ERICA formosa.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris muticis, subexsertis; floribus axillaribus, verticillatis, horizontalibus, coccineis; corolla clavata, pollicaris, subrecurva; foliis subsenis, linearibus, patentibus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis erectus, fruticosus; rami ramulique pauci, verticillati, erecti.
Folia subsena, linearia, glabra, rigida, acuta, patentia, parum curvata; petiolis brevissimis, adpressis.
Flores in apicibus ramorum verticillati, axillares et horizontales, subspicati; pedunculis bracteatis.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis subulatis, erectis, adpressis.
Corolla clavata, pollicaris, parum curvata, glabra, coccinea; oris laciniis expansis, maximis, subrecurvis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria, apice incurvata. Antheræ muticæ, subexsertæ.
Pistillum. Germen obovatum, sulcatum, apice concavum. Stylus filiformis, exsertus. Stigma peltato-tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Augusti in Decembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Flos. 2. Calyx, auctus. 3. Stamina a pistillo diducta, anthera una lente aucta. 4. Germen, Stylus et Stigma, Stigma auctum. 5. Germen auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with beardless tips, just without the blossom; flowers grow from the base of the leaves close to the stem in whorles, horizontally, and are scarlet; blossom club-shaped, an inch long, rather recurved; leaves grow by sixes in general, linear and spreading.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, upright; the larger and smaller branches grow in whorles and upright.
Leaves grow mostly by sixes, linear, smooth, harsh, sharp pointed, spreading and a little curved; the foot-stalks very short, and pressed to the stem.
Flowers grow in whorles at the top of the branches, close to the stem at the insertion of the leaves, horizontally, and rather in a spike; foot-stalks with floral leaves.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets awl-shaped, upright, and pressed to the stem.
Blossom club-shaped, an inch long, a little curved, smooth, scarlet; the segments of the mouth are spread out, very large and a little turned back.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads, turned inward at the end. Tips beardless, just without the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud inversely egg-shaped, furrowed, concave at the top. Shaft thread-shaped, without the blossom. Summit between shield-shaped and four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of August till December.
REFERENCE.
1. A Flower. 2. The Empalement, magnified. 3. The Chives detached from the Pointal, one tip magnified. 4. The Seed-bud, Shaft and Summit, the Summit magnified. 5. The Seed-bud magnified.
