THE HEATH FAMILY. 



323 



made in tlie bark. This is a highly valued perfume, and is also 

 used as incense, and as a medicine for pulmonary complaints. 



Styrax punctatum. A tree, native of Veraguas in Central 

 America. It yields a gum, which is obtained after the tree 

 is cut down and allowed to remain several years on the 

 ground, when the external part of its wood is removed, and 

 the gum resin found collected in greater or smaller masses. 

 It is used as frankincense. 



Symplocos racemosa. A small tree, about 20 feet high, 

 native of several parts of India. The bark is used with mun- 

 jeeth for dyeing. It is called Lodh Bark. The leaves of most 

 species of Symplocos turn yellow with age ; S. tinctoria, 

 native of Georgia and Carolina, is used for dyeing yellow. 

 S. Alstonia, a branching tree growing 10 or 12 feet high, 

 native of New Grenada, very much resembles the Chinese 

 Tea Plant ; it has been long used for that article, and is 

 considered to have medicinal virtues. 



1 I f Corolla regular. Stamens hypogynous (Ericacece) 

 or perigynous (JEpacridacece) . 



THE HEATH, EPACRIS AND WINTEK-GEEEN 

 ALLIANCE. 



The Heath ramily. 



(Ericaceae.) 



Trees or shrubs, varying considerably in appearance. 

 Leaves simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, small and 

 needle-like, as in Heaths ; or large and broad, as in Rhodo- 

 dendron. Flowers solitary, or in erect or pendulous spikes, 

 racemes or umbels. Corolla tubular, urceolate, campanulate, 

 or wide and spreading ; toothed, lobed, or deeply cleft, as to 

 be almost polypetalous ; the lobes sometimes unequal. 

 Stamens 5, 8, or 10 hypogynous ; anthers opening generally 

 by a pore in their apex. Fruit a 5 or more celled dry capsule; 

 or fleshy and berry-like. 



This interesting family consists of nearly 900 species, all 

 y2 



