2900.
ERICA Mackaiana.
Mackay’s Heath.
OCTANDRIA Monogynia.
Gen. Char. Calyx 4-parted. Corolla bell-shaped
or ovate, often ventricose, 4-toothed. Capsule
4-celled, 4-valved ; dissepiments from the middle
of the valves.
Spec. Char. Leaves 4 in a whorl, ovate, ciliated, the
upper surface and midrib beneath glabrous ;
margins revolute. Flowers capitate. Sepals
ovate-lanceolate, glabrous. Anthers awned.
Ovary glabrous.
Syn. Erica Mackaiana. Bab. in Linn. Trans, v 17.
456. Mack. FI. Hibern. pt. 1.181. Bab. Man.
Brit. Bot. 192.
E. Mackaii. Hook, in Comp, to Bot. Mag. v. 1.
158. Dur. Iter Astur. in Ann. Sc. Nat. (n. s.)
v. 6. 125. Hook. Brit. FI. ed. 5. 207.
E. Mackayi. Benth. in DeCand. Prod. v. 7. 665.
W E have at length the pleasure of publishing a figure of
this beautiful Heath, which was first gathered by the writer
on September 2, 1835, by the side of the road between Crush-
trour and Ballinaboy, in the district of Cunnamara, at the
western extremity of the county of Galway, where it was
pointed out to him by Mr. W. MacCalla of Roundstone, to
whom belongs the credit of having distinguished this plant
from E. Tetralix, with which it is still confounded by some
botanists. It occurs there in considerable abundance, and
is more especially plentiful about a low rocky mound called
Craigha Moira. It is singular that during the same summer