PIERIS

genus of about eight species of evergreen, white-flowered shrubs and small trees, of the heath family (Ericaceae), native to eastern Asia and eastern North America. The leaves are usually alternate, broad, leathery, lance-shaped, and toothed. The flowers, which are cylindrical or urn-shaped, have a five-lobed calyx (the sepals, collectively) and grow in a terminal or axillary (i.e., from the leaf axil) cluster. Several species of Pieris, including P. floribunda, P. japonica, and P. taiwanensis, are cultivated as ornamentals. P. japonica, the lily-of-the-valley bush or Japanese andromeda, is very popular and is found in several varieties.