34 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



some twenty pages ; it is but right, however, to state that much of this space 

 is occupied by a treatise on the Cape Heaths. 



We have devoted much time 1o studying the botany of the Heather, and 

 find by far the best, fullest and most concise description in Smith's English 

 Flora, vol. 2, pp. 224, 225, which, for advantage of reference, we copy 

 entire : 



"216. Calluna. Ling. 



Salisbury Tr. of Lin. Soc. v. 6, p. 317. 

 • Hull, V. 1, 112, 113. Hook. Scot. 116. Erica Goertn, t. 63. 



Lam. t. 287, f. 1. 



Nat. Ord. Bicornes, Linn. 18. Ericae Jus. 51. 



EricenecB. De Cand. 72, sect. 1. N. 217, the same. 



Cal. inferior, permanent, double ; outermost of 4 ovate-oblong, thick, blunt, 

 fringed leaves; inner of 4 elliptic-lanceolate, concave, colored polished leaves, 

 concealing the corolla. Cor. of one petal, bell shaped, deeply 4 cleft, erect, 

 much shorter than the inner calyx. Filam. from the receptical, thread shaped, 

 short curved. Anth. terminal, erect, lanceolate, acute, with two lateral oblong 

 orifices, each combined, before the discharge of the pollen, with the similar 

 orifice of its neighbor at each side; the base bearing 2 deflexed bristles. 

 Germ, superior, orbicular, depressed, furrowed. Style nearly erect, cylindri- 

 cal, the length of the inner calyx. Stigma capitate, with 4 notches. Caps, 

 concealed by the inflexed permanent inner calyx, orbicular, a little depressed, 

 with 4 furrows, 4 simple valves and 4 cells ; the partitions simple, flat, alter- 

 nate and unconnected with the valves, fixed vertically to a large ovate, pitted, 

 permanent central column. Seeds numerous, small, elliptic-oblong, dotted, 

 attached to the column. 



Shrubby, of humble growth, with little, opposite, imbricated, evergreen 

 leaves, and small, elegant, clustered, drooping, rose-colored_/?ou>e?-*. 



Although there is but one known species of this genus, the most common, 

 if not perhaps the original. Erica of Dioscorides, Tournefort, or Linnjeus, its 

 generic distinctions are so very important that I gladly concur with Mr. Salis- 

 bury, who first pointed out these distinctions. (Vide Tr. of Linnean Socy. 

 vol. 6, pp. 316, 317.) 



To avoid the inconvenience of giving a new generic appellation to the hun- 

 dreds of plants familiar to everybody as Erica,, or Heaths, he has judiciously 

 called our common Ling, Calluna, .from x,aXlvva) ; which is doubly suitable, 

 whether, with Mr. Salisbury and Dr. Hale, we take it to express a cleansivg 

 property, brooms being made of Ling ; or whether we adopt the more common 

 sense of the word, to ornament or adorn, which is very applicable to the 

 flowers. Gaertner indeed was so struck with the peculiar construction of the 

 capsule, that he adds a mark of admiration to his description. He takes the 

 plant as the type of Erica, not aware, peihaps, that no other supposed Erica 

 has been found to have such a capsule, or indeed such a calyx." 



It is proper to add, that the "Calluna" is the oldest "Erica," (if we may so 



