Volume 3 — ERICA mutabilis.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris basi bicornibus, sub-exertis: floribus tubulosis, terminalibus, in umbellis irregularibus, inæqualiter purpureo coloratis: folia subulata, obtusa, hispida: caulis erectus, pedalis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus: rami laxi, divaricati: ramuli numerosi, erecto-patentes.
Folia in ramulis ternata, adscendentia; in ramis quaterna et quina, ad basin plantæ recurva; supra convexa, subtus sulcata; margine pilis longissimis obsita: quædam breviora, glandulosa: petiolis glandulosis.
Flores terminales, in umbellis irregularibus, plerumque horizontaliter siti: pedunculi longissimi, capillares, colorati, glandulis tecti, cum bracteis tribus lanceolatis, glandulosis.
Calyx. Perianthium tetraphyllum; foliolis lanceolatis, sulcatis, coloratis, glandulosis, adpressis.
Corolla tubulosa, costata, leviter pilosa; imprimis saturate purpurea, denique pallidior.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria; antheræ bicornes, sub-exertæ.
Pistillum. Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum. Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a Februario in Octobrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium lente auctum. 2. Calyx lente auctus. 3. Flos. 4. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, antherâ unâ lente auctâ. 5. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 6. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with tips two-horned at their base, and just without the blossom: flowers tubular, terminating the flowers in irregular umbels of an unequal purple colour: leaves awl-shaped, obtuse, and harshly haired: stem upright, a foot high.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby: branches loose, and straddling; smaller branches numerous, and between erect and spreading.
Leaves in the smaller branches grow by threes, and are ascending: in the large branches they grow by fours and fives, and bend downwards on the lower part of the plant: they are convex on their upper surface, and furrowed beneath, with long hairs on their margins: some of them shorter and glandular: footstalks glandular.
Flowers terminate the branches in irregular umbels mostly in a horizontal direction: footstalks very long, thread-shaped, and coloured, covered with glands, and furnished with three floral leaves, also glandular.
Empalement. Cup four-leaved; leaflets lance-shaped, furrowed, coloured, glandular, and pressed to the blossom.
Blossom tubular, ribbed, and slightly haired, of a deep purple at first, and afterwards paler.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads; tips two-horned, and just without the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud turban-shaped, and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped. Summit four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from February till October.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf magnified. 2. The Empalement magnified. 3. A Flower. 4. The Chives detached from the Pointal, one tip magnified. 5. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 6. Seed-bud magnified.
