526 VACciNiACE^ — ericacea;. 



embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy albumen ; cotyledons very short ; 

 radicle long, inferior. — Shrubby plants, with alternate, undivided, 

 exstipulate leaves. They are closely allied to Ericaceae, and differ 

 from that order chiefly in their inferior ovary. They are natives of 

 temperate regions, and some of them are marsh plants. Some are 

 astringent, others yield subacid edible fruits. Cranberries are produced 

 by Vaceinium Oxycoccus Iflxycoccus palustris) and V. macrocarpum. la 

 the common Cranberry there are two forms of fruit, one pyriform, the 

 other round. V. Vitis-idcea, red Whortleberry, or Cowberry, yields a 

 fruit which is often used as a substitute for Cranberries. The leaves 

 of the plant are sometimes used to adulterate Uva-Ursi. V. uli- 

 ginosum, found in alpine countries, produces the black Whortleberry. 

 Vaccmium Myrtillus yields the Bilberry or Blaeberry. There are 28 

 genera and 200 species. Examples — Vaceinium, Oxycoccus, Thibaudia. 



Sub-class III. COEOLLIFLOE^. 



Calyx and corolla present. Corolla gamopetalous, hypog3raous, 

 usually bearing the stamens. It includes the hypogynous mono- 

 petalous and gamopetalous orders of Jussieu and Endlicher. 



Order 105. — Eeicace^, the Heath Family. {Monopet. Hypog.) 

 Calyx 4-5-cleft, nearly equal, persistent. Corolla inserted at the base 

 of the calyx, or hypogynous, monopetalous (fig. 323, p. 207), 4-5-cleft, 

 sometimes tetra- or penta-petalous, regular or irregular, often marces- 

 cent ; sestivation imbricated. Stamens definite, equal in number to 

 the segments of the corolla, or twice as many, inserted with the 

 coroUa, and either free from it or attached to its base ; anthers 2-celled, 

 cells hard and dry, bifid (fig. 368, p. 223), usually having appendages 

 at the base (fig. 370 a, p. 223) or apex, dehiscing by apicilar pores 

 (fig. 372, p. 225) or clefts. Ovary free, surrounded at the base by 

 a disk or scales, multilocular ; ovules 00, attached to a central pla- 

 centa ; style 1, straight; stigma 1, undivided (fig. 443, p. 249) or 

 toothed. Fruit capsular or baccate, many-celled, with loculicidal or 

 scepticidal dehiscence. Seeds 00, minute ; embryo cylindrical, in the 

 axis of fleshy albumen ;. radicle next the hilum. — Shrubs, undershrubs, 

 or herbaceous plants, with evergreen, often rigid, entire, verticUlate, 

 or opposite, exstipulate leaves. The order contains many beautiful 

 and showy plants, which abound at the Cape of Good Hope, and 

 which are found also in Europe, North and South America, and Asia- 

 The order has been divided into the following sub-orders : — 1. Ericeee, 

 with the testa closely adherent to the kernel, including the true 

 Heaths with naked buds, and the Rhododendron tribe with scaly 

 conical buds. 2. Monotropese, seeds having a loose winged testa,, 

 including the true Monotropas or Fir-rapes, scaly plants, with longi- 



