ERICA Beaumontia.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica muticis inclusis; floribus campanulatis; cernuis, foliis linearia glandulosa; caule fruticoso.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis sub pedalis, fruticosus, ramis et ramulis flexuosis.
Folia plerumque quaterna, linearia, patentia, obtusa, supra plana, subtus sulcata: marginibus glandulosus.
Flores in ultimis ramulis terminales ternis vel senis, pedunculi, rubri: corolla campanulata, cernui, magna alba: oris laciniis revolutis.
Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum: ad basin nectariis melliferis instructum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Maii in Julium.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium auctum. 2. Calyx. 3. Stamina et pistillum. 4. Stamen, antherâ unâ lente auctâ. 5. Germen et pistillum, stigmate lente aucto.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, within the blossom: flowers bell-shaped, nodding: leaves linear and glandular: stem shrubby.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem near a foot high, shrubby: the large and smaller branches flexuose.
Leaves mostly by fours, linear, spreading and obtuse, nearly flat on their upper surface, and furrowed beneath: with glandular margins.
Flowers terminate the ends of the smaller branches in threes or sixes, footstalk, red: blossom bell-shaped, nodding, large and white: segments of border rolled back.
Seed-bud turban-shaped and furrowed; furnished at the base with honey-bearing nectaries.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of May till July.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf magnified. 2. The Empalement. 3. Chives and pointal. 4. A Chive, one tip magnified. 5. Seed-bud and pointal, summit magnified.
This fine new species of Erica was raised from Cape seed last Autumn, 1827, and flowered the ensuing Summer for the first time at the Nursery of Messrs. Rollinson, Lower Tooting. We have named it after Mrs. Beaumont, of Bretton Hall, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, a great admirer of this fine genus of plants. The only heath throughout this extensive family, to which it bears any resemblance, is the E. odorata. It is a handsome dwarf shrub, flowering freely during the months of May and June.
