The plant family Ericaceae (also called the heath family or ericaceous plants) are mostly lime-hating or calcifuge plants that thrive in acid soils. Many well-known plants of the Ericaceae live in temperate climates, such as cranberry, blueberry, heath, heather, huckleberry, azalea and rhododendron. However, the family also contains many tropical species.[1]
The Ericaceae family consists of herbs, shrubs and trees with leaves that are alternate, simple and estipulate. Plants in this family are synoecious. Flowers in the family show considerable variability. The corollas are often sympetalous with shapes ranging from narrowly tubular to funnelform or widely bowl-shaped. The corollas are often actinomorphic but flowers in the genus Rhododendron have flowers that are often zygomorphic.citations needed
Recent genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has resulted in the inclusion of the formerly recognised families Empetraceae, Epacridaceae, Monotropaceae, Prionotaceae and Pyrolaceae into Ericaceae. Most Ericaceae, except Monotropaceae, Prionotaceae and Pyrolaceae form ericoid mycorrhiza. This symbiotic relationship is considered crucial to the success of members of the family in edaphically stressful environments worldwide (Cairney and Meharg, 2003).
Genera
Ericaceae vaccinium berries, from top right: Cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries, red huckleberries
References
- ^ See for example Kathleen A. Kron, E. Ann Powell and J. L. Luteyn (2002). "Phylogenetic relationships within the blueberry tribe (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae) based on sequence data from MATK and nuclear ribosomal ITS regions, with comments on the placement of Satyria". American Journal of Botany 89: 327–336. doi:10.3732/ajb.89.2.327.
- Cairney, JWG & Meharg, AA (2003). Ericoid mycorrhiza: a partnership that exploits harsh edaphic conditions. European Journal of Soil Science 54, 735-740.
- Walters, Dick R. and David J. Keil. Vascular Plant Taxonomy. Kendall\Hunt: 1996, Dubuque
External links
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