ERICACEAE. 425 



soils throughout the United States, never found in rich alluvions or limestone 

 plains. The specific name, like the generic, is erroneous, as the plant is 

 creeping and not procumbent. It flowers from June to September, and from 

 being well known and much employed in all sections of the country, has re- 

 ceived a variety of local names, but is most generally called Partridge-berry, 

 or Mountain tea. It was in common use by the Indians, but it has not been 

 ascertained what properties they attributed to it. Schoepf speaks of it as an 

 aromatic bitter, but the first correct notice of it as a medicine was by Kalm ; 

 it has, however, been introduced into the list of officinal articles only within a 

 few years, though perhaps no one native plant has been longer in use in 

 domestic practice. The leaves are the officinal part; these as well as all 

 other portions have a peculiar and aromatic taste and smell, to which in the 

 leaves is added some astringency, and in the berries some sweetness. The 

 aromatic properties depend on a volatile oil, which is separable by distilla- 

 tion. This, which is the heaviest of the essential oils yet discovered, is also 

 found in a variety of other plants, as the Betula lenta, some of the Spi- 

 reas, &c. From the careful examination of it by Mr. Wm. Procter (Am. 

 Jour. Pharm. viii. 211, and ix. 241), it is shown to possess acid properties, 

 and to have the same composition as the salicylate of methylene. The oil, 

 as found in the shops, has a more or less red colour, but when first distilled 

 is colourless. Its Sp. Gr. is 1-173; its taste is burning and aromatic, and 

 mixes with alcohol or ether in all proportions. 



Medical Properties. — The Gaultheria is stimulant, aromatic and somewhat 

 astringent, and is largely employed in domestic medicine in the form of tea, 

 for a variety of complaints, especially in complaints of the bowels, and as an 

 emmenagogue, as well as a restorative in cases of debility. The usual form, 

 however, is that of the oil, which is the only one employed in regular prac- 

 tice, and then principally as a flavouring ingredient in mixtures. The essence 

 or the oil dissolved in alcohol is in very general use throughout the country, 

 as a carminative and stimulant. It is also said to be an ingredient in many 

 of the quack syrups and panaceas, to disguise the character of their compo- 

 sition. 



The leaves were used during the Revolutionary War as a substitute for 

 China tea, and are still employed for this purpose in some parts of the 

 country. The berries, which are aromatic and grateful to the taste, are also 

 employed to flavour spirituous liquors. 



Arctostaphylos. — Adanson. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla ovate-urceolate ; limb 5-toothed, revolute, short. Stamens ten, 

 included ; filaments somewhat dilated at the base, hairy ciliatc ; anthers compressed, with 

 two pores at the apex, laterally 2-awned, awns reflexed. Ovary globose-depressed, sur- 

 rounded by three scales; style short; stigma obtuse. Fruit globose, drupaceous, 5 — 10- 

 celled, cells one- seeded. 



A small genus, separated by Sprengel from Arbutus, principally on account 

 of the difference of its berry, but originally instituted by Adanson. They 

 are small shrubs, with alternate, entire or dentate leaves, which are often 

 persistent. Most of the species are North American. 



A. uva ursi, Linn. — Stem procumbent. Leaves coriaceous, persistent, obovate, entire, 

 shining. Flowers in small, terminal racemes. Bracteoles below the pedicels, small, 

 obtuse. 



Linn., (Arbutus,) Fl. Lapp. 162 ; Woodville, i. t. 70 ; Stephenson and 



