HEATH FAMILY 



Most plants furnish at least some provocation for 

 the Latin names which they bear, but the Privet An- 

 dromeda seems most unfortunate of its class. The 

 botanic name of this shrub appears in the books as 

 "unexplained;" its English one is simply appropri- 

 ated from those of two other plants. 



Apart from its ill luck as to names it seems fortu- 

 nate enough, for it is really a very pretty bush. In 

 early spring it is conspicuous for its long panicles of 

 tiny, white, globe-like flowers borne at the very end or 

 upon the upper part of the branching stems. It is 

 rare that a corolla so nearly attains a sphere. The 

 flowers are borne upon leafless stems, and these con- 

 tinue leafless so that the fruit apparently is upon a 

 dry branch. 



CASSANDRA. LEATHER-LEAF 



Ckamccddphne calyculata. Andromeda calyculata. 

 Cassandra calyculata. 



Chamcxdaphne , ground or low Daphne. Andromeda and 

 Cassandra, mythical terms without obvious application. 

 Calyculata refers to the two bracts beneath the sepals as 

 forming a secondary calyx. 



Low, leafy, evergreen, from two to four feet high, forming 

 large beds at the edge of swamps or in boggy meadows. Ranges 

 from Newfoundland to Alaska, south to Georgia, west to Michi- 

 gan and Illinois ; also occurs in northern Europe and Asia. 



Steins. — Recent shoots covered with minute scurfy scales ; 

 older stems dark copper color, smooth. 



Leaves. — Alternate, evergreen, shining, leathery, one-half to 

 an inch and a half long, oblong or oblanceolate, narrowed at 

 base, obscurely denticulate and revolute at margin, acute or 

 obtuse at apex, covered with scaly dots which are rust colored 



39° 



