Heath (Family Ericaceae)

The Ericaceae, commonly known as the Heath or Heather Family, is a

group of morphologically diverse herbs, dwarf shrubs, shrubs and trees.

The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera,

making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants.

Family Ericaceae has a nearly worldwide distribution. They are absent
from continental Antarctica, parts of the high Arctic, central Greenland,
northern and central Australia, and much of the lowland tropics and neo-
tropics.

There are many well-known and economically important members of the
Ericaceae. Some are important for edible berries, including the cranberry,
blueberry, huckleberry, while others are sold as ornamentals, including

azalea, rhododendron, and various common heaths and heathers (Erica,

Cassiope, Daboecia, and Calluna for example).

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