ERICA palustris.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis inclusis, corollâ subtrilineari pubescente, foliisque quaternis pubescentibus, tubo anguste campanulato, laciniis brevibus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis tenuis, et flexuosus, ramis divaricatis itidemque tenuibus, ramulis numerosis brevibusque.
Folia quaterna, expansa, vel recurvata, linearia, obtusa, et pubescentia.
Flores terminales in ramulis lateralibus et numerosi, subverticillati, et sæpius ternati; pedunculi corollis duplo breviores, basi bracteis tribus minutis vestiti.
Calyx tetraphyllus, foliolis subulatis, minutimque ciliatis.
Corolla sub-cylindrica, vel potius angustissime campanulata, pubescens, incarnata, sive pallide coccinea, laciniis patulis, ovatis, obtusis, albidis, vel melius eleganter cerinis.
Stamina octo, capillaria; antheræ muticæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen tiaræforme et sulcatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Maii ad Octobrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium lente auctum. 2 Calyx lente auctus. 3. Stamina diducta, antherâ unicâ lente auctâ. 4. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 5. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless included tips, blossom near three lines long pubescent, leaves in fours and also pubescent, and a narrowly bell-shaped tube, with short segments.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem slender, and flexuose, with divaricating slender branches, and numerous short lesser branches.
Leaves in fours, expanded, or recurved, linear, blunt-ended, and downy.
Flowers terminal on the small lateral branches and numerous, somewhat whorled, and frequently in threes; peduncles only half the length of the blossom, and furnished at the base with three minute floral leaves.
Empalement four-leaved, with the leaflets awl-shaped, and minutely ciliated.
Blossom somewhat cylindrical, or rather very narrowly bell-shaped, downy, flesh-coloured, or pale coccineous, with the segments spreading, egg-shaped, blunt-ended, and whitish, or rather of a fine waxen colour.
Chives eight, capillary; tips beardless, within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud turban-shaped, and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of May till October.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf magnified. 2. The Empalement magnified, 3. The Chives detached, with one tip magnified. 4. The Seed-bud and Pointal, with the summit magnified. 5. The Seed-bud magnified.
