ERICA costata.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, inclusis; stylo exserto; corollis sub-cylindraceis, incarnatis, costatis; foliis pubescentibus, ternis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, bipedalis, erectus ramosus; ramuli frequentissimi.
Folia caulina, terna, recta, linearia, obtusa, pubescentia; folia ramea, erectiora, ovata, sub-serrata, acuminata; petiolis adpressis.
Flores plures, tres, quatuorve ramuli terminates; pedunculi brevissimi.
Calyx. Perianthium duplex; interius, tetraphyllum, foliolis sub-ovatis, acuminatis, serratis, coloratis, apice sulcatis, adpressis; exterius triphyllum, priori brevioribus, virescentibus.
Corolla sub-cylindracea, apice paulula curvata, incarnata, costata; oris laciniis erectis, albidis, obtusis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo, ima parte spathulata, receptaculo inserta. Antheræ inclusæ, muticæ.
Pistillum. Germen sub-cylindricum, sulcatum. Stylus attenuatus, exsertus, apice curvatus. Stigma tetragonum virescens.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Februarii, in Junium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium unum, lente auctum.
2. Calyx, et Corolla.
3. Calyx, lente auctus.
4. Stamina, et Pistillum.
5. Stamen unum, lente auctum.
6. Stylus, et Stigma, lente aucta.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, within the blossom; pointal without; blossoms nearly cylindrical, flesh-coloured, and ribbed; leaves downy, growing by threes.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, grows two feet high, upright, and branching; the smaller branches are numerous.
The Leaves of the stem grow by threes, straight out, linear, blunt, and downy; those on the smaller branches, more upright, egg-shaped, a little sawed at the edges, and sharp pointed; the foot-stalks pressed to the branches.
The Flowers are numerous, growing by threes, or fours, at the end of the smaller branches; foot-stalks very short.
Empalement. Cup double; the inner four-leaved; leaves almost egg-shaped, pointed, sawed, coloured, furrowed at the point, and pressed to the blossom; the outer three-leaved, shorter than the former, and greenish.
Blossom nearly cylindrical, curved a little at the end, of a flesh colour, and ribbed; the segments of the mouth are upright, white and blunt.
Chives. Eight threads, spathula-shaped at the base, and fixed into the receptacle. Tips within the blossom, and beardless.
Pointal. Seed-vessel almost cylinder-shaped, and furrowed. Shaft tapered, without the blossom, and curved at the end. Summit four-cornered, and green.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from February, till June.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf, magnified.
2. The Empalement, and Blossom.
3. The Empalement, magnified.
4. The Chives, and Pointal.
5. One Chive, magnified.
6. The Shaft, and its Summit, magnified.
