Ericoideae is a subfamily of

Ericaceae The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c.4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it th ...

, containing nineteen

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, and 1,790 species, the largest of which is ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'', followed by

Erica Erica or ERICA may refer to: * Erica (given name) * ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus * Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America * ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game * ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus * Eric ...

. The Ericoideae bear spiral

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

with flat laminae. The

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

is articulated and the

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

are pendulous or erect, and monosymmetric, with an abaxial median

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

. The

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

are free and the

anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

lack appendages. The capsule is

septicidal Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that o ...

Subdivision

, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser recognized five

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

:NCBI
/ref> * Tribe Bryantheae ** Genera: ''

Bryanthus ''Bryanthus'' is a monotypic genus of ornamental plant in the flowering plant family Ericaceae, with the sole species ''Bryanthus musciformis'', native to Japan, Kamchatka, and the Kuril Islands. The genus was created in 1769. In 2012, the new ...

'' – ''

Ledothamnus ''Ledothamnus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Ericaceae. Its native range is Northern South America to Northern Brazil. In 2012, the new tribe Bryantheae was proposed based on genetic analysis, containing the genera ''B ...

'' * Tribe Empetreae ** Genera: ''

Ceratiola ''Ceratiola'' is a genus of flowering plants with a single species, ''Ceratiola ericoides'', the sand heath, sandhill-rosemary or Florida-rosemary, is a species of shrub usually included in the plant family Ericaceae, though treated by some bota ...

'' – ''

Corema ''Corema'' is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. They are dioecious small shrubs. Species * ''Corema album'' (L.) D. Don ex Steud. ''Corema album'' is also known for it common name ''Camarinha'' or Portuguese cr ...

'' – ''

Empetrum ''Empetrum'' is a genus of three species of dwarf evergreen shrubs in the heath family Ericaceae. They are commonly known as crowberries and bear edible fruit. They are commonly found in the northern hemisphere, from temperate to subarctic clima ...

'' (plus ''Diplarche'', treated as a synonym of ''Rhododendron'' by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

) * Tribe Ericeae ** Genera: ''

Calluna ''Calluna vulgaris'', common heather, ling, or simply heather, is the sole species in the genus ''Calluna'' in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found wide ...

'' – ''

Daboecia ''Daboecia'' , or St. Dabeoc's heath, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, containing two evergreen shrubs, closely related to the genus '' Erica''. They are native to cliffs and heathland in southern Atlantic Europe and ...

'' – ''

'' (plus ''Bruckenthalia'', treated as a synonym of ''Erica'' by Plants of the World Online) * Tribe Phyllodoceae ** Genera: ''

Bejaria ''Bejaria'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Ericaceae The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The f ...

'' – '' Elliottia'' – ''

Epigaea ''Epigaea'' is a small genus of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. The species are small creeping shrubs that are typically anywhere from tall at full growth, forming large patches. The leaves are evergreen, alternate and simple, ranging a ...

'' – ''

Kalmia ''Kalmia'' is a genus of about ten species of evergreen shrubs from 0.2–5 m tall, in the family Ericaceae. They are native to North America (mainly in the eastern half of the continent) and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with different spec ...

'' – '' Kalmiopsis'' – '' Phyllodoce'' – '' Rhodothamnus'' (plus the artificial hybrid genera × ''Kalmiothamnus'' and × ''Phyllothamnus'') * Tribe Rhodoreae ** Genera: ''

'' (plus ''

Menziesia ''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. Species * ''Menziesia ciliicalyx'' (Miq.) Maxim. = '' Rhododend ...

'' and ''Therorhodion'', treated as synonyms of ''Rhododendron'' by Plants of the World Online) List of genera:Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)
"List of Genera in Ericaceae"
''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website''. Retrieved 2022-11-20. * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' Elliottia'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' Kalmiopsis'' * ''

'' * '' Phyllodoce'' * ''

'' * '' Rhodothamnus''

References

External links

NCBI Taxonomy: Ericoideae

Asterid subfamilies {{Ericaceae-stub