Family

Heath.

Colour

White, or pink tinged with red.

Odour

Fragrant.

Range

Mostly north.

Time of Bloom

May, June.

Flowers: growing in umbel-like, drooping clusters. Calyx: of five sepals. Corolla: of five petals. Stamens: ten. Pistil: one. Leaves: lanceolate: glaucous; whitish beneath; evergreen. A low shrub, rarely taller than eighteen inches.

This beautiful shrub is the namesake of the fair daughter of the Ethiopian King, Cepheus. Perhaps the bond of sympathy that Linnaeus recognised as existing between them, is that they both have had to contend with monsters. Like Andromeda of spotless purity, who was chained to the rock at sea, our little plant finds itself attached to some hillock in the swamp. The jumping, splashing frogs and sleek, twirling reptiles are no doubt quite as fearful to the gentle flower as the fiery dragon was to Andromeda. And alas, no Perseus coming to slay them, it droops its head, grows pale and dies. Its place is taken by an erect little capsule, which has quite the air of being able to take care of itself.