The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acid and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c. 4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it the 14th most species-rich family of flowering plants. The many well-known and economically important members of the Ericaceae include the cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, rhododendron, and various common heaths and heathers.
Rhododendron is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae), either evergreen or deciduous, and found mainly in Asia, although it is also widespread throughout lowland and montane forests in the Pacific Northwest, California, the Northeastern United States, and especially in the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains of North America. It is the national flower of Nepal, as well as, the state flower of Washington and West Virginia in United States, the provincial flower of Jiangxi in China and the state tree of Sikkim and Uttarakhand in India. Most species have brightly colored flowers which bloom from late winter through to early summer.
Pterospora, commonly known as pinedrops, woodland pinedrops, Albany beechdrops, or giant bird's nest is a North American genus in the subfamily Monotropoideae of the heath family, and includes only the species Pterospora andromedea. It grows in coniferous or mixed forests. It is widespread across much of Canada as well as the western and northeastern United States to and northern Mexico. Along with Monotropa it is one of the more frequently encountered genera of the Monotropoideae.
Ledum was a genus in the family Ericaceae, including 8 species of evergreen shrubs native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and commonly known as Labrador tea. It is now recognised as a subsection of section Rhododendron, subgenus Rhododendron, of the genus Rhododendron.
Rhododendron groenlandicum, is a flowering shrub with white flowers and evergreen leaves that is used to make a herbal tea.
Rhodora was a section of subgenus Pentanthera in the genus Rhododendron, that has since been discontinued. It comprised two species, both deciduous shrubs native to eastern North America:
Rhododendron subgenus Pentanthera was a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron. The common name azalea is applied to many of the species, and also to species in some other subgenera. In 2005 it was discontinued and its four sections moved or dismembered.
Rhododendron subgenus Rhododendron is a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron. With around 400 species, it is the largest of the eight subgenera containing nearly half of all known species of Rhododendron and all of the lepidote species.
Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes is a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron, with a widespread distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The species are evergreen shrubs and small to medium-sized trees, with medium-sized to large leaves. The flowers are large, produced in terminal trusses of 5-40 together.
Menziesia was a genus of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. More recently it has been reclassified within the genus Rhododendron. it was formally transferred in 2011.
Rhododendron spinuliferum is a species of Rhododendron native to Yunnan, southwestern Sichuan, and Guizhou China.
Rhododendron section Tsutsusi was a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron, commonly referred to as the evergreen azaleas. In 2005 it was reduced to a section of subgenus Azaleastrum. Containing 80 - 117 species, it includes both deciduous and evergreen types and is distributed in Japan, China and northeastern Asia. They are of high cultural importance to the Japanese. Among the species in this genus lie the largest flowering azaleas.
Rhododendron section Vireya (vireyas) is a tropical group of Rhododendron species, numbering about 300 in all. Vireyas are native to southeastern Asia and range from Thailand to Australia.
Rhododendron subgenus Azaleastrum is a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron.
Rhododendron subg. Choniastrum is a subgenus of the genus Rhododendron, originally a section of subgenus Azaleastrum it was elevated to subgenus rank after cladistic analysis revealed that together with Rhododendron it formed a major clade, distinct from other sections of Azaleastrum.
Rhododendron subsection Brachycalyx is a subsection of the genus Rhododendron, in section Tsutsusi, subgenus Azaleastrum, consisting of fifteen species of Azaleas from Asia.
Monotropoideae, sometimes referred to as monotropes, are a flowering plant subfamily in the family Ericaceae. Members of this subfamily are notable for their mycoheterotrophic and non-photosynthesizing or achlorophyllous characteristics.
