ERICA speciosa.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris aristatis inclusis, foliis ternatis linearibus villosis, floribus lateralibus ternatis tubulosis et viscosis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus bipedalis, erectus, ramosus, ramulis plerumque oppositis, erectis, et plus minus pubescentibus.
Folia ternata, linearia, obtusa, subtus sulcata; juniora erecta, pubescentia; senioria expansa, vel recurva, et villosa; omnia petiolis brevibus adpressisque instructa.
Flores 2-4-nati, sed plerumque ternati; cernui, terminales in ramulis lateralibus, pedunculis coloratis calyce longioribus.
Calyx tetraphyllus, foliolis subulatis, ciliatis, bracteis tribus adpressis ad basin.
Corolla cylindrica, uncialis, curvata, viscosa, lucida, saturate et læte rubra, sed apicem versus viridis, et quadrifida, laciniis superne patentibus.
Stamina octo, capillaria; antheræ cristatæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum, deorsum paulo attenuatum, viride; stylus filiformis, uncinatus, inferne roseus, superne viridis; stigma itidem viride, atque obtuse tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Junio ad Septembrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx cum pedunculo. 2. Stamina diducta, antherâ unicâ lente auctâ. 3. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 4. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with bearded tips within the blossom, leaves in threes linear and villose, and lateral flowers in threes tubular and viscous.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, two feet in height, erect, branched, with the branchlets chiefly opposite, erect, and more or less downy.
Leaves in threes, linear, obtuse, furrowed beneath; the younger ones erect, pubescent; the older expanded, or recurved, and villose; all of them furnished with short footstalks pressed to the branches.
Flowers in twos to fours, but chiefly in threes; bowing, terminating the lateral branches, with coloured peduncles longer than the empalement.
Empalement 4-leaved, with the leaflets awl-shaped, ciliated, and furnished at the base with three close-pressed floral leaves.
Blossom cylindrical, an inch long, curved, viscous, shining, deep bright red, but towards the apex green, and quadrifid, with the upper parts of the segments spreading.
Chives eight, capillary; tips crested, within the blossom.
Pointal. Germen turban-shaped, furrowed, rather attenuated downwards, green; shaft thread-shaped, hooked, its lower part rosy, but towards the apex green; summit likewise green, and bluntly four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from June until September.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement with its peduncle. 2. The Chives detached, with one tip magnified. 3. The Seed-bud and Pointal, with the summit magnified. 4. The Seed-bud magnified.
