ERICA Comptoniana.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris aristatis minutis, inclusis, stylo sub-incluso: floribus in umbellis terminalibus: foliis ternis.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, pedalis et ultra: rami et ramuli filiformes, adscendentes.
Folia ternata, curvata, subulata, acuta.
Flores ramos terminant, plerumque in umbellis 3-6; calyx adpressus, pedunculis longis: corolla urceolata, erecto-patens, rubro-purpurea: oris laciniis æqualibus, patentibus.
Germen columnare, tenue, bicoloratum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Martii in Augustum.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx lente auctus. 2. Folium lente auctum. 3. Antheræ et Pistillum, anthera una lente aucta. 4. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 5. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with minutely bearded tips, within; shaft just within the blossom: flowers grow in terminal umbels: leaves by threes.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, a foot or more high: the small and large branches are thread-shaped and ascending.
Leaves by threes, curved, awl-shaped, and sharp-pointed.
Flowers terminate the branches, mostly in umbels of 3 to 6: empalement pressed to the blossom: footstalks long: blossom pitcher-shaped, erect, and spreading, of a red purple colour: segments of the border equal and spreading.
Seed-bud pillar-shaped, slender, and two-coloured.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of March till August.
REFERENCE.
1. Empalement magnified. 2. A Leaf magnified. 3. Chives and Pointal, one tip magnified. 4. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 5. Seed-bud magnified.
This fine new species of Erica we have named in honour of the Countess of Northampton, a great admirer and encourager of botanic science. Our drawing was made from plants in the Hammersmith collection, raised from Cape seed about the year 1815. Like many other species, we have found it in bloom in every season of the year; but the most general period of inflorescence for the whole genus is from the middle of spring till the beginning of autumn.
