ERICA purpurea.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, exsertis; corollis verticillatis, tubulosis, a basi incurvata, sensim ampliatis; foliis subsenis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, erectus, bipedalis, pubescens, basi simplicissimus, dein verticillatim ramosus, ramis simplicibus, adscendentibus.
Folia subsena, linearia, recurvato patentia, supra plana, subtus revoluta, acuta, rigida, brevissimis adpressis petiolis.
Flores verticillati, subterminales, dilute purpurei, pedunculis brevissimis instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis erectis, ovato-oblongis, acuminatis; bracteis binis adpressis.
Corolla tubulosa, basi incurvata, sensim versus apicem dilatata; ore quadrilobo æquali patente.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria, receptaculo inserta. Antheræ muticæ, exsertæ, bipartitæ.
Pistillum. Germen turbinatum. Stylus filiformis, filamentis longior. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mensi Julii ad Decembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx et Corolla.
2. Calyx et Bractea lente aucta.
3. Stamina et Pistillum.
4. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, anthera una lente aucta.
5. Stylus et Stigma lente aucta.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, without the blossoms; which grow in whorls, are tubular, gradually widening from an incurved base; leaves growing mostly by sixes.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, upright, grows two feet high, downy, quite intire at the base, then throws out a number of whorled, simple, ascending branches.
Leaves growing generally in sixes, linear, bent backward and spreading, plain on their upper, and rolled back on their under, surface, sharp-pointed, inflexible, with short leaf-stalks pressed closely to the stem.
Flowers grow in whorls, nearly at the top of the branches, of a fine light purple, and furnished with very short foot-stalks.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, which are of an oblong-oval shape, upright, and pointed; with two floral-leaves close to it.
Blossom tubular, with an incurved base, gradually widening towards the mouth, which is cut into four equal, spreading lobes.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads, fixed in the receptacle. Tips beardless, without the blossom, and deeply divided.
Pointal. Seed-vessel turban-shaped. Shaft thread-shaped, longer than the threads. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
In bloom from July till December.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement with the Blossom.
2. The Empalement and Floral-leaves magnified.
3. The Chives and Pointal.
4. The Chives detached from the Pointal, one tip magnified.
5. The Shaft and its Summit magnified.
