Volume 3 — ERICA primuloides.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, inclusis: foliis quinis, confertis; floribus sessilibus, terminalibus, fastigiatis; frutex pygmæus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, spithamæus, erectus, dumosus; ramuli numerosi, adscendentes.
Folia quina, subulata, supra plana, subtus sulcata, glabra, crassiuscula, erecta, conferta.
Flores sessiles, erecti, fastigiati, quaterni et quini, terminales.
Calyx. Perianthium duplex; exterius triphyllum, foliolis subulatis, marginibus pilosis; interius tetraphyllum, foliolis longioribus.
Corolla ventricosa, pellucida, ore arctata, quod ornatum est in modum primulæ; laciniis cordatis, expansis, albis, subtus læte rubris.
Stamina. Filamenta octo capillaria; antheræ muticæ, inclusæ.
Pistillum. Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum, ad basin nectariferum. Stylus sub-inclusus. Stigma sub-exertum, tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Maio in Julium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium. 2. Calyx lente auctus. 3. Flores varietatum duarum. 4. Stamina et Pistillum, antherâ unicâ lente auctâ. 5. Pistillum et Germen, stigmate lente aucto. 6. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips within the blossom; leaves by fives, crowded: flowers sessile, fastigiate, and terminal: a dwarf shrub.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, a span high, upright, and bushy; the smaller branches are numerous, and ascending.
Leaves by fives, awl-shaped, flat on their upper surface, and furrowed on the under side, smooth, thickish, upright, and crowded.
Flowers sessile, upright, fastigiate, and terminating the branches by fours and fives.
Empalement. Cup double; the outer one is three-leaved, with awl-shaped leaflets and hairy margins; the inner one is four-leaved, with longer leaflets.
Blossom bellied, pellucid, narrowed at the mouth, which is ornamented like a cowslip; the segments of the border are heart-shaped, spreading, and white, of a bright red on the under side.
Chives. Eight hair-like threads; tips beardless, within the blossom.
Pointal. Seed-bud turban-shaped, furrowed, with honey-cups at their base. Shaft just within the blossom. Summit just without, and four-cornered.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from May till July.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf. 2. The Empalement magnified. 3. Flowers of two varieties. 4. Chives and Pointal, one tip magnified. 5. Pointal and Seed-bud, summit magnified. 6. Seed-bud magnified.
