Ericaceae, the heath family or the heather family.
Calluna vulgaris (known as Common Heather, ling, or simply heather is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to 20 to 50 centimetres (7.9 to 20 in) tall, or rarely to 1 metre (39 in), and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade. It is the dominant plant in most heathland and moorland in Europe, and in some bog vegetation and acidic pine and oak woodland.
It is separated from the closely related genus Erica by its corolla and calyx each being in four parts instead of five. The flowers emerge in late summer; in wild plants these are normally mauve, but white-flowered plants also occur occasionally.
Erica, the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance.
The closely related genus Calluna was formerly included in Erica – it differs in having even smaller scale-leaves (less than 2-3 mm long), and the flower corolla being more divided into separate petals.
