218 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



sed that they have never been economi- 

 cally utilised as a substitute for cotton. 

 Practically it has been found to be too 

 brittle to undergo the ordinary pro- 

 cesses of spinning and weaving, al- 

 though it is sometimes gathered for 

 the purpose of stuffing pillows or 

 cushions, its use is never popular, for 

 where it most abounds there is a 

 superstitious aversion to its use. A 

 striking instance of Coramensalism, 

 i.e., the constant occurrence together 

 of diverse plants is shown in the 

 growth of Listera cordata, one of the 

 smallest and least showy of the Orchi- 

 dacese, which grows lurking amongst 

 and half-hidden by the heather, it is 

 easily overlooked and rarely to be 

 found except by careful patient search. 

 A parasitical plant, one of the dodders 

 [Cuscuta EpitJiymum)^ may also oc- 

 casionally be found growing on heather. 

 The large Natural Order Ericacece, 

 which includes about 70 genera and 

 1000 species, is represented in Britain 

 by 12 genera and about 40 species 

 and varieties. At present we shall 

 only concern ourselves with the 

 true heaths [Erica), of which six 

 species are recognised natives. One 

 (E. mediterranea) , is confined to a 

 limited district in Ireland, and two 

 others {E. varans and E. ciliaris), with 

 two hybrid varieties, are restricted en- 

 tirely to the Cornwall peninsula, leav- 

 ing only three species {E, tetralix, 

 E, cinerea, and E. vulgaris), which are 



popularly known as heath or heather. 

 Although all these three species are 

 generally distributed, they are not by 

 any means equally common, fE. vul- 

 garis, or as it is now most usually 

 called Calluna vulgaris, a name we 

 shall adopt in this paper, is by far the 

 most frequent and abundant, hence it 

 is often known as the heather. Great 

 confusion exists in the popular mind 

 regarding these three species, the same 

 names being used indiscriminately and 

 interchangeably in different districts 

 for either or all of the three. This 

 peculiar "heather mixture might be 

 avoided by a very little knowledge of 

 elementary botany, and if only the 

 proper scientific names of our common 

 plants were taught in our day-schools. 

 The list need not be a long one, nor 

 are the names so dreadfully hard to be 

 remembered when they are associated 

 with the living plants themselves, and 

 it would form a very good stepping 

 stone to a more scientifically accurate 

 knowledge of all plants. Anyone wish- 

 ing to recognise our three common 

 heaths may easily do so for they are 

 abundantly distinct. E. tetralix has 

 the largest flowers, of a waxen texture, 

 pale pink or flesh coloured — often 

 white, borne in a capitate cluster of 

 six or eight together, at the top of the 

 top of the stem. It is very beautiful 

 and is the " bell heath." E, cinerea has 

 numerous rosy purple flowers, pro- 

 duced in numerous whorled clusters 



