PBENBTTYA 



HEATH OBDEB 



GAULTHBRIA 575 



ARCTOSTAPHYLOS (Beae- 

 bbrry). — A genus with about 15 species 

 of depressed or erect bushes or shrubs, 

 with usually evergreen, leathery, entire 

 or serrate leaves. Flowers in nodding 

 terminal racemes or panicles. Characters 

 as in Arbutus. Fruit a roundish smooth 

 or granular drupe or berry with 5 stony 

 seeds. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — This is 

 practically the same as for Arbutus. The 

 Bearberries flourish in sandy or peaty 

 soil, but are much hardier than the 

 Strawberry trees. They may be increased 

 from seeds sown in cold frames when 

 ripe, or in gentle heat in spring. The 

 seeds being small require but little 

 covering, and the seedlings may be 

 pricked out when large enough to handle 

 easily with the help of a fine dibber. The 

 branches may also be layered in autumn, 

 and by this means strong plants will be 

 produced in due course. 



A. alpina {Arbutus alpina). — Black 



Bearberry. — A procumbent trailing 

 Scottish shrub with wrinkled obovate 



acute serrate deciduous leaves l-lj in. 



long. Flowers in April, white or flesh- 

 coloured, on rather hairy stalks. 



Culture rfc. as above. 



A. tomentosa. — A somewhat hairy 

 shrub, about 4 ft. high, native of N.W. 

 America. Leaves oval acute, somewhat 

 lobed at the base, shortly stalked, downy 

 beneath. Flowers in December, pure 

 white, somewhat bell-shaped. 

 Culture dtc. as above. 



A. Uva-ursi {Arbutus TJva-tirsi). — 

 A British trailing evergreen, with obovate 

 entire leathery shining leaves |-1 in. 

 long. Flowers in AprU, pink, urn-shaped, 

 bearded within, in small terminal 

 clusters. A. californica is a recently 

 introduced variety from California. It 

 has a trailing habit with ovate leathery 

 leaves, and short racemes of reddish 

 flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. nitida and A. pungens, both 

 dwarf Mexican shrubs, with white 

 flowers, may prove hardy enough in the 

 mildest parts of the S. of England and 

 Ireland. 



PERNETTYA. — A genus containing 

 about 15 species of rigid smooth, hairy, or 

 ciliated bushes or shrubs. Leaves ever- 

 green, usually small, alternate, shortly 



stallied, serrate, penninerved, leathery, 

 hard. Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, 

 or in axillary or terminal racemes. 

 Calyx 5-parted. Corolla urceolate or 

 globose, shortly 5-lobed. Stamens 10. 

 Disc 10- (rarely 5") lobed. Ovary slightly 

 5-lobed. Style coliunnar. Fruit a round 

 5-celled many-seeded berry. 



Culture and Propagation. — Per- 

 nettyas are chiefly remarkable for the 

 clusters of berries produced in autumn, 

 about the size of small Cherries, and purple, 

 white, pink, rose, crimson, purple-black 

 &c. in colour. They thrive in moist 

 peaty soil, with a mixture of sand and 

 leaf mould, and are very effective in beds 

 on the lawn. They may be increased by 

 layering the shoots in autumn, and by 

 sowing seeds in spring in sandy peat 

 either in cold frames or in gentle heat, 

 afterwards pricking the seedlings out 

 carefully when well above the surface of 

 the soil. 



P. mucronata {Arbutus mucronata). 

 PricMy Heath. — A wiry shrub 2-3 ft. 

 high, native of the Straits of Magellan, 

 with stiffish, shiny, ovate, sharply pointed, 

 minutely toothed leaves. Flowers from 

 May to July, white, axillary. The variety 

 angustifolia has narrower leaves than 

 the type. Many seedling varieties have 

 of recent years been raised, and have 

 resulted in great variation in the size and 

 colour of the fruits, which often last well 

 into the winter, and give a, cheerful 

 aspect to the landscape, when planted in 

 large masses. 



P. mucronata and its varieties are 

 practically the only ones grown, although 

 there are a few others less hardy and not 

 so beautiful. 



GAULTHERIA (Aromatic Winter 

 Green). — A genus containing about 90 

 species of pretty erect or decumbent 

 bushes or shrubs, with evergreen, usti- 

 ally alternate, leathery, serrate leaves. 

 Flowers small, in axillary and terminal 

 racemes, rarely solitary. Calyx 5-parted. 

 Corolla urn-shaped or beU-shaped, 5-lobed. 

 Stamens 10. Ovary 5-celled, often 5- 

 lobed. Capsule fleshy or berry-like, often 

 surrounded by the calyx. 



Culture and Propagation. — Gaul- 

 therias thrive in moist peaty and sandy 

 soil, in semi-shady places. The species 

 described below may be used in the 

 rockery or as edgings to peat borders. 

 They may also be used for carpeting the 



