ERICA refulgens.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, inclusis; stylo exerto: foliis quaternis: floribus terminalibus: caule fruticoso.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis fruticosus, sesquipedalis, erectus, ramulis numerosis.
Folia quaterna, linearia, longa, patenti-adscendentia.
Flores in ramulis terminales, plerumque quaterni, cernui: corolla cylindracea, lucida, ima parte læte rubra, apice viridi.
Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum, superne villosum, ad basin nectariis melliferis instructum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret a mense Julii ad Octobrem.
REFERENTIA.
1. Calyx. 2. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, anthera unica lente aucta. 3. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 4. Germen lente auctum. 5. Varietates floribus minoribus.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, within the blossom: shaft without: leaves by fours: flowers terminal: stem shrubby.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem shrubby, a foot and half high, and upright, with numerous small branches.
Leaves by fours, linear, long, and between erect and spreading.
Flowers terminate the small branches, mostly by fours, nodding: blossom cylindrical and shining, the lower part of a bright red colour, the mouth green.
Seed-bud turban-shaped and furrowed, hairy on the upper part, and furnished at the base with honey-bearing nectaries.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from the month of July till October.
REFERENCE.
1. The Empalement. 2. The Chives and Pointal, one tip magnified. 3. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 4. Seed-bud magnified. 5. Smaller-flowered varieties.
Our figure was taken in 1819 from plants in the Hammersmith collection, and considered as a seminal variety of the E. versicolor, though it certainly more resembles the E. hirta: but from these and every other species of Erica it may be always distinguished just previously to flowering, by the empalements forming a terminal cone at the end of each flower-branch of a rich deep red colour, which only separate to allow the bright green ends of the buds to make their first approach towards maturity: it is therefore beautiful in every stage of inflorescence.
