ERICA aurea.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris muticis, subinclusis, stylo exserto; floribus subterminalibus verticillatis; corollis cylindricis, pollicaribus, aurantiis; foliis senis, linearibus, glabris, horizontalibus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis erectus, fruticosus, pedalis; rami verticillati, patentes, rigidi.
Folia sena, linearia, glabra, seniora teretiuscula, juniora plana, apice incurvata, patentia; petiolis brevissimis.
Flores horizontaliter verticillati prope ramorum summitatem; pedunculi brevissimi, bracteis tribus instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis subulatis, glabris, adpressis.
Corolla cylindracea, glabra, aurantia; laciniis oris parum reflexis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria. Antheræ subinclusæ, muticæ.
Pistillum. Germen turbinatum, sulcatum, apice concavum, ad basin glandulosum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Julii, in Septembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Flos. 2. Calyx, auctus. 3. Stamina et Pistillum, anthera una diducta et aucta. 4. Pistillum, Stigma diductum et auctum. 5 Germen, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with beardless tips, just within the blossom, shaft without; flowers nearly terminate the branches in whorls; blossoms cylindrical, an inch long, and of a gold colour; leaves grow by sixes, linear, smooth, and horizontal.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem upright, shrubby, a foot high; the branches grow in whorls, spreading, and stiff.
Leaves grow by sixes, linear, smooth; the older ones rather cylindrical, the younger smooth, turned inward at the end, and spreading; very short foot-stalks.
Flowers grow horizontally in whorls near the summit of the branches; foot-stalks very short, having three floral leaves on them.
Empalment. Cup four-leaved, leaflets awl-shaped, smooth, pressed to the blossom.
Blossom cylinder-shaped, smooth, gold coloured; segments of the mouth a little reflexed.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads. Tips just within the blossom, beardless.
Pointal. Seed-bud top-shaped, furrowed, hollow at the top, glandular at the base. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of July, till September.
REFERENCE.
1. A Flower. 2. The Cup, magnified. 3. The Chives and Pointal, one of the tips detached and magnified. 4. The Pointal, the summit detached and magnified. 5. The Seed-bud, magnified.
