176 Heath (Ericacece) 



Xenophon, in his Retreat of the Ten Thousand, tells 

 how numbers of his warriors were poisoned through 

 eating honey made by bees that had foraged among the 

 abundant "laurel " flowers. The species may have been 

 Azalea Pontica. 



Fig. 81. Sheep Laurel. Lambkill. K. angmtifblia, L. 



Flowers, about one half or two thirds smaller than those 

 of the Mountain Laurel, closely resembling them, 

 but of a deeper crimson and growing in small clusters 

 at the sides of the branches in the axils of the last 

 year's persistent leaves, and surmounted by the new 

 leaves. May, July. 



Leaves, one to two inches long, opposite in threes and in 

 pairs, edge entire. Apex and base, slightly pointed 

 or rounded ; light green above, in winter often 

 reddish-green or yellowish ; below, whitish or pale. 

 Surfaces, smooth. Side-veins, indistinct. 



Fruit, rounded, depressed, five-celled, often clinging 

 throughout the winter, its stems recurved. Sep- 

 tember. 



Found, common, in rough fields and by ponds and 

 marshes, from Canada to Carolina, and west to 

 Kentucky, often in large patches. 



A very pretty upright evergreen shrub one half to two 

 feet or rarely four feet high. The leaves of this species 

 also are said to be poisonous to cattle. 



Pale Laurel. K. glauca, Ait. 



Flowers, resembling in general the other laurel flowers, 

 smooth, one half inch across, pale purple, in terminal 

 clusters of eight to ten blossoms. Flower-stems, 

 smooth. June. 



