566 



ERICACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



2. Cassiope tetragona (L,.) D. Don. 

 Four-angled Cassiope. (Fig. 2762.) 



Andromeda tetragona L- Sp. PI. 393. 1/53- 



Cassiope tetragona D. Don, Edinb. New Phil. Journ. rj: 

 158. 1834- 



Tufted, much-branched, 4'-! 2' high, the branches 

 ascending or erect. Leaves imbricated in 4 rows, 

 making the branches appear 4-sided, thick, ovate 

 or ovate-obloag, closely appressed, channeled on 

 the back, concave or nearly flat on the inner 

 (upper) surface, acute or the lower obtuse, usually 

 puberulent when young, i"-i#" long; peduncles 

 several or numerous, lateral, ascending or erect, 

 slender, 5"-l2"long; flowers 3"-4" broad; corolla 

 5-lobed; style slender, slightly thickened below; 

 capsule nearly globular, i"-l%" in diameter. 



Labrador, Greenland and Hudson Bay to Alaska and 

 Oregon. Also in arctic Asia. Summer. 



ii. LEUCOTHOE D. Don, Edinb. New Phil. Journ. 17: 159. 1834. 



Shrubs, mostly tall, with alternate petioled entire or serrulate deciduous or persistent 

 leaves, and small usually white bracted flowers in terminal or axillary racemes, jointed with 

 their pedicels, or the pedicels jointed with the rachis. Sepals 5, distinct, imbricated,- at 

 least in the bud. Corolla cylindric or ovoid -urceolate, 5-toothed. Stamens 10, included; 

 filaments subulate; anthers attached to the filaments near their bases, oblong, the sacs open- 

 ing by terminal pores, obtuse, a-mucronate or i-2-awned at the apex. Disk lo-lobed. Ovary 

 5-celled; style slender; stigma capitate or 5-lobed; ovules numerous. Capsule depressed- 

 globose, often 5 lobed, loculicidally 5-valved, the valves membranous, entire. Seeds numer- 

 ous, minute, pendulous or spreading. [Name mythological.] 



About 35 species, natives of North and South America and eastern Asia. Besides the following, 

 another occurs in the southeastern States and one in California. 



Racemes in the axils of persistent leaves of the previous season. 



Shoots puberulent; petioles a"-!" long; sepals imbricated in flower. i. L. axillaris. 



Shoots glabrous; petioles 4" -8" long; sepals not imbricated in flower. 2. L. Catesbaei. 

 Racemes terminating the branches; flowers appearing with or before the leaves. 



Racemes mostly recurved : capsule 5-lobed. 3. L. recurva. 



Racemes erect or spreading; capsule not lobed. 4. L. racemosa. 



i. Leucothoe axillaris (Lam.) D. Don. Downy Leucothoe. (Fig. 2763.) 



Andromeda axillaris Lam. Encycl. i: 157. 1783. 

 Leucothoe axillaris D. Don, Edinb. New Phil. 

 Journ. 17: 159. 1834. 



A shrub, 2-5 high, the twigs puberulent, 

 at least when young. Leaves coriaceous, 

 evergreen, oval to oblong-lanceolate, glabrous 

 and dark green above, paler and sparsely be- 

 set with minute hairs beneath, acute or acu- 

 minate at the apex, narrowed or rarely 

 rounded at the base, serrulate, at least near 

 the apex, 2 / -6 / long, #'-!#' wide; petioles 

 usually pubescent; 2 // -4 // long; racemes 

 many-flowered, dense, catkin-like when ex- 

 panding, sessile in the axils of the persistent 

 leaves; bracts ovate, concave, borne near the 

 base of the short pedicels; sepals imbricated 

 even when expanded; anthers awnless; corolla 

 nearly cylindric, about 2" long; stigma de- 

 pressed, 5 -rayed. 



In moist woods, Virginia to Florida and Ala- 

 bama, near the coast. April. 



