Arctostaphylos.] XLV. ERICACE^. 281 



A high alpine or Arctic plant, common in the mountains of northern 

 Europe, Asia, and America, and at high altitudes in the central chains 

 of the two former continents. In Britain, only in the central and 

 northern mountains of Scotland, extending to Shetland. Fl. spring. 



IV. ANDROMEDA, ANDROMEDA. 



Small shrubs or herb-like undershrubs, chiefly growing in peat-bogs, 

 with the flowers of an Arbutus, but a dry capsular fruit opening in as 

 many entire valves as it has cells, by slits placed in the middle of the 

 cells, not by the splitting of the partitions as in Menziesia, each cell 

 containing several seeds. 



A small genus, limited by some modern botanists to the single British 

 species, but usually extended so as to comprise several other North 

 American, as well as Asiatic and European species. 



1. A. polifolia, Linn. (fig. 633). Marsh A. A low, branching, 

 herb-like shrub, seldom above 6 inches high, and quite glabrous. 

 Leaves alternate, \ to 1 inch long, oblong-lanceolate, evergreen, with 

 their edges rolled back, and very glaucous underneath. Flowers on 

 rather long pedicels, in short, terminal racemes or clusters ; the calyx 

 small, deeply 5-lobed ; the corolla pale pink, ovoid, enclosing the 10 

 stamens. 



In peat-bogs in northern Europe, Asia, and America, to the Arctic 

 regions, and in the great mountain-chains of central Europe. In Britain 

 confined to central and northern England, southern and central Scotland 

 and Ireland, but absent from the Scotch Highlands, where the plants of 

 similar Continental distribution are usually found. Fl. all summer. 



V. LOISELEURIA. LOISELEURIA. 



A low, trailing shrub, with small opposite leaves. Sepals 5. Corolla 

 campanulate, 5-lobed. Capsule free, with 2 or 3 cells, opening in as 

 many valves by the splitting of the partitions, and containing several 

 seeds. 



The single species of which this genus consists was included by 

 Linnseus among his Azaleas, and some botanists retain that name for 

 it, proposing to give that of Anihodendron to the showy shrubs so well 

 known as Azaleas in our American gardens, but such a change would 

 entail great useless confusion in synonymy, and the name of Loisdeuria 

 is now generally adopted, at least by Continental botanists. [Moreover 

 the name Azalea was applied by Linnaeus primarily to the Indian plant 

 of that name, and has been retained by almost all succeeding botanists 

 for it and its allies, which only differ from many Rhododendrons in 

 their deciduous leaves. Loiseleuria differs from all these in its opposite 

 leaves, and in its anthers opening by lateral slits.] 



1. L. procumbens, Desv. (fig. 634). Loiseleuria. Leaves numerous, 

 evergreen, only 2 or 3 lines long, ovate or oblong, shining on their 

 upper side, with the edges rolled back. Flowers small and rose- 

 coloured, in short terminal clusters. Valves of the capsule usually 

 shortly split at the top. Azalea procumbens, Linn. 



