346 THE HEATH EAMILT. 



and rose-coloured, in short terminal clusters. Valves of the capsule usu- 

 ally shortly spUt at the top. 



On mountain moors, in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia and America, 

 and in the high alpine chains of central Europe. In Britain only in the 

 Scotch Highlands. Fl. spring. 



YI. MENZZSSIA. MENZIESIA. 



Heath-like, low shrubs, with scattered leaves, and blue or pink flowers, 

 in terminal racemes. Sepals 4 or 5. Corolla deciduous, ovoid, with 4 or 5 

 short lobes. Stamens 8 or 10. Capsule free, with 4 or 5 cells, opening in 

 as many valves by the splitting of the partitions. 



A small northern and west European genus, artificially distinguished 

 from Andromeda by the manner in which the capside opens, fi-om Heath 

 by the deciduous corolla, from Loiseleui-ia by the number of stamens. It 

 has been divided by modern botanists into almost as many genera as 

 there are species. 



Flowers pink, with 4 lobes. Leaves white underueatli 1. St.Daheoc^sM, 



Flowers blue, with 5 lobes. Leaves green on both aides .... 2. Blue M. 



1. St. Dabeoc's Menziesia. Menziesia polifolia, Sm. 



{Erica Daheoci, Eng. Bot. t. 35. St. Dabeoc's Heath.) 

 A low shrub, rather straggling at the base, with ascending flowering 

 branches, clothed with short, rather viscid hairs. Leaves small, the lower 

 ones ovate, the upper ones narrow, all green above, and very white under- 

 neath. Flowers very elegant, nearly 6 lines long, pink or sometimes white, 

 drooping fi-om short pedicels, in a loose terminal raceme. Corolla with 4 

 very short, spreading lobes. Stamens 8. Capsule 4-celled. 



A strictly west European plant ; common on the heathy wastes of the 

 Asturias and south-western France, and extending up to Cunnemara in 

 Ireland, but unknown in Great Britain. Fl. summer. 



2. Blue Menziesia. DSenziesia cserulea, Sm. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 2469.) 



A small, much branched shrub. Leaves evergreen, crowded, Unear, 

 green on both sides, and bordered with minute, glandular teeth, scarcely 

 visible without a magnifying-glass. Flowers of a purplish blue, on long 

 pedicels, clustered three or four together, in veiy short termiaal racemes 

 or umbels. Corolla 4 or 5 lines long, with 5 very short lobes. Stamens 

 10. Capsule 5-celled. 



On mountain heaths, in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia and America. 

 In Britain only on the mountain called the Sow of Athol, in Perthshire, 

 where it is becoming exceediiigly rare, if not already extinct. Fl. summer. 



VII. HEATH. ERICA. 



Much branched shrubs, usually low, but in some species attaining 8 or 

 10 feet, with small, entire leaves, usually in whorls of 3 or 4, but sometimes 

 opposite or scattered, and almost always rolled back on their edges. 

 Flowers either axillary or in short terminal racemes or clusters, mostly 



