HEATH FAMILY. 217 



• * * Leaves tardihj deciduous, ihickish: fowers borne on the naked shoots in 



earliest spring : corolla almost wheel-shaped, bright rose-purple. 

 R. Datiricum, cult, from Siberia ; a low shrab, with small oblong leaves 

 (r-2' long) sprinkled with minute dots, becoming rusty beneath. 



15. AZALEA. (Name in Greek means arid; not applicable to these orna- 

 mental shrubs, which grow in low, wet, or shady grounds.) 



§ 1. Chinese Azaleas, with ihickish almost or quite evergreen leaves, rather 



teafu calyx, short-tubed corolla approaching to- bell-shaped, and often 10 



stamens, — therefore in strictness' rather Khododeridrons : 



.A. indica, cult, from China and Japan," &c., is however the Azalea of 



florists, flowering in late winter and early spring in conservatories, with red, 



purple, pink, white or variegated showy flowers, green rather shining leaves, 



and shoots beset with appressed awl-shaped rusty bristles. 



§ 2. True Azaleas or False Honeysuckles, with deciduous leaves, slen- 

 der cylindrical tube to die coroUa, the chiefly 5 stamens and the style long 

 and protruded : hardy ornamental shrubs. 



* Flowers developed later than the leaves, in summer, very fragrant. 

 A. Visc6sa, Clammy A. Swamps E. & S.; 4° -10° high, with bristly 

 branchlets, oblong-obovate mostly smooth leaves commonly pale or whitish 

 beneath, often glossy above, and white or rosy-tinged very clammy flowers. 



* * Flowers developed with or rather before the thin arid veiny mostly pubescent 



leaves, in late spring, slightly fragrant. 



A. nudifldrb., Pdrple A~. or Pinxter-flowek. Swamps, chiefly E. & S. ; 

 3° - 6° high, with oblong or obovate leaves ; branchlets and narrow tube of the 

 rose or pink-red corolla rather glandular-pubescent, and calyx very small. 



A. calendulaoeaj, Plame-colorkd A. In and near the Alleghanies,- 

 especially S., and cult, in hybrid forms ; has yellow or flame-colored corolla and 

 larger calyx-lobes than the preceding. 



A. P6ntiea, planted from the Old World, a native of the Caucasus ; has « 

 larger (2' or more broad) golden or orange-yellow flowers, tenninating naked 

 branches, the tube clammy-downy. 



16. BHODOKA. (Name made from the Greek word for Base, from the 

 color of the flowers and general likeness to Rhododendron.) 



R. Canadensis. Cold wet grounds, from Penn. N. & E. : low shrub, with 

 handsome rose-pink flowers in spring, somewhat earlier than the pale rather 

 hairy leaves. 



17. LEIOPHYLLTJM, SAND -MYRTLE. (Name from the Greek, 

 meaning smooth lerf * 



L. buxifblium. In sand, from New Jersey S. ; evergreen shrub a few 

 inches high, much branched, with oval or oblong Myrtle^like leaves (from 4' to 

 near ^ long), and umbels of small white flowers in late' spring.- 



18. LEDUM, LABRADOR TEA. (An old Greek name.) Fl. early 

 summer. 



L. Iatif61ium, Common or Broad-leaved L. Low and damp or wet 

 grounds from Penn. N. ; 2° -5° high, with oblong leaves, usually 5 stamens, 

 and oblong pods. 



19. CLETHRA, WHITE ALDEE. (Old Greek name of Alder, from 

 some resemblance in the foliage.) Fl. in summer. 



C. alnif61ia, the only common species, in low grounds, 3° - 10° high, with 

 wedge-ohovate sharply serrate straight-veined leaves, a^d upright panicled 

 racemes of fragrant small flowers. 



