ERICA latifolia.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris muticis, exsertis; floribus axillaribus umbellatis, ternis, pendulis, læte rubris; pedunculis corollis triplo longioribus; corollis subglobosis; foliis ternis, latissimis, ovato-acuminatis, pilis supra tectis, marginibus revolutis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, flexuosus, ramosus, pedalis; rami verticillati; ramuli pauci, suberecti.
Folia terna, latissima, ovato-acuminata, supra pilis vestita, convexa, subtus concava, albida, margine revoluta.
Flores in medio ramulorum spicati, umbellati, sub-terni, ex axillis foliorum, cernui; pedunculi colorati, longitudine corollarum, bracteis tribus minutis instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ovatis, erectis, concavis, adpressis, apicibus viridibus.
Corolla subglobosa, glabra, læte-rubra; ore arctato, limbo erecto, minuto.
Stamina. Filamenta octo plana, longitudine corollæ. Antheræ muticæ, exsertæ.
Pistillum. Germen subglobosum, sulcatum, pilosum. Stylus filiformis exsersus. Stigma concavum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Maio, in Augustum.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium, magnitudine naturali. 2. Idem, auctum. 3. Flos. 4. Calyx, lente auctus. 5. Stamina, et Pistillum. 6. Stamina et Pistillum, lente aucta. 7. Pistillum, Stigma auctum. 8. Germen, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with beardless tips, without the blossom; flowers grow from the insertion of the leaves in umbels, by threes, hanging down and bright red; with the foot-stalks thrice the length of the blossom; blossoms nearly globular; leaves grow by threes, very broad, egg-shape-tapered, covered on the upper surface with hairs and rolled back at the edges.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, zig-zagged, very much branched, a foot high; branches in whorls; small branches few, nearly upright.
Leaves grow by threes, egg-shaped-tapered, clothed on the upper surface with hairs and convex, concave beneath and whitish, rolled back at the edge.
Flowers in the middle of the small branches in spikes, grow from the insertion of the leaves in umbels of threes, hanging down; foot-stalks coloured the length of the blossoms, with three small floral leaves on them.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets egg-shaped, upright, concave, pressed to the stem, with green ends.
Blossom nearly globular, smooth and of a bright red; mouth narrowed, border upright, small.
Chives. Eight flat threads, the length of the blossom. Tips beardless, without the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud nearly globular, furrowed and hairy. Shaft thread-shaped and without the blossom. Summit concave.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from May, till August.
REFERENCE.
1. A leaf, natural size. 2. The same, magnified. 3. A flower. 4. The Empalement, magnified. 5. The Chives, and Pointal. 6. The Chives and Pointal, magnified. 7. The Pointal, magnified. 8. The Seed-bud, magnified.
