Calluna

Illustrator: Barbara Alongi

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Shrubs. Stems erect or ascending, (much-branched); twigs hairy to glabrescent. Leaves persistent, opposite; petiole absent; blade coriaceous, margins spinulose-ciliate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemes or panicles, 5–30-flowered; perulae absent. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetric; sepals 4, distinct; petals 4, barely connate basally, corolla persistent, campanulate; stamens 8, included; anthers with awns, dehiscent by lateral slits; ovary 5-locular, (ovoid); style slightly exserted, straight; stigma capitate. Fruits capsular, globose, dehiscence septifragal. Seeds ca. 5–10, ellipsoid, not winged, not tailed; testa (firm), ± alveolate-reticulate. x = 8.

Distribution

Europe, w Asia.

Discussion

Species 1: introduced; Europe, w Asia.

Species 1

Selected References

Barclay Estrup, P. 1974. The distribution of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull in western Canada. Syesis 7: 129–137.

Barclay Estrup, P. 1993. Scottish heather, Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, in eastern Canada. Naturaliste Canad. 118: 47–55.

Beijerinck, W. 1940. Calluna: A monograph on the Scotch heather. Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Afd. Natuurk., Sect. 2, 38(4).

Lower Taxa

Calluna vulgaris