ERICA leucanthera.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris cristatis, inclusis; floribus capitatis, congestis, terminalibus; corollis urceoli-formibus, albicantibus; foliis ternis, erectis, adpressis, longitudine internodiorum; rami filiformes.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, pedalis; rami et ramuli filiformes et capillares.
Folia terna, linearia, adpressa, trigona, glabra, obtusa, longitudine internodiorum.
Flores in ramulis terminales, conferti, racemosi; pedunculi brevi, capillares, bracteis tribus, linearibus instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis concavis, sub-ovatis, apicibus tenuissime serratis.
Corolla urceolata, alba, subcylindrica; laciniis obtusis, suberectis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria. Antheræ cristatæ, inclusæ, bifidæ.
Pistillum. Germen subrotundum, sulcatum, apice concavum, basi glandulosum. Stylus filiformis, erectus, inclusus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Januario in Martium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx et Corolla. 2. Calyx, lente auctus. 3. Stamina et Pistillum, lente auctum. 4. Germen, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with crested tips, within the blossom; flowers grow in small heads, crowded together, terminating the branches; blossoms pitcher-shaped and whitish; leaves grow by threes, upright, pressed to the stem, the length of the intervals; branches thread-shaped.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, a foot high, the larger and smaller branches are thread-shaped and hair-like.
Leaves grow by threes, linear, pressed to the stem, three-sided, smooth, blunt, the length of the intervals.
Flowers terminate the small branches, clustered together, forming long bunches; foot-stalks short, hair-like, having three, linear floral leaves.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets concave, nearly egg-shaped, with the ends slightly sawed.
Blossom pitcher-shaped, white, rather cylindrical; segments blunt and nearly upright.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads. Tips crested, within the blossom, and two-cleft.
Pointal. Seed-bud roundish, and furrowed, concave at top, glandular at the base. Shaft thread-shaped, upright, within the blossom. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from January ’till March.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement, and Blossom. 2. The Empalement, magnified. 3. The Chives and Pointal, magnified. 4. The Seed-bud, magnified.
