Volume 3 — ERICA aristata.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris basi bicornibus, inclusis; floribus umbellatis, sub-ampullaceis, lucidis, viscosis, striatis; foliis quaternis et quinis, retortis, lucidis, aristatis; caule humili.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, vix pedalis, ramosus; rami et ramuli flexuosi, filiformes.
Folia quaterna et quina, sub-trigona, revoluta, lucida, subtus sulcata.
Flores in ramis terminales fasciculati, plerumque quaterni; pedunculi longi, colorati, bracteis tribus lanceolatis instructi.
Calyx tetraphyllum; foliolis lanceolatis, viscosis, adpressis.
Corolla inflato-tubulosa, ore arctata, saturate purpurea, pollicaria, lucida, laciniis rotundatis, expansis, albicantibus.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria; antheris inclusis, basi bicornibus.
Pistillum. Germen oblongum, sulcatum. Stylus exertus, albus. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Novembris in Januarium, iterumque ineunte æstate.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium lente auctum. 2. Folii inferior pars lente aucta. 3. Calyx lente auctus. 4. Stamina diducta, antherâ unicâ lente auctâ. 5. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 6. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with tips two-horned at their base, within the blossoms; flowers grow in umbels, nearly flask-shaped, shining, clammy, and striped; leaves by fours and fives, rolled back, shining, and bearded; stem low.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, scarce a foot high, branching; the small and large branches are flexuose, and thread-shaped.
Leaves by fours and fives, nearly three-sided, rolled back, shining, and furrowed beneath.
Flowers terminate the branches in bunches, mostly in fours; footstalks long, coloured, and furnished with three lance-shaped floral leaves.
Empalement four-leaved; leaflets lance-shaped, viscous, and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom of an inflated tubular form, narrowed at the mouth, which is of a deep purple, an inch long, and shining; the segments of the border are rounded, spread, and white.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads; tips within the blossom, and two-horned at their base.
Pointal. Seed-bud of an oblong form, and furrowed. Shaft without the blossom, and white. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from November till January, and again early in summer.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf magnified. 2. The underside of a leaf magnified. 3. The Empalement magnified. 4. The Chives detached, one tip magnified. 5. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 6. Seed-bud magnified.
