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Heuchera (Johann Heinrich von Heucher, 1677- 1747, professor of botany at Wittenberg). Saxifragaceae. Herbs resembling the dainty wild flower, the bishop's cap (Mitella) in their habit, as they have a tuft of heart-shaped, five- to nine-lobed, crenate leaves, from which spring a dozen or so slender scapes a foot or more high with small flowers borne in panicles, giving a delicate and airy effect. This includes H. sanguinea which probably ranks among the best low perennials with small, red flowers. It is very desirable for the hardy border, where it blooms from spring to late fall. It is also useful to florists for cut-flowers and autumn forcing.
Heuchera belongs to a group of genera including Mitella and Tiarefla, in which the ovary is 1-celled. There is a well-developed hypanthium often bell- shaped, sometimes urceolate, cylindrical, turbinate, or saucer-shaped, often more or less oblique, and adnate to the lower part of the pistil. Most of the distinguishing characters of this difficult genus are found in the shape of the hypanthium. In Heuchera the petals are 5 or none, and entire; in Mitella 5, 3-fid or pinnatifid; in Tiarella 5 and entire. Heuchera has 5 stamens; Mitella 5 or 10; Tiarella 10. The caps, of Heuchera is inferior,2-beaked; in Mitella superior, not beaked; in Tiarella superior, compressed.—Heuchera has 72 species, all N. American and ranging from Mex. to the arctic regions. A full botanical treatment is by P. A. Rydberg, in N. Amer. Flora. 22:97-117 (1905) which has been followed in the account below. Many of the species are distinguished only by rather technical botanical characters, but only a few of them are known horticulturally.
The attractive and petal-like part of H. sanguinea is the calyx, the petals being small in all heucheras (often shorter than the calyx). The other species are attractive by reason of their general habit, and particularly the graceful, open panicle. H. sanguinea came into prominence about 1884 and is now deservedly one of the most popular of hardy perennials. The others are procurable from the largest dealers in native plants and from western collectors. They range from 3 inches to 3 feet iuu.li, averaging about 1J^ feet, and bloom in summer, having greenish white or purplish flowers. Almost any good garden soil suits them, and they are not particular as regards exposure to sunlight (though an open situation is preferable); and they look well in borders, rockeries, separate beds and elsewhere. Propagate by division or seed.
Index.
alba, 10.
americana, 3.
bracteata, 7.
brizoides, 10.
cylindrica, 9.
erubescens, 2.
gracillima, 10.
grandiflora, 10.
hispida, 6.
hybrida. 10.
maxima, 10.
micrantha, 2.
parvifolia, 8.
pubescens, 5.
ribifolia, 5.
robusta, 10.
rosea, 10.
rubescens, 4.
tubifolia, 5.
sanguinea, 10.
splendens, 10.
villosa, 1.
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