BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
187 
part which was the seed withers, and a bud appears from the other side, which soon developes itself into a pair 
of leaves. The plant generally grows very slowly, and does not form seeds till it has been established for several 
years. When the tree on which Misseltoe has grown is cut down, a number of fine green thread-like roots may 
be seen extending themselves through the wood. It is said that the Misseltoe will not thrive unless the head of 
the tree it grows upon be left on, in order to draw up the sap; but at Walton Hall, the seat of Charles 
Waterton, Esq., the head of an old Thorn has been cut off, in order that the whole strength of the root may go 
to the nourishment of an enormous bush of Misseltoe which grows upon it, and which has quite taken the place 
of the natural head of the tree. 
CHAPTER XLIII. 
THE BILBERRY FAMILY. (Vacciniea:, Dec.) 
Character of the Order. —Calyx superior, entire, or with from 
four to six lobes. Corolla monopetalous, lobed as often as the calyx. 
Stamens distinct, double the number of the lobes of the corolla, 
inserted into an epigynous disk ; anthers with two horns and two 
cells. Ovarium inferior, four or five-celled, many-seeded ; style 
simple ; stigma simple. Berry crowned by the persistent limb of the 
calyx, succulent, four or five-celled, many-seeded. Seeds minute; 
embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy albumen ; cotyledons very 
short; radicle long, inferior.—Shrubs with alternate coriaceous leaves. 
( Lindley .) 
Description, &c. —The plants belonging to this order are low shrubs, with pretty bell-shaped flowers, and 
eatable berry-like fruit. They bear considerable resemblance in the shape of the anthers to the Heath Family, 
but they differ widely in the leaves and in the fruit. There are only two genera in this order, each of 
which is in the Linnaean class Octandria, on account of its eight stamens ; and in the order Monogynia, from 
its single style. The two genera were, in fact, included in one by Linnaeus. 
GENUS I. 
THE WHORTLE-BERRY. (Vaccinium, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx entire or toothed. Corolla four-cleft, I sistent calyx, many-seeded.—Evergreen or deciduous shrubs. Leaves 
with erect segments. Stamens eight. Berry crowned with the per- I simple. Flowers axillary or racemose. {Lindley.) 
Description, &c. —This genus has been divided from the Cranberry principally on account of its bell-shaped 
flowers. The word Vaccinium is probably derived from vacca , a cow ; cows being said to eat this shrub. The 
English name of Cowberry, which is given to one of the species, is probably derived from the same source. 
Whortle-berry is a corruption of wurt-berry, wurt being the Saxon word for a very low shrub or root, in 
allusion to the plants growing so close to the ground. 
* Leaves deciduous. 
1.—THE BILBERRY, OR COMMON WHORTLE-BERRY. (Vaccinium Myrtillus, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 456; 2nd ed., t. 551 ; and our fig. ovate, serrated, membranous, smooth, deciduous. Stem acutely 
1, in PI. 41. angular. Calyx wavy, nearly entire. (Smith.) 
Specific Character. — Stalks solitary, single-flowered. Leaves 
Description, &c. —The common Bilberry is abundant on heaths and stony moors in every part of Great 
Britain; and it grows on some of the Scotch mountains as high as four thousand feet above the level of the sea. 
b b 2 
