THE HEATH FAMILY. 391 



it, or in fact almost anything else, whenever they get the chance. Mr. 

 Boynton, of Biltmore, proved that this country lore concerning it was well 

 grounded ; for once a wilful pair of oxen that was being driven used every 

 opportunity to snatch at it and were finally very sick. 



It grows only through the mountains and along cool stream borders, and 

 in the winter especially is most beautiful. The flovvcr-buds which were 

 developed in the autumn have by this time turned a deep red and well 

 match the leaves of the upper stem. Those below remain green and thus 

 form a most charming contrast in colour. At Christmas it is gathered for 

 the decoration of houses; in fact the mountaineers pull it in great quantities 

 and take it to the towns where for this purpose it is sold. 



MOUNTAIN LEUCOTHOE. {Plate CXXIV/I.) 

 Lciicothoc rcciirva, 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Heath. W'liite. Siucet, like honey. Virginia to Alabavta. Aprils May. 



Flmvers : growing loosely in long, recurved and one-sided racemes and appear- 

 ing mainly before the leaves. Calyx: small, five-parted and having two small, 

 pointed bracts at its base. Co7-olla ; campanulate, or cylindrical with five small 

 points. Capsule : depressed at both ends and from which the style jirotrudes ; five- 

 valved. Leaves : oval or oblong ; pointed at both ends or rounded at the base ; 

 finely serrate ; bright green with lighter coloured and pubescent veins; thin; 

 deciduous. A branching shrub, two to ten feet high with highly coloured 

 twigs. 



It was Buckley who discovered this leucothoe as it grew near Paint Rock 

 in the mountains of North Carolina. Often it is found bordering small 

 mountain streams, but usually occurs on higher ground and by its one-sided 

 racemes, its deciduous leaves and manner of growth can at once be distin- 

 guished from Leucothoe Catesbaii. Again it can be separated from 

 Leucothoe racemosa, a species of swampy places chiefly along the coastal 

 plain, because its anther cells have but one awn instead of two. 



In the autumn the foliage of the mountain leucothoe turns to most bril- 

 liant and beautiful colours varying from red to bronze, but it does not last 

 over the winter. For this, the gayety of their late colouring, their rich 

 toned stems and waxy, sweet little flowers the genus is one most desirable 

 in cultivation. 



L. acuminata, pipe-wood, titi, inhabits the swamp margins from east- 

 ern Florida to the Carolinas. Its lanceolate, entire leaves tapering 10 along 

 point at the apex are one of its distinctive traits. This species, on account 

 of its long hollow stems, furnishes many people an industry, in collecting 

 them for pipes. 



L. axillaris, downy leucothoe, has woolly stems at least when young and 



