592 ARBUTUS. [CLASS X. ORDER I. 



The Marsh Andromeda is a pretty elegant little under shruh, pos- 

 sessed of tonic astringent properties. It is frequently cultivated in our 

 gardens, but requires a peat or bog soil, and flourishes best in a damp 

 exposed situation. We have observed, when it is grown in a rather 

 dry place, that the filaments and inner surface of the corolla become 

 more or less thickly clothed with hairs, a circumstance which seems 

 provided for the purpose of attracting by the means of these points 

 moisture from the atmosphere, necessary to the perfection of the 

 seeds. It is an extensive genus of very elegant plants, for the 

 most part natives of North America; but which with care flourish 

 very well in our gardens, requiring in the treatment of their cultivation 

 a damp peat earth, and an open situation. Some of them possess 

 deleterious and poisonous properties. It is stated by Barton that 

 A. Muriana, though poisonous, is found very useful when made into a 

 decoction, and used as a wash to indolent sores, so frequent on the feet 

 of the slaves in the Southern States of America, and that the brown 

 dust-like matter that covers the young branches of this and other allied 

 species, as well as that of the powdered seeds, is used as snufif. 



The form of the corolla, the structure of the stamens, and capsule, 

 will show how nearly allied this genus is to Erica ; and they also bear 

 a close afiinity to the genus Ledum, one species of which, the 

 L. palustns, Linn, is given in Lindley's Synopsis, as found on the 

 north-west coast of Ireland ; but we have much doubt as to its claim 

 to admission into our Flora. It is found frequently on the coast of 

 France, Spain, and Portugal, and perhaps may be found truly wild in 

 our own country ; we have, therefore, given the character of the genus 

 and species in a note.* 



GENUS IV. ARBU'TUS.— Linn. Strawberry-tree. 



Nat. Ord. ERi'cEiE. Jess. 



Gen. Char. Calyx five-cleft. Corolla ovate, with a small five-cleft 

 revolute limb. Stamens ten, villous at the base. Anthers opening 

 with terminal pores. Berry granulated, five-celled, each cell four 

 or five seeded. — Named, according to Theis, from ar, rough ; or 

 austere and boise, a hush in Celtic. 



• Ledum, Linn, Calyx minute, of five teeth. CoroTla of five petals. Sta- 

 mens five or ten. Anthers opening with terminal pores. Capsule five celled, 

 five valved, dehiscing through the disseppiments. Seeds numerous. 

 Nat. Ord. Ericeje. Juss. 



L. palustris, Linn. Marsh Ledum. Leaves linear, the margins revolute, the 

 under side and branches clothed with brown down. 



A low shrub, with a terminal sub-umbellate inflorescence of numerous white 

 or rose-coloured flowers, with a spreading corolla and ten stamens, on slender 

 filaments. 



