Empetraceae 183 



of the petals; stigmas shorter than the 

 styles; stamens 5, longer than the styles. 



In open, dry, stony ground and slopes 

 throughout the Rockies; flowering in June 

 and July. 



EMPETRACEAE 

 Crowberry Family 



Low evergreen shrubs with narrow nearly 

 sessile leaves jointed to short pulvini, chan- 

 nelled on the lower side by the revolute 

 margins and small monoecious, dioecious or 

 rarely polygamous flowers; sepals, petals, 

 and stamens each 3, fruit a black, berrylike 

 drupe. 



Empetrum Smooth or the young shoots 

 nigrum L. hairy, usually much branched, 

 Black the branches diffusely spreading, 



2-10 inches long. Leaves 

 crowded, dark green, linear-oblong, thick 

 and obtuse, about \ of an inch long with 

 strongly revolute, roughish margins. Flow- 



