (from the genus Myrsine, the 

 Greek name of Myrrh). MYRSINE FAMILY. Trees or 

 shrubs: leaves usually alternate, coriaceous, glandular- 

 dotted: flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, often 

 very glandular; calyx 4-5-parted, persistent; corolla 

 gamopetalous, rarely of separate petals, 4-5-lobed; 

 stamens 5, opposite the lobes of the corolla, mostly 

 epipetalous, separate or monadelphous; alternating 

 staminodia often present; ovary superior or inferior, 

 1-celled, placenta basal or free-central; ovules few or 

 numerous; style and stigma 1: fruit a few-seeded berry 

 or drupe. 



Widely distributed in the tropics are 32 genera and 

 about 550 species. Two species reach Florida. The 

 family is related to the Primulacea;, but is woody, 

 glandular, and has indehiscent fruits; also related to 

 the Sapotaceae. 



The leaves of Jacquinia are used in America to 

 stupefy fish; the fruits of this genus are poisonous. 

 The fruits of some species of Ardisia are edible. Bread 

 is made in San Domingo from the crushed seed of 

 Theophrasta Jussieui. 



About a half-dozen genera are in cultivation in this 

 country, but are little known. Jacquinia and Myrsine 

 are grown in southern Florida and southern California; 

 Ardisia is a genus of greenhouse shrubs. The species 

 ascribed in the trade to Theophrasta on further study 

 have been referred to other genera. 



179. Primulaceae (from the genus Primula, from 

 Latin primus (first) , in reference to the early flowering 

 of some European species). PRIMROSE FAMILY. Fig. 47. 

 Herbs : leaves mostly opposite or whorled, often dotted 

 or mealy: flowers bisexual, regular, rarely slightly irreg- 

 ular; calyx not bracteate, mostly 5-parted; corolla 



