Ericaceae : Heath Family

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
• Angiospermae (enclosed seeds)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ericaceae (Gk. ereiko = to break; referring to the brittle wood)

Genera: 11

Species: 15

Andomeda polifolia(Bog Rosemary)

Arctostaphylos alpina(Black Bearberry)

Arctostaphylos rubra(Red Bearberry)

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi(Kinnikinick)

Cassiope tetragona(Arctic White Heather)

Chamaedaphne calyculate(Leatherleaf Cassandra)

Kalmia polifolia(Bog-laurel)

Ledum decumberns(Dwarf Labrador-tea)

Ledum groenlandicum(Labrador-tea)

Loiseleuria procumbens(Alpine Azalea)

Oxycoccus microcarpus(Bog Cranberry)

Phyllodoce empetriformis(Pink Mountain Heather)

Rhododendron lapponicum(Lapland Rose-bay)

Vaccinium uliginosum(Bog Blueberry)

Vaccinum vitis-idaea(Lingonberry)

English Name(s):

Heath Family

Description:

• Shrubs dwarf prostrate to medium sized erect.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual) and regular (symetrical).
• Sepals 4-5; Corolla (petals) 4-5 lobed
• Petals 4-5 usually united and bell shaped. Only Ledum (Labrador-tea) petals are not united.
• Stamens (male parts) ussually twice as many as corolla lobes
• Leaves simple (one unlobed blade)
• Pistils (female parts) with a syncarpous (united carpels) ovary with one style (pollen reciever).

Natural History:

• Most species inhabit acidic soils or bogs.

Family Size:

World:

Genera: 50+

Species: 1350+

North America:

Genera: 25+

Species:

Yukon:

Genera: 13

Species: 20

Andromeda (Rosemary)

World= ?

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Arctostaphylos (Bearberry)

• Prostrate or trailing shrubs.
• Flowers bell-shaped, in terminal racemes or clusters.
• Fruit a berry like drupe.
• Calyx (sepals) 5 parted.
• Stamens (male parts) 10.

World= 70

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 3

Central Yukon= 3

Cassiope (Heather)

• Drawf matted shrubs.
• Leaves evergreen, opposite, 4-ranked (come in 4s), imbricated (overlaping).
• Flowers white, nodding, solitary from leaf axils.
• Sepals 5 nearly distinct; corolla (petals) united, bell-shaped, 5-lobed.
• Stamens (male parts) 10.
• Fruit a dry capsule with 5-locules (chambers.

World= 12

N.A.= 5

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Chamaedaphne (Cassandra)

World= ?

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Kalmia (Swamp Laurel)

World= ?

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Ledum (Labrador-tea)

• Low much branched strongly aromatic shrubs.
• Leaves evergreen, alternate, glabrous (not hairy) above, densely rusty tomentose (hairy) below, margins inrolled.
• Flowers in terminal umbel-like clusters; pedicels (stalks) rusty-pubescent (hairy).
• Sepals small, 5-toothed; petals white, 5, distinct (not untited).
• Fruit a dry capsule with 5 locules (chambers).

World= 5

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 2

Central Yukon= 2

Loiseleuria (Azalea)

World= ?

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Oxycoccus (Cranberry)

• The "true" Cranberry genus.

World= ?

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Phyllodoce (Mountain Heather)

• Low Dwarf shrubs; stems erect.
• Leaves evergreen, alternate, densely crowded, linear.
• Flowers born singly from upper leaf axils. Usually a few to many.
• Sepals 5, distinct or nearly so; Corolla (petals) united, bell-shaped, 5-lobed.
• Stamens (male parts) 10.
• Fruit a dry capsule with 5 locules (chambers).

World= 10

N.A.= 4

Yukon= 2

Central Yukon= 1

Rhododendron (Rhododendron)

• Usually med to large shrubs.

World= 130

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 1

Central Yukon= 1

Vaccinium (Blueberry)

• Depressed, creeping or upright, dwarf shrubs.
• Flowers from leaf axils or in terminal racemes (clusters).
• Corolla (petyals united and bell-shaped.
• Fruit a many seeded berry.

World= 200

N.A.= ?

Yukon= 4

Central Yukon= 2