ERICA Petiveriana.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, exsertis, longissimis; corollis clavatis, pollicaribus, luteis; calyce imbricato, foliis ternis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis strictissimus, rigidus, parum ramosus; ramulis brevibus, frequentissimis.
Folia terna, linearia, obtusa, in apicibus ramulorum fasciculata, petiolis adpressis.
Flores in medio ramorum, ramulis ultimis terminales, bini, vel terni, recurvi; pedunculi brevissimi, bracteis tribus calyciformibus.
Calyx. Perianthium duplex, imbricatum, interius tetraphyllum, exterius triphyllum, foliolis ovatis, acuminatis, concavis, luteis, glabris.
Corolla clavata, curvata, lutea, pollicaris, glabra, ad basin grossa, quadrifida; oris laciniis incurvis, adpressis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria, receptaculo inserta; antheræ muticæ, exsertæ, longissimæ.
Pistillum. Germen ovatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Aprili in Junium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx et Corolla.
2. Corolla.
3. Calyx lente auctus.
4. Stamina et Pistillum.
5. Stamina a Pistillo diduct; antherâ unâ lente auctâ.
6. Stylus et Stigma lente aucti.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, without the blossom, and very long; the blossom is club-shaped, an inch long, and yellow; the cup is tiled; the leaves grow by threes.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem very upright, harsh, very little branched; the smaller branches are short, and numerous.
Leaves grow by threes, are linear, blunt, and are bundled together at the end of the small branches; the foot-stalks grow close to the branches.
Flowers terminate the smaller branches about the middle of the larger ones, by twos and threes, and are bent inwards; the foot-stalks are very short, having three floral leaves, which seem to form part of the cup.
Empalement. Cup double, and tiled, the inner four-leaved, the outer three-leaved, which are oval, pointed, hollow, smooth, and yellow.
Blossom club-shaped, curved, yellow, smooth, an inch long, swelled at the base, which is divided into four; the segments of the mouth are bent inwards, and pressed to the filaments.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads fixed into the receptacle; tips beardless, very long, and without the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-vessel egg-shaped. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from April till June.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement and Blossom.
2. The Blossom.
3. The Empalement magnified.
4. The Chives and Pointal.
5. The Chives detached from the Pointal; one tip magnified.
6. The Shaft and Summit magnified.
