Heather family – ericaceae

Heather family

The heather family – ericaceae- includes about 200 species of plants scattered throughout the world. They are mainly bushes or little trees.

Some of them, as the azaleas, have a very big importance in gardening.

Other, as the Rhododendrons, besides being used as medicinal plants in spite of their toxic components, play a fundamental part as protectors of the erosion in most of the mountains of the world except in Australia or Africa, by being located in superior heights to 2000 m.

HEATER FAMILY

Erica Rubrocalyx

Leaves (1): simple, generally perennial, without stipules.
Stems (2): Ligneous.
Flowers:

With radial symmetry.

Calyx (3): 4-6 free sepals.
Corolla (4): 4- 5 joined petals, tubular-shaped.
Stamens: Generally with the double length of sepals, with anthers inverted.
Ovary: superior, only in Vaccinium is inferior.
Style: 1
Fruit: Capsule.. and Sometimes a berry

Genera

The most remarkable ones are the following:

ARBUTUS

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS

CALLUNA

DABOECIA

ERICA

LOISELEURIA

PHYLLODOCE

RHODODENDRON

VACCINIUM

BACK TO FAMILIES

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This article was endorsed by Julián Masats - Technical agricultural engineer specialized in horticulture and gardening.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

4 August, 2022

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