ERICA monadelphia.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, exsertis, attenuatis in filamenta plana. Corolla conica, sanguinea, oris laciniis erectis, adpressis. Folia terna.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis erectus, sesquipedalis, scaber, ad basin parum ramosus. Ramuli sparsi.
Folia terna, obtusa, sub-tomentosa, subtus sulcata, petiolis brevissimis adpressis.
Flores in ramulis, bini vel terni, terminales, cernui, in medio ramorum racemum formantes speciosissimum; pedunculis brevibus, bracteis nullis.
Calyx. Perianthium duplex, coloratum; exterius triphyllum, foliolis lato-ovatis, apicibus virescentibus; interius tetraphyllum, foliolis latioribus majoribus.
Corolla conica, sub-pollicaris, glabra, sanguinea; oris laciniis erectis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo plana, corolla multoties longiora, receptaculo inserta; antheris muticis, exsertis, attenuatis in filamenta.
Pistillum. Germen ovatum, tenuissime sulcatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Augusti in Decembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx et Corolla.
2. Calyx lente auctus.
3. Stamina et Pistillum.
4. Stamina a Pistillo diducta; antherâ unâ lente auctâ.
5. Stylus et Stigma lente aucta.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips without the blossoms, and tapering into filaments, which are flat. The blossom is conical, of a blood colour, having the segments of the mouth upright, and pressed to the threads. The leaves grow by threes.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem upright, a foot and a half high, rough, branching but little at the base. The smaller branches are scattered.
Leaves grow by threes, blunt-ended, rather downy, channelled underneath, having very short foot-stalks pressed to the branches.
Flowers grow by twos and threes at the end of the smaller branches, hanging down, forming a beautiful spike near the middle of the larger branches. The foot-stalks are short, without floral leaves.
Empalement. Cup double, and coloured; the outer three-leaved, the leaves of a broad oval-shape, the ends greenish: the inner is four-leaved, broader and larger than the former.
Blossom cone-shaped, near an inch long, smooth, deep red; the segments of the mouth upright.
Chives. Eight flat threads, much longer than the blossom, fixed into the receptacle; the tips beardless, without the blossom, and tapering into the filaments.
Pointal. Seed-vessel egg-shaped, and slightly furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from August till December.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement and Blossom.
2. The Empalement magnified.
3. The Chives and Pointal.
4. The Chives detached from the Pointal; one tip magnified.
5. The Shaft and Summit magnified.
