ERICA mutabilis.
CHARACTER SFECIFICUS.
ERICA, antheris basi bicornibus, sub-exertis:
floribus tubulosis, tcrminalibus, in umbellis irregularibus,
inaequaliter purpureo coloratis:
Folia subulata, obtusa, hispida: caulis erectus,
pedalis.
DESCRIFTIO.
CAULIS fruticosus: rami laxi, divaricati: ramuli
numcrosi, erecto-patentes.
F O L I A in famulis ternata, adscendentia; in
ramis quaterna et quina, ad basin planta? recurva;
supra convexa, subtus sulcata ; margine
pilis longissimis obsita : qua?dam breviora, glandulosa:
petiolis glandulosis.
FLORES terminales, in umbellis irregularibus,
plerumque horizontaliter siti: pedunculi longissimi,
eapillares, colorati, glandulis tecti, turn
bracteis tribus laiiceolatis, glandulosis.
C A L Y X . Periatithium tetraphyllum; folioiis
lanceolatis, sulcatis, coloratis, glandulosis, adpressis.
COROLLA tubulosa, costata, leviter pilosa; imprimis
saturate purpurea, denique pallidior.
STAMINA. Filamenta oeto eapillaria; anthera?
bicornes, sub-exerta;.
P I S T I L L U M . Germen tiarajforine, sulcatum.
Stylus filiformis. Stigma tetragonum.
Habitat ad Caput Bona; Spei.
Floret a Februario in Octobrem.
REFER.ENTIA,
t. Folium lente auctum.
2. Calyx lente auctus.
3. Flos.
4. Stamina a Pistillo diducta, authera una
lente auctá.
5. Germen et Pistillum, stígmale lente auclo.
ft. Germen lente auctum
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
HEATH, with lips two-horned at their base, and
just without the blossom: flowers tubular, terminating
the floAvers in irregular umbels of an
unequal purple colour: leaves awl-shaped, obtuse,
and harshly haired: stem upright, a foot
high.
DESCRIPTION.
STEM shrubby: branches loose, and straddling
; smaller branches numerous, and between
erect and spreading.
LEAVES in the smaller branchesgroAv by threes,
and are ascending: in the large branches they
grow by fours and fives, and bend downwards on
the lower part o f the plant: they are convex on
their upper surface, and furrowed beneath, with
long hairs on their margins: some of them
shorter and glandular: footstalks glandular.
FLOWERS terminate the branches in irregular
umbels mostly in a horizontal direction: footstalks
very long, thread-shaped, and coloured,
covered with glands, and furnished with three
floral leaves, also glandular.
EMPALEMENT. Cup four-leaved ; leaflets lanceshaped,
furrowed, coloured, glandular, and
pressed to the blossom.
BLOSSOM tubular, ribbed, and slightly haired,
of a deep purple at first, and afterwards paler.
CHIVES. Eight hair-like threads ; tips twohorned,
and just without the blossom.
P O I N T A L. Seed-bud turban-shaped, and furrowed.
Shaft thread-shaped. Summit fourcornered.
Native o f the Cape of Good Hope.
Flowers from February till October
REFERENCE.
1. A Leaf magnified.
2. The Empalement magnified
3. A Flower.
4. The Chives detached from the Pointal, one
tip magnified.
5. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified.
0. Sccd-bud magnified.