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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.
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[[Category:Ericales]]
[[Category:Ericales]]
[[Category:Ericaceae|*]]
[[Category:Ericaceae|*]]
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