A low glabrous depressed straggling branched shrub, with small linear-oblong petioled obtuse entire coriaceous and evergreen leaves, and small solitary or few flowers on terminal erect pedicels, the bud-scales few, persistent. Calyx 5-parted, the segments ovate-lanceolate, persistent. Corolla broadly campanulate, with 5 obtuse imbricated lobes. Stamens 5, included; filaments slender, adnate to the corolla; anthers globose-didymous, dorsally attached to the filaments, longitudinally dehiscent. Disk obscurely 5-lobed. Ovary globose, 2-3-celled; style short straight; stigma capitate; ovules numerous. Capsule subglobose, 2-3-celled, septicidally 2-3-valved, the valves 2-cleft. Seeds ovoid, the testa granular. [Greek, ground cistus.]

A monotypic genus of the colder parts of the northern hemisphere.

1. Chamaecistus Procúmbens (L.) Kuntze. Alpine Or Trailing Azalea

Fig. 3227

Azalea procumbens L. Sp. Pl. 151. 1753.

Loiseleuria procumbens Desv. Journ. Bot. (II) 1: 35. 1813.

C. serpyllifolia S. F. Gray, Bot. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 401. 1821.

Chamaecistus procumbens Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 388. 1891.

Tufted, much branched, diffuse, branches 2-4' long. Leaves mostly opposite, rather crowded, dark green above, paler beneath, 2."-4" long, the midrib very prominent, on the lower side, the margins strongly revolute; petioles i" long or less; flowers 1-5 from terminal coriaceous buds; pedicels 3"-4" long; corolla pink or white, about 2" high, longer than the purplish sepals; capsule about 1" thick.

Summits of the higher mountains of New England, Mt. Albert, Quebec; Nova Scotia; Newfoundland and Labrador to arctic America and Alaska. Also in Greenland, northern Europe and Asia. July-Aug.