Ericacccc V actinium. 275 



American species .are rather more showy than the indigenous, 

 though none are very attractive. V. amcenum, syn. corymbo- 

 sum, has much the habit of V. Myrtillus, with reddish flowers 

 about 6 lines long. 



Oxycoccos macTOcdi^pus is the American Cranberry, so exten- 

 sively cultivated for its fruit. 



TRIBE II. - ERICEA. 

 Fruit superior ; stamens hypogynous. 



2. ERlCA. 



Branching wiry shrubs. Leaves opposite, alternate or 

 whorled, rigid, very small, usually having their margins re- 

 volute. Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes or umbels, 

 tetramerous. Stamens 8 ; corolla persistent ; anther-cells 

 awned. Capsule 4-celled, opening through the cells, many- 

 seeded. The name is of classical origin. This genus contains 

 probably 500 species, the greater number occurring in South 

 Africa. E. arborea, of Southern Europe, attains the dimensions 

 of a small tree. Calluna vulgaris, syn. Erwa vulgaris, Ling 

 or Heath, is distinguished from this genus by the deeply 4- 

 partite corolla, shorter than the coloured calyx, and the capsule 

 dehiscing between the cells. It is one of our commonest 

 species, having short thick trigonal leaves and purple or white 

 axillary flowers. This is the only Heath that extends to North 

 America, and even this is very rare. There are two common 

 British species of Erica proper, namely, E. Tetralix, Cross- 

 leaved Heath, having 4 hairy leaves in a whorl, and the rosy 

 pink or white flowers in umbels ; and E. cinerea, Scotch 

 Heather, with 3 glabrous leaves in a whorl, and numerous 

 reddish purple whorled flowers in long racemes. This is a 

 very common species, rising to a height of 3 or 4 feet in 

 some localities. There are several varieties of these, as well 

 as of the Calluna, in cultivation, including one of the latter 

 with double flowers. Besides the above there are three other 

 indigenous species, but they are very local. The following are 

 some of the hardy exotic species. 



1. E. cdrnea, including E. herbacea. This is one of the 

 most desirable species on account of its early flowering season, 

 which begins in January or February. It is a distinct very 

 dwarf plant with linear-acute leaves and rather long urceolate 



T 2 



