THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



123 



In Africa, the genus Erica is represented by numerous species, 

 but with us this genus is absent, its place being taken by 

 numerous blueberries, hucklebebrries, andromeclas and the like, 

 not to mention species with less of the conventional heath-like 

 aspect, such as wintergreen, shinleaf, arbutus, bearberry, and 

 kalmia. 



The typical heath flower, at least the typical flower of the 

 heath genus. Erica, has a narrowly bell-shaped corolla slightly 

 contracted at the throat — a form which the botanists call 

 urceolate. Many of our heathworts closely follow this pattern 



A form which the botanists call urceolate. 



of flower. It is especially prominent in that group of plants 

 once placed in the genus Andromeda but now scattered through 

 such genera as XoUsina, Pieria, Lyonia and LeiicotJwe. One 

 of the handsomest of these is Andromeda mariana or Pieris 

 mariana^ shown in our frontispiece. It is a common species in 

 the sandy soil of the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Long Island 

 to Florida. Its common name of stagger bush alludes to its 

 reputation, which it shares with several other heaths, of pro- 

 ducing poisonous honey. In localities frequented by this heath 



