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E R I C A cinerea.
F in e -le a v e d H eath.
OCTANDR IA Monogynia.
G e n . C h a r . Cal. 4-leaved. Cor. 4-cleft. Stamina
inferted into the receptacle. Antherae with 2
pores. Cap/, fuperior, of 4 cells. Seeds many.
S p e c . C h a r . Antherae crefted. Style a little prominent.
Stigma capitate. Corolla ovate. Leaves
in threes.
S y n . Erica cinerea. Linn. Sp. P i. 50 1 . Sm. FI.
B r it. 4x8. Hudf. 16 5 . With. 374. Hidl. 84.
Relh. 156 . Sibth. 1 2 5. Abbot. 87. Curt. Lond.
fa fe . 1 . t. 2 5 .
E . tenuifolia. R a ii Syn. 4 7 1 .
V e r y frequent and abundant on heaths, even as much fo
as jE. vulgaris, and contributing no lefs to the ornament of
the country, flowering copioufly in July and Auguft, or later.
The above fpecific character is given rather with a reference
to the numerous foreign Erica than to our own; for the
notched appendages, or crefts, at the bafe of the antherae,
found in no other Britilh fpecies, are therefore alone fufflcient
to determine this. The ftems are branched, a foot high or
more, as in E. vulgaris. Leaves ’growing by threes, with
tufts of young ones, on young branches,1 in their axilla,
linear-lanceolate, with a furrow on their backs, fmooth.
Flowers ranged in long whorled leafy fpikes or clutters, drooping,
purplifh-red. Calyx fmooth, acute, with 2 leaves at its
bafe. Corolla elliptical, lefs turgid than that of E. Tetralix,
with 4 upright fegments at the orifice. Stigma capitate,
4-notched. Partitions of the capfule from the centre of its
valves, as in the laft fpecies.
This, like the 2 preceding, is fometimes feen with pure-
white flowers. It is remarkable that no Erica is known in
America. The Cape of Good Hope abounds with moft
beautiful fpecies, now frequent in our green-houfes.