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ERICA vulgaris.
Common H eath, or L in g .
0 C TA ND HI A Monogynia.
Gen. Char. _ Cal. 4-leaved. Cor. 4-cleft. Stamina
inferted into the receptacle. Anthera with 2
pores. Cap/, fuperior, of 4 cells. Seeds many.
Spec. Char. Antheras bearded, concealed. Style
prominent. Corolla deeply cut, fhorter than the
coloured calyx. Leaves oppofite, with two fpurs.
Syn. Erica vulgaris. Linn. Sp. P I. 50 1. Srn. FI.
B rit. 4 1 7 . Hudf. 16 5 . With. 3 7 4 . Hull. 84.
Relh. 15 5 - Sibth. 124 . Abbot. 87. Curt.Lond.
f af i • 5 t- 3 °- *$>7z. 470.
T h e com m o n L in g , fo a b u n d a n t on b a rre n h e a th y moors
a n d m o u n ta in o u s waftes, is endowed w ith n o fipall degree of
b e au ty . I ts b rillian t bloffoms^ w h ic h re ta in th e ir colour when
d ried , are produced in profufion from Ju n e to September.
I ts leaves and feeds are th e food o f Gro u s a n d o th e r animals.
Its to u g h woody flems m ak e excellent b rooms, an d n o t only
lerve th e poor co ttag er for h is own fuel, b u t afford h im profit
b y b e in g ufeful for firing in tow n s. I t feems h a rd to deprive
th e poor o f th is and o th e r refources, by a n ex trav ag an t zeal
for c u ltiv a tin g every morfel o f w afte lan d , however u n fit for
th a t purpofe, a n d however ufeful, o r even neceffary, to the
p u b lic in various o th e r re fp e fts.
T h e h em s are woody, ftrongly rooted, an d repeatedly
b ra n c h e d . Leaves oppofite, imb ric a ted in two ran k s ancl
fo rm in g a q u ad ran g u la r figure, like a clofe b e aten ch ain .
T h e y a re keeled, b lu n t, en d in g below th e ir in fertio n in 2
fpurs. In one variety th ey are hoary all over, w h ic h H u dfon
fo rm erly took for E. ciliaris o f L innaeus. Flowers in longifh
clufters, d ro o p in g toward o n e fide, o f a fh in in g rofe colour.
O u te r calyx o f 4 green ciliated leav es; th e in n e r (which is
p e cu liar to th is fpecies, and perhaps o u g h t to make it a d iftin ft
g e n u s) o f 4 large concave coloured leaves like petals, which
conceal th e tru e corolla. Anthe rae fh o rter th a n th e c o ro lla ;
flyle longer. P a rtitio n s o f th e capfule o rig in a tin g from the
c en tra l co lum n .