HEATH FAMILY 



RHODORA 



Rhodbra canadensis. 



Named from the Greek rhodon, a rose. 



Early flowering, low, thin little shrub, one to three feet high, 

 growing in cool bogs, by the side of sluggish streams, in damp 

 woods and on wet hillsides. Ranges from Newfoundland to 

 New Jersey, westward to central New York and Pennsylvania. 



Stems. — Recent shoots straight, erect, pale yellowish brown, 



hairy. Older stems covered with an outer bark which peels off 



early and leaves a bright, copper-colored, smooth 



bark ; leaf-buds minute ; flower-buds terminal, 



scaly, yellowish brown. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, one to three inches 

 long, oval or oblong, narrowed at base, entire, 

 slightly revolute, obtuse or acute, often with a 

 bristle at tip ; when full grown pale green above, 

 paler and glaucous and downy beneath. In au- 

 tumn they fall early with little change of color. 

 Petioles short. 



Flowers. — x\pril, May, just before or with the 

 leaves. Perfect, rose-purple, varying to white, 

 Rhodora Leaf. borne in corymbose terminal clusters. Pedicels 

 short, hairy. 



Calyx. — Minute, five-toothed. 



Corolla. — Rose-purple, an inch to an inch and a half broad, 

 two-lipped ; upper lip unequally two to three-lobed ; the lower 

 divided to the base ; the segments recurved. 



Stamens. — Ten, as long as the corolla ; filaments somewhat 

 hairy ; anthers short, roundish, purple ; cells opening by ter- 

 minal pores. 



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

 purple, exserted ; stigma capitate. 



Fruit. — Capsule, linear-oblong, five-celled, five-valved, many 

 seeded. 



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