04 



A SYN(^PSIS OF THE PLANT KINCDOM 



SiiroMlts snnguinea, the Siern\n snow plant, is hiifjht. 

 ivii in color. 



The Monotropaceavivre not known to be in cultiva- 

 tion. 



175 Ericaceae (from the goniis Erirn, the ancient 

 nsune of the heath, from irico, to l)rcak). lli:.\Tn 

 Family. FIj;. 4l). f^hriihs or siib-shruhs: leaves alter- 

 nate, often evei-green: flowers bisexual, regular or 

 slightly irregular; ealyx 4-r)-fid, persistent; corolla 

 gamopetalous, rarely poly pet alous, often urceolate, 4- 

 .Vlobwi, convolute or imoricateil; stajnens alternate 

 with the petals, of the siune numl)er or double the 

 number, inserted at the biuse of a hypogynoiis disk, 

 not epipetalous; anthers; sometimes appendaged, o|)en- 

 ing by terminal pores, rarely by longitudinal slits; 

 o\ary su|)erior or inferior, 4-,")-celled or falsely 10- 

 cellixl, manyovnk-d; style and stigraa 1; fruit a cap- 

 sule, rarely a berr\- 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 ^^'orld. The family is 

 closely related to the Pyrolacea> and Clethraccie; also 

 to the Epacridacejfi and Diapensiaece. The northern 

 Ericacea; are largely evergreen and variously adapted 



47. Diapex8Iace<e: 1. l-)iapcn.sia, a, flower; 6, floral diagram. 

 PniMULACEiE; 2. Primula, a, flower 6, floral diagram. Plum; 

 BAGiNACEAi: 3. Armeria, flower. 4. Statice, calyx. 5. Plumbago, 

 flordi 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 Kpig;ea dehisce longitudinally. 



Arctoslaphylos 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 Cnullherin prnrumhenn. A very poisonous 

 substance is found in some species of Hhodotlendron, 

 Lyonia and I.«ucothoe; and possibly the poisonous 

 qualitj' of Kalmia and Hhododendron honey is due to 

 this. Species of Gaylus.sacia (North America) yield 

 huckleberries; species of Vacciniuni yield blueberries. 

 The fruits of V. MyrlilluH fEurope) are bilberries. The 

 European heaths furnish commercial honey. Cranber- 

 ries are the fruit of V. nuirrocarjjon and V. Oxi/cocciis. 

 Many species of Ericaeea,- are ornamental. 



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

 Among these are the Strawberry Tree or Madrona 

 fArbutiLsj; Bearberry CArctostaphylosj; Heather (C.i- 

 luna); Heath CErica); Trailing Arbutus or Mayflower 

 (Epigxaj; Labrador Tea CLedum); Sourwood or Sorrel 

 Tree fOxydendrum;; Azalea, Rhodora, Rhododendron 

 or Pinxter Flower flihfxlodendronj; Laurel fKalmia); 

 Blueberry and Cranberry (Vacciniumj; Huckleberry 

 fOayliissaf'iaj ; also Menziesia, Chama'dai)hne, Ca.ssiope, 

 Andromcla. and others. 



176. Epacridaceae tfrom the genus Eprirrin, derived 

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



ing on hilltops). lOrAcuis F.\milv. Shrubs or small 

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

 like: flowers bisexual, regular, hypogynous; disk ])res- 

 ent; calyx of 4-i> sepals, bracted at, the bjise; (^)rolla 

 gamopetalous, 4-.5-lobed; stamens A-h, hypogynous or 

 epi|)elalous; anthers opening by longitudinal slits; 

 carpels 4-."); ovary su[)erior, l-10-c(^lled; ovules solitary 

 or many; style and sl,igma 1: fruit a drupe or capsule. 



The 21 genera and abf)ut ^iOO species are almost 

 exclusively confined to Australia and New Zealand. 

 One species is found in South America. The family is 

 closely related to the l''rieacea', but has one whorl of 

 stamens. The genus Styphelia contains 172 species. 

 iS. tidpidd furnishes edible berries. 



A few spcx'ies of I'^pacris are grown as ornamental 

 plants in the greenhouses of North America. 



177. Diapensiaceae (from the genus Dinpensia, the 

 derivation of which is obscure). Di.\pensia 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 jjetals, or gamopetalous; lobea . 

 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. 



Diapensiacea; has genera and about 10 species 

 of circumpolar distribution, extending southward to 

 Carolina and the Himalayas. The family is related to 

 theEricaceje,andtotlie Epacridacea;. The 3 carpels and 

 5 stamens are important distinguishing characteristics. 

 Four or more genera are in cultivation in America; 

 of these, (kdax nphylla (Galax) of North Carolina has 

 reniform leaves; Pyxidnnthera harhuliila (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. Primulales 



178. Myrsinaceas (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-p'arted, persistent; corolla 

 gamopetalous, larely 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 Primulaceae, but is woody, 

 glandular, and has indehiscent fruits; also related to 

 the Sapotacea;. 



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 mad(! in San Domingo from the crushed seed of 

 Theophrasld J iinnieiii. 



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 

 a-scribed in the trade to Theophrasta on further study 

 have been referred to other genera. 



17!). Primulaceae (from the genus Primula, from 

 Latin pritmiti (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 bractcate, mostly 5-parted; corolla 



