HEATH FAMILY 



WILD HONEYSUCKLE. PINXTER FLOWER. PINK 



AZALEA 



Azalea midiflbra. 



Azalea, dry, arid, of Greek derivation, refers to the habi- 

 tat of the plant. Pinxter is Dutch for Whitsunday and re- 

 fers to the time of flowering. 



A spreading shrub, two to six feet high, branched above, often 

 simple below ; grows in dry sandy or rocky woods, also loves 

 the banks of sluggish streams and borders of swamps. Ranges 

 from Maine to Florida, westward to Missouri and Texas. Vari- 

 able in habit and in choice of location. 



Leaves. — Alternate, crowded toward the end of the branches, 

 simple, two to four inches long, oblong or obovate, acute at 

 both ends, serrate, margin finely ciliate. They come out of the 

 bud re volute, pale dull green, slightly hairy ; when full grown 

 are bright green, glabrous above, paler green and downy be- 

 neath. In autumn they turn dull yellow. Petioles short. 



Flowers. — April, May, before or with the leaves. Perfect, 

 showy pink or nearly white, faintly odorous, borne in terminal 

 umbels developed from cone-like scaly buds which were formed 

 the previous autumn. Pedicels hairy, erect, about three-fourths 

 of an inch long. 



Calyx. — Small, five-parted, persistent. 



Corolla. — Varying from rose-color more or less intense to 

 white, funnel-form, somewhat irregular ; tube dark pink, scarcely 

 longer than the lobes of the corolla, hairy, slightly glandular ; 

 border paler pink, five-lobed, somewhat two-lipped, one and a 

 half to two inches broad. 



Stamens. — Five, much exserted, declined ; filaments slender, 

 pink, often an inch and a half long ; anthers awnless ; cells 

 opening by terminal pores. 



Pistil. — Ovary superior, five-celled ; style slender, pink; two 

 to two and a half inches long, declined ; ovules numerous. 



Fruit. — Capsule, linear-oblong, erect, five-celled, opening 

 down from the top, many-seeded. 



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