HEATH FAMILY 



THE FLOWERS: in the axils or at the ends of the branches, 

 crowded in spikes or spike-like racemes. "The corolla is 

 concealed by the longer calyx" (equally coloured or tend- 

 ing to white) "and below these are four bracts which re- 

 semble a calyx." "The corolla has not merely four short 

 lobes at the mouth of the bell, but is deeply split into four 

 parts. The anthers are short and contained within the 

 corolla, but the style is long, and protrudes." 



THE FRUIT: capsules. 



These Scotch heathers may be said to be established, 

 however slightly, on Nantucket. For the Calluna or Ling, 

 Nantucket must share the glory, according to Gray's 

 Manual, 7th edition, with "low grounds in the coastal 

 region, very locally, from Rhode Island to Newfoundland." 

 But for the other two, the Cross-leaved (Erica Teiralix) and 

 the Bell (Erica cinerea), Nantucket is the only locality in 

 the United States so far recorded. 



How the three heathers became even "slightly estab- 

 lished" on Nantucket is a question frequently put. A 

 single plant of Calluna or Ling was first discovered on 

 Nantucket in 1880 on the open Commons where "its 

 production by human agency seems highly improbable" 

 (Mrs. Owen). This plant subsequently disappeared. In 

 1886 a patch was discovered among Larch and Pine trees, 

 which had been imported probably from Scotland. The 

 discovery in such an environment suggests an easy solu- 

 tion to the problem of its introduction. But on Nan- 

 tucket, as Mr. Bicknell notes, there are two forms of the 

 Calluna or Ling, one without hairs in any part and the 

 other with soft hairs (variety pubescens). Therefore, Mr. 

 Bicknell claims that the Ling came "not alone from its 

 chance introduction with trees imported from Europe, but 

 also through some other channel-, which remains quite 

 unknown." 



276 



