ERICA empetroides.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris cristatis, inclusis, stylo exserto; floribus dense spicatis, suaveolentibus, subcarneis; corollis urceolatis, laciniis maximis, patentibus; foliis senis, villosis, obtusis, patentibus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis debilis, filiformis, pedalis; rami et ramuli filiformes, laxi.
Folia sena, linearia, conserta, villosa, obtusa, horizontalia, petiolis adpressis.
Flores in medio ramorum et ramulorum densissimé spicati, horizontaliter siti; pedunculi brevissimi bracteis tribus instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliola linearia, villosa, distantia, folia similia sed minora.
Corolla urceolata, subalbida, fragrantissima; laciniis maximis, obtusis, patentibus.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria. Antheræ cristatæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen subglobosum, sulcatum. Stylus filiformis, exsertus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Maio in Augustum.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium unum, lente auctum. 2. Flos, magnitudine naturali. 3. Calyx, lente auctus. 4. Stamina, et Pistillum. 5. Stamina valdé aucta. 6. Pistillum, Stigma auctum. 7. Germen, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with crested tips, within the blossom, shaft without; flowers grow in a close spike, sweet scented and slightly flesh-coloured; blossoms pitcher-shaped, with the segments very large and spreading; leaves grow by sixes, hairy, blunt, and spreading.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem weak, thread-shaped, a foot high; the larger and smaller branches are thread-shaped and loose.
Leaves grow by sixes, linear, close, hairy, blunt and horizontal; with the foot-stalks pressed to the stem.
Flowers in very close spikes in the middle of the large and small branches, standing out horizontally, with very short foot-stalks, having three floral leaves on them.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved; leaflets linear, hairy, distant, like the leaves but smaller.
Blossom pitcher-shaped, nearly white, and very sweet; segments very large, blunt, spreading.
Chives. Threads eight hair-like. Tips crested, within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud nearly globular and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped, without the blossom. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from May till August.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf, magnified. 2. A Flower, natural size. 3. The Empalement, magnified. 4. The Chives and Pointal. 5. The Chives very much magnified. 6. The Pointal, the summit magnified. 7. The Seed-bud, magnified.
