HEATH FAMILY. Ericaceae. 



clusters and are succeeded by smooth, round, red berries. 

 This is common in the mountains, across the continent, 

 reaching an altitude of ten thousand feet. The Indians 

 use it medicinally and in the curing of animal skins. There 

 is a picture of this in Schuyler Mathews' Field Book. 



There are a great many kinds of Vaccinium, widely 

 distributed; branching shrubs, with alternate leaves and 

 small flowers, usually in clusters; the ovary inferior, the 

 fruit a many-seeded berry, crowned with the remains oi 

 the calyx-teeth. This is the classic Latin name. These 

 plants include Blueberry, Huckleberry, and Bilberry. 



An attractive shrub, from four to eighl 

 Huckleberry feet hi S h ' with beautiful, glossy, evergreer 



Vaccinium ovatum foliage, which is very ornamental anc 

 White, pink much used in household decoration. The 



Spring, summer older leayes are rfch dark contrast. 



Cal., Oreg. 



ing finely with the younger, apple-greer 



leaves and, in the spring, with the charming little red ones 

 with which the twigs are tipped. They are leathery k 

 texture and very neatly arranged along the branches, whicl 

 are ornamented with pretty clusters of waxy, white or pint 

 flowers, a quarter of an inch long, or with purple berries 

 without a "bloom," which are edible and make excelleni 

 preserves. This grows on hills near the coast, especially 

 among the redwoods. 



There is one kind of Azaleastrum; resembling Rhodo 

 dendron, but with deciduous leaves; and resembling 

 Azalea, but the flowers developing from lateral instead o: 

 terminal buds, the corolla with five, regular lobes, and th< 

 stamens shorter. 



An attractive shrub, from two to si? 

 Small Azalea feefc h h and loosely branching, witl 

 Azaleastrum albi- . , , , , 1-1 



fldrum grayish-brown bark and rich-green leaves 



(Rhododendron) glossy, but not stiff or leathery. The 



White flowers are about an inch across, with 



sticky, aromatic, pale green calyx anc 



waxy-white corolla, the style and stamen: 



pale yellow or white. They have no scent and are nol 



so handsome as the last, but are very beautiful, growing 



in high mountains, often close to the snow line. 



348 



