ERICA Russeliana.
Reading edition
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Erica, antheris muticis, inclusis: floribus terminalibus: pedunculis longis: foliis quaternis: caulis fruticosus.
DESCRIPTIO.
Caulis sesquipedalis, virgatus, flexuosus: ramulis erecto-patentibus.
Folia quaterna, trigona, leviter curvata, acuta, lucida.
Flores in apicibus ramorum, plerumque terni, cernui: corolla urceolata, rubra: laciniis oris patentibus, cordatis, carneis, acutis: pedunculis rubris, longis, bracteis tribus minoribus: calyx oblongus, acutus.
Germen tiaræforme, sulcatum, ad basin nectariis melliferis instructum.
Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.
Floret per menses æstivales, iterumque in mensibus autumnalibus.
REFERENTIA.
1. Folium lente auctum. 2. Calyx. 3. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, anthera una lente aucta. 4. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 5. Germen lente auctum.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Heath, with beardless tips, within the blossom: flowers terminal: peduncles long: leaves by fours: stem shrubby.
DESCRIPTION.
Stem a foot and a half high, twiggy and flexuose: branches between erect and spreading.
Leaves by fours, three-sided, slightly curved, pointed and shining.
Flowers terminate the ends of the branches, mostly by threes, nodding: blossom pitcher-shaped, red: segments of the border spreading, heart-shaped, flesh-coloured, and pointed: footstalks red, long, and furnished with three small floral leaves: empalement oblong, and pointed.
Seed-bud turban-shaped, furrowed, and furnished at the base with honey-bearing nectaries.
Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers in the summer months, and again in autumn.
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf, magnified. 2. The Empalement. 3. The Chives and Pointal, one tip magnified. 4. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 5. Seed-bud magnified.
This fine new species of Erica was first raised from Cape seed in the nursery of Mr. Lee at Hammersmith, in the summer of 1824, and named in compliment to His Grace the Duke of Bedford. It bears very little if any resemblance to any other species as yet in cultivation with us; it flowers early in summer, and again in autumn.
