ERICA acuta.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris cristatis, inclusis; floribus ternis; foliolis calycis ciliatis, apicibus setaceis; corollis urceolatis, purpureis; foliis subulatis, erectis, mucronatis, quaternis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis erectus, pedalis, gracilis; rami pauci, filiformes, erecti; ramuli plurimi, brevi, erecti.
Folia quaterna, subulata, mucronata, glabra, rigida, erecta; petiolis brevissimis, adpressis.
Flores in apice omnium ramulorum terni, cernui; pedunculi longitudine florum, bracteis tribus, ciliatis instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum; foliolis lanceolatis, ciliatis, apice setaceis.
Corolla urceolata, purpurea, glabra; laciniis limbi, acutis, parum reflexis.
Stamina. Filamenta capillaria, curvata. Antheræ cristatæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen subglobosum, sulcatum. Stylus filiformis, inclusus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Maio, in Julium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium, auctum. 2. Calyx, auctus. 3. Flos, magnitudine naturali. 4. Corolla. 5. Stamina et Pistillum, auctum. 6. Pistillum et Germen, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with crested tips, within the blossom; flowers grow by threes; leaflets of the cup fringed, with bristles at the ends; blossoms pitcher-shaped and purple; leaves awl-shaped, upright, sharp-pointed and growing by fours.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem upright, a foot high, slender; branches few, thread-shaped, upright; small branches many, short, upright.
Leaves grow by fours, awl-shaped, sharp-pointed, smooth, harsh and upright; foot-stalks very short and pressed to the stem.
Flowers grow by threes at the end of all the smaller branches, nodding; the foot-stalks the length of the flowers, having three fringed floral leaves on them.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets lance-shaped, fringed, and bristled at the end.
Blossom pitcher-shaped, purple, smooth, segments of the border pointed, a little reflexed.
Chives. Threads, hair-like, curved. Tips crested within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud roundish and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped, within the blossom. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from May, till July.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf, magnified. 2. The Empalement, magnified. 3. A Flower of the natural size. 4. A Blossom. 5. The Chives and Pointal, magnified. 6. The Pointal and Seed-bud, magnified.
