ERICA comosa, rubra.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, inclusis; corolla ventricosa, carnea, parva, ore arctata, laciniis patentibus; foliis calycis ciliatis; floribus terminalibus, congestis, sub-comosis; foliis quaternis, linearibus, obtusis, glabris.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, pedalis, ramosus; rami erecti, virgati; ramuli brevi, filiformes, numerosi.
Folia quaterna, obtusa, patentia, parva, glabra.
Flores in ramulis terminales, quaterni, quasi spicam densam formantes; pedunculi brevissimi, bracteis ciliatis, calyci adpressis.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ovatis, acutis, ciliatis.
Corolla ventricosa, carnea, basi inflata, apice arctata; oris laciniis acutis, patentibus.
Stamina. Filamenta octo, capillaria, minuta. Antheræ muticæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen subrotundum, octo-sulcatum. Stylus filiformis, inclusus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret ab Augusto, in Decembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Flos. 2. Calyx, lente auctus. 3. Stamina, et Pistillum. 4. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, anthera una lente aucta. 5. Pistillum, Stigma auctum. 6. Germen, lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, within the blossom, which is bellied, flesh-coloured, small and narrowed at the mouth, segments spreading; leaflets of the cup fringed; flowers terminal, crowded together, rather tufted; leaves grow by fours, linear, blunt, and smooth.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, grows a foot high, branching; branches grow twiggy and upright; small branches short, thread-shaped, numerous.
Leaves grow by fours, blunt, spreading, small and smooth.
Flowers terminate the small branches, forming as it were a thick spike; foot-stalks very short, floral leaves pressed to the cup, and fringed.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets egg-shaped, pointed, fringed.
Blossom bellied, flesh-coloured, swelled at the base, narrowed at the mouth; segments of the mouth sharp pointed, spreading.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads, small. Tips beardless, within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud roundish, eight-furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped, within the blossom. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from August, till December.
REFERENCE.
1. A Flower. 2. The Cup, magnified. 3. The Chives, and Pointal. 4. The Chives detached from the Pointal; one tip magnified. 5. The Pointal, Summit magnified. 6. The Seed-bud, magnified.
