FAMILIES OF PLANTS 
97 
or sometimes yellowish or reddish. It is usually more or less hairy 
and commonly fragrant. The stem bears several flowers and the 
terminal one usually has a numerical plan of 5, that is, there are 
5 sepals, 5 petals and 10 stamens, while the other flowers often have 
a numerical plan of 3 or 4. The fruit is a spherical or oval pod 
containing a large number of very small seeds. 
HEATH FAMILY (ERICACEAE) 
A fairly large family containing such well-known plants as the 
rhododendron and mountain laurel of both the East and the West 
and the heather of Scotland. The plants from which wintergreen 
essence is made also belong to this family rather than to the winter- 
green family. The members of the heath family are mostly shrubs 
with simple leaves and small or medium-sized flowers that are regu¬ 
lar or nearly so. Many members of the family seem to be limited to 
acid soils, and if they are transplanted to cultivated soil it is neces¬ 
sary to keep the soil acid in one way or another. 
Red mountainheath ( Phyllodoce empetriformis) .—A much- 
branched, evergreen shrub, 8 to 20 inches high, which often forms 
clumps as much as 3 feet in diameter. The leaves are linear and 
crowded and have thickened, rough and strongly enrolled margins. 
The little, rose-colored flowers are borne in small terminal umbels. 
The calyx is five-parted and the corolla is bell-shaped and five-toothed 
at the top. There are 10 stamens, a little shorter than the corolla, 
and 1 pistil. The fruit is a spherical or oblong capsule. 
Rusty menziesia ( Menziesia ferruginea) is an erect or straggling 
shrub, 3 to 6 feet high, with oblong or elliptic leaves which are more 
or less hairy and rusty above and paler below. The small, dull whit¬ 
ish flowers are borne on nodding stalks. The calyx and corolla are 
four-toothed or lobed, and there are eight stamens. Poisonous. 
Rocky Mountain kalmia ( Kaimia polifolia) .-—This shrub resembles 
the mountain heather in certain respects, but it is not so densely 
branched. The small branches are two-edged; the leaves are all op¬ 
posite or occasionally in threes and not crowded, and the flowers are 
lilac-purple. The leaves are waxy white on the lower surface. 
Smooth Labrador-tea ( Ledum giandulosum) .—A shrub, varying 
from 20 inches to 5 feet high, with alternate entire leaves and terminal 
or sometimes lateral clusters of white flowers. The leaves are oblong 
or oval or somewhat lance-shaped, 1 or 2 inches long and smooth 
on both sides. The lower surface is pale or whitish, but the margin 
is not enrolled. The flower structure is similar to that of the 
mountain heath. 
Western wintergreen ( Gaultheria humifusa) .—A low evergreen 
shrub with alternate leaves and small white or pink flowers that 
