ERICA patens.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica antheris muticis, sub-inclusis, clavatis; floribus terminalibus, ternis; corollis campanulatis, purpureis, tubo brevissimo, laciniis maximis, expansis; foliis ternis, ovalibus, concavis, ciliatis, flaccidis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis futicosus, erectus, bipedalis; rami filiformes, verticillati; ramuli frequentissimi, virgati, patentes.
Folia terna, ovalia, concava, ciliata, obtusa, patentia; petiolis brevissimis, adpressis.
Flores in apice ramulorum terni, copiosi; pedunculi brevissimi, bracteis tribus adpressis instructi.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis elipticis, concavis, ciliatis, adpressis.
Corolla campanulata, purpurea; tubo brevissimo; laciniis ovatis, concavis, maximis, expansis.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria, curvata. Antheræ muticæ, clavatæ, subinclusæ longitudine staminum.
Pistillum. Germen sub-globosum, sulcatum, tomentosum, ad basin glandulosum. Stylus filiformis, exsertus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Februario in Junium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium, auctum. 2. Flos, magnitudine naturali. 3. Calyx auctus. 4. Stamina et Pistillum, aucta. 5. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, aucta. 6. Pistillum, auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath with beardless tips, just within the blossom and club-shaped; flowers terminate the branches by threes; blossoms bell-shaped, purple, tube very short, with very large spreading segments; leaves grow by threes oval, concave, fringed and flaccid.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, upright, grows two feet high; large branches thread-shaped, whorled; small branches numerous, twiggy and spreading.
Leaves grow by threes, oval, concave, fringed, blunt, spreading; with very short foot-stalks pressed to the stem.
Flowers terminate the small branches by threes and very numerous; foot-stalks very short, having three floral leaves pressed to the cup.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved; leaflets eliptic, concave, fringed and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom bell-shaped, purple; tube very short; segments egg-shaped, concave, very large and spreading.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads, curved. Tips beardless, club-shaped, just within the blossom, the length of the threads.
Pointal. Seed-bud nearly globular, furrowed, downy and glandular at the base. Shaft thread-shaped, without the blossom. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from February till June.
REFERENCE.
1. A leaf, magnified. 2. A Flower, natural size. 3. The Empalement, magnified. 4. The Chives and Pointal, magnified. 5. The Chives detached from the Pointal, magnified. 6. The Pointal, magnified.
