HEATH FAMILY 



489 



Sympetalae 



Among the fifty or more families of the Sympetalae, there are 

 some families of considerable economic importance. As previ- 

 ously stated, the Sympetalae are characterized by a gamopet- 

 alous corolla. Also the ova- 

 ries are commonly inferior. 

 Their flowers are commonly 

 showy and insect pollinated. 



Heath Family (Ericaceae). 

 ■ — The plants of the Heath 

 family are mostly shrubs, 

 and they are distributed 

 from the polar regions to the 



Fig. 438. — One of the 

 Bindweeds (Convohulvus 

 sepium), showing the corolla 

 composed of united petals. 



Fig. 439. — Alfalfa 

 Dodder twining about an 

 Alfalfa plant and drawing 

 nourishment from it by 

 means of parasitic roots 

 (Xi). Below, at the 

 right, also a fruit, called 

 capsule, of the Dodder is 

 shown much enlarged. 



tropical forests. The flowers are usually regular, and both calyx 

 and corolla are 4-5 lobed. The stamens are as many or twice 

 as many as the lobes of the calyic or corolla; and the flowers are 

 hypogynous or perigynous. 



Some, as the Cranberries, Blueberries, and Huckleberries, pro- 

 duce berries that are valuable fruits. The Heath family also 

 includes some highly prized ornamental shrubs, such as the Rho- 



