Ericaceae

Read about Ericaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Ericaceae (from the genus Erica, the ancient name of the heath, from erico, to break). Heath Family. Fig. 46. Shrubs or sub-shrubs: leaves alternate, often evergreen: flowers bisexual, regular or slightly irregular; calyx 4-5-fid, persistent; corolla gamopetalous, rarely polypetalous, often urceolate, 4-5-lobed, convolute or imbricated; stamens alternate with the petals, of the same number or double the number, inserted at the base of a hypogynous disk, not epipetalous; anthers sometimes appendaged, opening by terminal pores, rarely by longitudinal slits; ovary superior or inferior, 4-5-celled or falsely 10-celled, many ovuled; style and stigma 1: fruit a capsule, rarely a berry or drupe. The 67 genera and about 1,400 species are very generally distributed. Erica, the largest genus, with 420 species, is confined to the Old World. The family is closely related to the Pyrolaceae and Clethraceae; also to the Epacridaceae and Diapensiaceae. The northern Ericaceae are largely evergreen and variously adapted in foliage to a xerophytic habitat. Ledum is polypetalous. Rhododendron has a funnel-form corolla; Kalmia, a cup-shaped corolla with elastic stamens in pockets. The anthers of Epigaea dehisce longitudinally. Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi (bearberry) of Europe and America is medicinal. The volatile oil of wintergreen is obtained from the leaves, and stems, of the North American Gaultheria procumbens. A very poisonous substance is found in some species of Rhododendron, Lyonia and Leucothoe; and possibly the poisonous quality of Kalmia and Rhododendron honey is due to this. Species of Gaylussacia (North America) yield huckleberries; species of Vaccinium yield blueberries. The fruits of V. Myrtillus (Europe) are bilberries. The European heaths furnish commercial honey. Cranberries are the fruit of V. macrocarpon and V. Oxycoccus. Many species of Ericaceae are ornamental. Forty to 50 genera are in cultivation in N. America. Among these are the Strawberry Tree or Madrona (Arbutus); Bearberry (Arctostaphylos); Heather (Caluna); Heath (Erica); Trailing Arbutus or Mayflower (Epigaea); Labrador Tea (Ledum); Sourwood or Sorrel Tree (Oxydendrum); Azalea, Rhodora, Rhododendron or Pinxter Flower (Rhododendron); Laurel (Kalmia); Blueberry and Cranberry (Vaccinium); Huckleberry (Gaylussacia); also Menziesia, Chamaedaphne, Cassiope, Andromeda, and others. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Ericaceae
Erica arborea
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Ericaceae Juss.
Genera
See text.

The plant family Ericaceae (also called the heath family or ericaceous plants) are mostly lime-hating or calcifuge plants that thrive in acid soils. The family Ericaceae includes numerous plants from mostly temperate climates: cranberry, blueberry, heath, heather, huckleberry, azalea and rhododendron are well-known examples.

Recent genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has resulted in the inclusion of the formerly recognised families Empetraceae, Epacridaceae, Monotropaceae, Prionotaceae and Pyrolaceae into Ericaceae. Most Ericaceae, except Monotropaceae, Prionotaceae and Pyrolaceae form ericoid mycorrhiza. This symbiotic relationship is considered crucial to the success of members of the family in edaphically stressful environments worldwide (Cairney and Meharg, 2003).

Erica junonia Bolus

Genera

Acrostemon Acrotriche Agapetes Agarista Allotropa Andersonia Andromeda Anomalanthus Anthopteropsis Anthopterus Arachnocalyx Arbutus Arctostaphylos Astroloma Bejaria Brachyloma Bruckenthalia Bryanthus Calluna Calopteryx Cassiope Cavendishia Ceratiola Ceratostema Chamaedaphne Chimaphila Coccosperma Coilostigma Comarostaphylis Conostephium Corema Costera

Craibiodendron Cyathodes Daboecia Demosthenesia Didonica Dimorphanthera Diogenesia Diplarche Diplycosia Disterigma Dracophyllum Empetrum Elliottia Epacris Epigaea Enkianthus Eremia Eremiella Erica Findlaya Gaultheria Gaylussacia Gonocalyx Grisebachia Harrimanella Hemitomes Kalmia Kalmiopsis Killipiella Lateropora Ledothamnus Ledum

Leiophyllum Leucopogon Leucothoe Loiseleuria Lyonia Macleana Macnabia Malea Menziesia Mitrastylus Moneses Monotropa Monotropsis Mycerinus Nagelocarpus Notopora Oreanthes Ornithostaphylos Orthaea Orthilia Oxydendrum Pellegrinia Pentachondra Pernettyopsis Phyllodoce Pieris Pityopus Platycalyx Pleuricospora Plutarchia Polyclita Prionotes

Psammisia Pterospora Pyrola Rhododendron Rhodothamnus Richea Rusbya Salaxis Sarcodes Satyria Scyphogyne Semiramisia Simocheilus Siphonandra Sphyrospermum Stokoeanthus Styphelia Sympieza Syndsmanthus Tepuia Thamnus Themistoclesia Therorhodion Thibaudia Thoracosperma Trochocarpa Tsusiophyllum Utleya Vaccinium Woollsia Xylococcus Zenobia

External links

• Ericaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
• Neotropical blueberries reference at New York Botanical Garden (very detailed, keys to genera and species, etc.)

References

• Cairney, JWG & Meharg, AA (2003). Ericoid mycorrhiza: a partnership that exploits harsh edaphic conditions. European Journal of Soil Science 54, 735-740.

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