ERICACEAE – HEATH FAMILY Plant: mostly shrubs, fewer trees, rarely perennial herbs, some epiphytes Stem: Root: Leaves: sometimes evergreen, simple, small (sometimes just scales) and often elliptical in shape, often thick or firm, usually alternate (sometimes opposite); no stipules Flowers: perfect, mostly regular (actinomorphic); small to large and showy, solitary or in spikes; 4-5(7-8) sepals; 4-5(7-8) petals (rarely none), often bell- or funnel-shaped and lobed; 8-10 stamens, usually 2X of petals; ovary superior or inferior, carpels 4-10 or rarely fewer,1 style Fruit: capsule, berry or drupe; 5 to numerous seeds Other: very widespread and varied family; includes huckleberries, blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons, laurels, etc.; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 100+ genera, those present here – Gaultheria; Vaccinium and others WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Flower Morphology in the Ericaceae A diverse group – both flower and fruit (Heath Family) are sometimes necessary for a good ID Examples of some common genera Lowbush Blueberry Wintergreen [Mountain-Tea; Eastern Teaberry] Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton Small Cranberry Gaultheria procumbens L. Vaccinium oxycoccos L. [Black] Huckleberry Farkleberry [Highbush Blueberry; Sparkleberry] Gaylussacia baccata (Wangenh.) K. Koch Vaccinium arboreum Marsh. Early [Wild] Azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum (Small) Millais (R. roseum (Loisel.) Rehd.) ERICACEAE – HEATH FAMILY Kinnikinnick [Alpine Bearberry]; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Leatherleaf; Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench Wintergreen [Mountain-Tea; Eastern Teaberry]; Gaultheria procumbens L. [Black] Huckleberry; Gaylussacia baccata (Wangenh.) K. Koch Dwarf Huckleberry; Gaylussacia dumosa (Andrews) Torr. & A. Gray Rusty Staggerbush [Rusty Lyonia]; Lyonia ferruginea (Walter) Nutt. Great [Rosebay] Rhododendron [Laurel]; Rhododendron maximum L. Early [Wild] Azalea; Rhododendron prinophyllum (Small) Millais (R. roseum (Loisel.) Rehd.) Lowbush Blueberry; Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton Farkleberry [Highbush Blueberry; Sparkleberry]; Vaccinium arboreum Marsh. [Northern] Highbush Blueberry; Vaccinium corymbosum L. Small Cranberry; Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Blue Ridge blueberry; Vaccinium pallidum Aiton Deerberry [Highbush or Squaw Huckleberry]; Vaccinium stamineum L. Kinnikinnick [Alpine USDA Bearberry] Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: low mat-forming evergreen shrub; 5- petaled flower, white to pale pink; leaves alternate on short stalk, thick, green glossy above, paler beneath and glabrous; twigs finely hairy, light reddish, older twigs peeling and rooting; berries red; montane to alpine, often in woods; late spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2012] Leatherleaf USDA Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench Ericaceae (Heath Family) Waterloo Recreation Area, Washtenaw County, Michigan Notes: evergreen shrub; flowers white, globose, in racemes; leaves alternate, elliptical, thick, leathery, with thick brown scurf particularly below; twigs brown, somewhat scaly; plant branched; fruit a globose capsule; bogs in acid soils; summer [V Max Brown, 2009] Wintergreen [Mountain-Tea; USDA Eastern Teaberry] Gaultheria procumbens L. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: corolla barrel-shaped, white; leaves elliptical to somewhat ovoid, slightly serrate; small plant forming patches by horizontal rhizomes; wintergreen odor; oak woods; late spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006] [Black] Huckleberry USDA Gaylussacia baccata (Wangenh.) K. Koch Ericaceae (Heath Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: low shrub; flowers greenish-yellow to reddish, 5 tiny lobes; leaves alternate, resinous dotted and conspicuous (in sunlight) with whitish resinous deposits on under surface, twigs mostly or usually hairy; plant branched; berries black, usually not glaucous; spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2008] Dwarf Huckleberry USDA Gaylussacia dumosa (Andrews) Torr. & A. Gray Ericaceae (Heath Family) Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve, Levy County, Florida Notes: low shrub; flowers pinkish to white, 5 tiny lobes, in clusters; leaves alternate, simple, entire, resinous dotted below; twigs mostly or usually short hairy; plant branched; berries black; spring [V Max Brown, 2011] Rusty Staggerbush USDA [Rusty Lyonia] Lyonia ferruginea (Walter) Nutt. