ERICA Linnæa.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris muticis, inclusis; corollis clavatis, villosis, albis; floribus sub-sessilibus, terminalibus, racemosis; foliolis calycinis dentatis; foliis ternis, linearibus, ciliatis, consertis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, erectus; rami pauci, erecti; ramuli frequentissimi, brevissimi, pilosi.
Folia terna, linearia, ciliata, recta, subtus sulcata, petiolis brevissimis, adpressis.
Flores in ramulis terminales, racemum formantes longum, densissimum; pedunculis fere nullis; bracteis adpressis.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ovato-acuminatis, dentatis, adpressis.
Corolla clavata, alba, diaphana, pilosa; laciniis obtusis, erectis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo, capillaria. Antheræ muticæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen globosum, sulcatum, pilosum. Stylus filiformis, subinclusus. Stigma capitatum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Martii in Junium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Flos. 2. Calyx, auctus. 3. Stamina et Pistillum. 4. Stamina a pistillo diducta, anthera una lente aucta. 5. Pistillum, Stigma diductum, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with beardless tips, within the blossom; blossoms club-shaped, hairy, and white; flowers almost without foot-stalks, terminate the smaller branches, forming long bunches; the leaflets of the cup are toothed; leaves grow by threes, are linear, fringed, and crowded together.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, upright; branches few, upright, smaller branches numerous, very short, hairy.
Leaves grow by threes, linear, fringed, straight out, furrowed beneath, with very short foot-stalks, pressed to the branches.
Flowers terminate the smaller branches, making a long, close bunch; foot-stalks hardly any; floral leaves close to the blossom.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved, leaflets egg-shaped, tapered, toothed, and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom club-shaped, white, transparent, hairy; segments blunt, upright.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads. Tips beardless, within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud globular, furrowed, hairy. Shaft thread-shaped, just within the blossom. Summit headed.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of March till June.
REFERENCE.
1. A Flower. 2. The Empalement, magnified. 3. The Chives and Pointal. 4. The Chives detached from the Pointal, one tip magnified. 5. The Pointal, the Summit detached, magnified.
