Ericaceae

Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a large family of flowering plants in the order Ericales. It comprises about 124 genera and more than 4,000 species. Members are predominantly woody, including evergreen shrubs and small trees, though some herbaceous genera exist in certain subfamilies. Leaves are typically simple, with entire margins, and often tough and leathery. Drought and cold tolerance vary among taxa. Many Ericaceae tolerate or require acidic, nutrient-poor soils.

The family is distributed worldwide but is especially diverse in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and in tropical montane zones. Ecology often involves ericoid mycorrhizal associations that help plants scavenge organic forms of nitrogen in acidic soils.

Flowers are usually small, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, with five fused petals forming a tubular or bell-shaped corolla, five sepals, and usually many stamens. They occur in racemes, panicles, or cymes. The fruit is variable, typically a berry, capsule, or drupe, depending on genus.

Economic and horticultural importance is high. Genera such as Rhododendron and Erica are prominent ornamentals. Vaccinium species, including blueberries, cranberries, and lingonberries, are economically important fruit crops. Other familiar genera include Calluna (heathers), Kalmia, Arctostaphylos (manzanita and bearberry), Arbutus (strawberry tree), and many others.

Taxonomically, Ericaceae is placed in the order Ericales and subdivided into several subfamilies, notably Ericoideae and Vaccinioideae, reflecting its botanical diversity.