'Rica V u l g a r i s . C ommo n H e a t h .
e r ic a Lin. Gen. PI. O ctandria Mo nog ynia .
Cal. 4-phyllus. Cor. 4-fida. Filamenta receptaculo inferta. Antheræ bifidæ.
Cap/. 4-locularis.
' Raii Syn. A rbores e t Frûtices.
ERICA vulgaris antheris ariftatis, corollis campanulatis fubæqualibus, calycibus duplicatis, foliis oppo-
fitis fagittatis. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 301. Sfi PL p. 501. FI. Suec. n. 336.
ERICA foliis imis adpreffis fimplicibus, floralibus calcaratis. Haller Hiß. n. p. 1012.
ERICA vulgaris.. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 460.
ERICA vulgaris glabra. Bauh. -Pin. 485.
ERICA vulgaris feu^pumila. Ger. emac. 1380.
ERICA vulgaris. Parkin/. 1480. Rail. Syn. 470. Common Heath or Ling, Scot. HatHer. Hudfon.
Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 165. Light/oot• FI. Scot. ß. 204.
ultra, valde ramófus,
pedalis, bipedalis et
i rami fuberecli, terete
teretes, pubefcentes, rubifruticulus
cundi.
PLIA oppofita, circa ramulos in quatuor fériés im-
bricata, feflilia, fagittata.
IfORES purpurei, fpicati, fubfecundi.
■ oe jEDUNCULI breviflimi, longitudine foliorum.
«ALYXi duplex, perfiftens, exterior breviffimus, tetra-
phyllus, foliolis ovatis, acutis, patentibus, e
viridi purpurafcentibus, ad lentem ciliatis, interior
cum corolla concolor, tetraphyllus, fi>
liolis ovato-lanceolatis, nitidis, corolla longio-
ribus, demum inflexis, fig. 1, 2.
jOROLLA monopetala, purpurea, quadripartita,
corolla brevior, inclufa, fig. 3.
,TAMIN A: Filamenta o£lo, alba. ANTHERÆfub-
coadunatæ, aurantiacæ, bicornes, fig. 4, 5.
uISTILLUM: G ermen villofum. S tylus calyce
longior, furfum curvatus. Stigma quadri-
fidum, fig. 6.
A fmall fhrub, a foot or two in height, or more, very
| much branched, the branches moftly upright,
i> round, downy, and reddiflT.
| LEAVES oppofite, feffile and arrow-lhaped, placed
| round the fmall branches in four rows.
| FLOWERS purple, growing in a fpike, moitly all one
| . way.
| FLOWER-STALKS very fhort,the length oftheleaves.
| C A L Y X : double, and permanent, the outermoft very
fhort, compoled of four leaves, which are
| ovate, pointed, fpreading, partly green, and
| partly purple, when magnified hairy on the
•J edges, the inner one the fame colour as the
| corolla, compofed o f four fomewhat Ianceo-
| late leaves, fhining, longer than the corolla,
| finally bending inward, fig. 1, 2.
> COROLLA monopetalous, purple, deeply divided
| into four fegments, Ihorter than the corolla,
% and enclofea within it, fig. 3.
I STAMINA: eight white Filaments. A n th e r s
fomewhat united, orange-coloured, each fur-
,1 nilhed with two little horns, fig. 4, 5.
$ PISTILLUM: G ermen villous. Sty le longer than
| the calyx, bent upward. Stigma quadrifid,
p fig . 6.
I There is, perhaps, no tribe o f plants whofe flowers afllime a greater variety of form than thofe ofthe prefent
eniis. Such as have had opportunities of examining many of the foreign heaths, muft alTent to the truth of
jls.observation; and fuch as have not, need only confult the prefent fpecies, and compare the diffeftions with
jole ot the prica cinerea, and Tetfalix already figured, to be perfe&ly convinced o f it: fo great indeed has this
ilterenGe appeared to fome botanifts, that they have divided them into diftinft genera.
| Africa produces more heaths than the whole world befides. Next to Africa, Europe is the moft produ&ive -
Jd almoit every part o f this quarter of the globe, efpecially the northern, abounds with this fpecies. L innaeus
« s , m his Flora Lapponicathat, in fome of the difirifts through which he paffed, fcarce any plant was to
f een but the barren heath, which every where covered the ground, and could no ways be extirpated. The
Guntry people, he obferves, had an idea that there were two plants which would finally overfpread and deftrov
pe whole earth, viz. Heath and Tobacco. y
xclufive ofthe animation which the bloffoms o f this fpecies in particular impart to our dreary waftes at the
j i l l ‘proper, it anfwers many important purpofes in natural as well as rural ceconomy.
L n i S branches afford fhelter to many of the feathered tribe, its feeds form a principal part of their food,
| S lp ~ Ofthe G rous kind : and here we may remark a particular provifion o f nature in forming the feed-
ji r?Ic' m !.ur ? armaPner as to preferve the feeds a whole year, or longer, whence they have a conftant fupply.
| § § p l| or thls fpecies affords nourifhment to the caterpillar of the Phalcena quercus Linncei, or great Egger
U u r 6 ob,®fved many mftances of this in our northern tour. Bees are well known to colleft largely from
fiath a Cath V but % § honey is browner, coarfer, and o f lefs value than fuch as is colteaed where no
|jj f j r 8* According to Lmnams’s experiments, no kind o f cattle appear to be fond of it. Horfes and Oxen
L 11 1 j ..®P and Goats fometimes eat, fometimes rejeft it. Cattle, not accuftomed to browfe on heath
1 Heath l l l p l f ! - ar® *oon cured> by drinking plentifully of water. Pennant's Tour, p. 229.
f f | f i f l nr ls,aPPll®d to, many ceconomical purpofes among the Highlanders : they frequently cover their
attiee-wori. ^ inltead ' thatch, or elfe twift it into ropes, and bind down the thatch with them in a kind of
'een tone III S I ^ ,e. weftern ifles they dye their yarn of a yellow colour, by boiling it in water with the
rong dipn^ “ °^?rs °p ibis plant. In Rum, Skye, and the Long Ifland, they frequently tan their leather in a
iennow j °n formerly the young tops are faid to have been ufed alone to brew a kind of ale ; and
fixing t-wn t° ri? ed> that the inhabitants of Ifla and Jura ftill' continue to brew a very potable liquor, by
'lords- l i l S i S S o f !?ather* ar>d one-third of malt. This is not the only refrelhment that Hather
Wards u'1;' K Highlanders frequently make their beds with it, laying the roots downwards, and the tops
iiofleen r>n n * thou? " n?t 9ulte *° Foft and luxurious as beds of down, are altogether as refrelhing to thofe
iliimln Vlen?^and perh.aP.s much m?r? healthy. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 205.
l?nin blo®»tS ° ^ eat-Brritai:^ Heath is in general ufe for making brooms; and for this purpofe is ufually cut
|ger. • % . ^he turf, with the Heath growing on it, is cut up, dried, and ufed for fuel by the poor cot-
akingdr*; a 0 ?n ufe for heating ovens, for mending bad roads where better materials are wanting, and for
• under ground. ;
rluncomm? aS S f i as the others, is fometimes found with white bloffoms, and a variety with hoary leaves is
particularly on Bagfhot Heath. Some authors have improperly confidered this as ihe Erica
hot min..djer.Ier!r frequently entwines itfelf about this plant, and gives it an appearance which may puzzle.
I caQj the inexperienced botaniff. : ’ ; 1 " •