Ericacee—Vacetnium. 275 
American species are rather more showy than the indigenous, 
though none are very attractive. V. amd@nwm, syn. corymbo- 
swum, has much the habit of V. Ayrtillus, with reddish flowers 
about 6 lines long. 
Oxycdéccos macrocérpus is the American Cranberry, so exten- 
sively cultivated for its fruit. 
Troe I.— ERICEM. 
Fruit superior ; stamens hypogynous. 
2. ERICA. 
Branching wiry shrubs. Leaves opposite, alternate or 
whorled, rigid, very small, usually having their margins re- 
volute. Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes or umbels, 
tetramerous. Stamens 8; corolla persistent; anther-cells 
awned. Capsule 4-celled, opening through the cells, many- 
seeded. The name is of classical origin. This genus contains 
probably 500 species, the greater number occurring in South 
Africa. E. arborea, of Southern Europe, attains the dimensions 
of a small tree. Callina vulgaris, syn. Erica vulgaris, Ling 
or Heath, is distinguished from this genus by the deeply 4- 
partite corolla, shorter than the coloured calyx, and the capsule 
dehiscing between the cells. It is one of our commonest 
species, having short thick trigonal leaves and purple or white 
axillary flowers. This is the only Heath that extends to North 
America, and even this is very rare. There are two common 
British species of Erica proper, namely, H. Tétralia, Cross- 
leaved Heath, having 4 hairy leaves in a whorl, and the rosy 
pink or white flowers in umbels; and &. cinérea, Scotch 
Heather, with 3 glabrous leaves in a whorl, and numerous 
reddish purple whorled flowers in long racemes. This is a 
very common species, rising to a height of 3 or 4 feet in 
some localities. There are several varieties of these, as well 
as of the Oallina, in cultivation, including one of the latter 
with double flowers. Besides the above there are three other 
indigenous species, but they are very local. The following are 
some of the hardy exotic species. 
1. E. cdrnea, including EL. herbacea.—This is one of the 
most desirable species on account of its early flowering season, 
which begins in January or February. It is a distinct very 
dwarf plant with linear-acute leaves and rather long urceolate 
T2 