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Cedar Key, Levy County, Florida Notes: evergreen shrub; flowers white, globose (urn-shaped); leaves alternate, elliptical, thick, leathery, heavily revolute, dark green above, younger leaves underside with rust-colored scales of 2 types; twigs also scaly; plant branched; fruit a globose capsule; often on sandy ground; spring [V Max Brown, 2011] Great [Rosebay] Rhododendron USDA [Laurel] Rhododendron maximum L. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub to small tree; flowers showy, white (rose) with spots (yellow to greenish-yellow); leaves evergreen, leathery, lanceolate to elliptical, tend to roll-up when dry in very cold weather; very branchy [V Max Brown, 2005] Early [Wild] Azalea USDA Rhododendron prinophyllum (Small) Millais (R. roseum (Loisel.) Rehd.) Ericaceae (Heath Family) Hawn State Park, St Genevieve County, Missouri Notes: shrub; 5-petaled tubular flowers showy, pink, fragrant, and hairy; leaves alternate, simple, lanceolate to elliptical, clustered near tip of twig, margins and lower surface very hairy; young twigs densely hairy, trunk dark gray; winter buds hairy; fruit a capsule; north slopes and bluffs on acid soils; early spring [V Max Brown, 2010] Lowbush Blueberry USDA Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton Ericaceae (Heath Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: low shrub; flowers white (or pinkish to reddish), leaves almost always finely serrate with fine bristles, usually somewhat narrow, usually dull above, green on both sides, small; twigs hairy or not; plant much branched; berries dark blue, usually glaucous; spring (difficult to ID, hybrids common) [V Max Brown, 2008] Farkleberry [Highbush Blueberry; USDA Sparkleberry] Vaccinium arboreum Marsh. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Taum Sauk Moutain State Park, Iron County, Missouri Notes: shrub; flowers bell-shaped and white, 5-lobed, end of petal curled; leaves alternate, simple, entire, end rounded but with small abrupt tip, glossy and somewhat leathery above, duller green below (sometimes evergreen); leaves and twigs may be slightly hairy or not; bark peels and flakes; berries black, many seeds; spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2011] [Northern] Highbush Blueberry USDA Vaccinium corymbosum L. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: tall shrub; flowers white (or pinkish), longer than wide, end of petal upturned; leaves mostly entire, over 4 cm on average; leaves and twiglets may be slightly hairy or not; berries dark blue [V Max Brown, 2006] Small Cranberry USDA Vaccinium oxycoccos L. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Waterloo Recreation Area, Washtenaw County, Michigan Notes: flowers white (or faintly pinkish), small, 4-lobed, on long hairy pedicel; leaves alternate, often pointed, edges turned in or rolled under, paler beneath, stem somewhat woody; red berry; reclining or sprawling; bogs or swamps; summer [V Max Brown, 2009] Blue Ridge blueberry USDA Vaccinium pallidum Aiton Ericaceae (Heath Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: low shrub; flowers white (or pinkish to reddish), leaves usually larger, not as narrow, and less hairy as V. angustifolium, usually somewhat whitened below ; twigs hairy or not; plant much branched; berries dark blue, usually glaucous; spring (difficult to ID, hybrids common) [V Max Brown, 2008] Deerberry [Highbush or Squaw USDA Huckleberry] Vaccinium stamineum L. Ericaceae (Heath Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: low shrub; flowers white to sometimes slightly pink, 5 lobed, bell-shaped with stamens extending beyond flower; leaves alternate, simple and entire, a small leaf occurs at base of flower petioles; twigs usually hairy; small red to purple berries; spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2010].