HEATH FAMILY 



THE FLOWERS: in umbel like clusters, with a long tube, 

 covered with sticky hairs, to which small insects adhere. 

 The five prominent stamens protrude beyond the throat 

 of the corolla; the long style with knob-like stigma. 



THE FRUIT: a capsule. 



Early in the season, you are often attracted, while still at 

 a distance from the swamp, by a very sweet odour, even 

 before you have caught sight of the large pure white flowers 

 against the dark background of the thicket. On closer 

 view the flowers are found to be funnel-shaped, like those 

 of the cultivated honeysuckle, with prominent stamens. 

 They are very clammy or viscid. In drying they become 

 quite brown and unattractive, and finally the corolla drops 

 and leaves the pistil hanging, but the buds come out well 

 in water so that, with a little doctoring, it is possible to 

 keep a bunch fresh for some time. 



ERICACE^) HEATH FAMILY 



Kalmia angustifolia, L. 



Crimson pink Sheep Laurel, 



Narrow-leaved Laurel, 



June-August Widcy, 



Lambkill, 

 Calfkill, 

 Sheep Poison. 



Kalmia: dedicated to Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linnaeus, who 



traveled in America. 

 Angustifolia: Latin for narrow-leaved. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: swampy ground. 



THE PLANT: shrublike, erect, six inches to three feet high, 

 with few, nearly erect branches. 



THE LEAVES: mostly opposite or verticillate in threes; 



oblong to oblong-lanceolate; sometimes more than two 



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