About 45 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, and usually dentate. Flowers in axillary or terminal clusters, calyx 5-parted, corolla ovate to tubular, white, 10 stamens. Fruit a capsule, 5-valved, seeds small and numerous.
Leucothoe: after Leucothoe of Greek mythology, daughter of Orchamus, king of Babylon, and "allegedly" (apparently not established in a court trial) changed into a shrub by her lover Apollo.
Pronunciation:
lu-KOTH-o-e
Family:
Ericaceae