518 THE HEATH FAMILY. 



Fruit a dry capsule. Leaves usually small and entire. 



Stamens 5. Leaves very small, opposite ... 5. Loiseleuria. 

 Stamens 8. 



Corolla deciduous. Leaves scattered, white under- 

 neath 6. Menziesia. 



Corolla remaining till the capsule is ripe. Leaves 



opposite or whorled 7. Heath. 



Stamens 10. Leaves alternate. 



Capsule opening by slits in the middle of the cells. 



Flowers pink 4. Andromeda. 



Capsule opening by the splitting of the partitions. 



Flowers purplish-blue 6. Menziesia. 



Herbs. Petals free or nearly so. 



Leaves radical or nearly so. Scape leafless ... 8. Wintergreen. 

 Leaves reduced to scales of the same colour as the stem 9. Monotrope. 



The Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, and other genera of our so- 

 called American gardens, belong also to the Heath family, which com- 

 prises perhaps more ornamental plants than any other Order. The 

 Ejpacrises and allied plants which, flower in such perfection in our 

 greenhouses in early spring, form a closely allied family, which replaces 

 the Heaths in Australia. 



I. VAOCXNIUM. VACCINIUM. 



Low shrubs, with alternate leaves, and flowers usually solitary, or 

 only two or three together. Calyx with a short tube adhering to the 

 ovary, and 4 or 5 small teeth. Corolla superior, with as many teeth or 

 divisions. Stamens twice as many. Berry globular, with several 

 seeds (or at any rate, several ovules, in the young state) in each cell. 



A numerous genus in mountainous districts or boggy heaths, over a 

 great part of the globe, now usually considered as forming a distinct 

 family, separated from that of the Heaths on account of the inferior 

 ovary ; but this character, however important it may be in many cases, 

 is, in this instance, very artificial. Vaccinium has also been divided 

 into numerous genera, chiefly according to the form of the corolla ; 

 and many of them, including the brilliant Thibaudias, occasionally 

 grown in our stoves, must undoubtedly be adopted as such, although 

 their characters are as yet far from being settled. 



Stems erect or decumbent at the base. Leaves deciduous. 

 Anthers with 2 little awns or points on the back. 

 Berries black or bluish. 



Branches angular. Leaves toothed 1. Bilberry F, 



Branches terete. Leaves entire 2. Bog V. 



Stems prostrate or creeping. Leaves evergreen. Anthers 

 without awns. Berries red. 



