Part 73

STEM shrubby, upright, grows near a foot high, and branching; the branches nearly simple, spreading upright and smooth.

LEAVES grow by fours, linear, spreading, furrowed on the under part, flat on the upper part and smooth; the foot-stalks pressed to the branches.

FLOWERS grow in whorls at the ends of the smaller branches, standing horizontally; the foot-stalks the length of the leaves, having three awl-shaped floral leaves.

EMPALEMENT. Cup four-leaved, the leaflets are awl-shaped, and pressed to the blossom.

BLOSSOM almost cylinder-shaped, thrice the length of the cup; the segments of the mouth are rolled back.

CHIVES. Eight hair-like threads. Tips beardless, and within the blossom.

POINTAL. Seed-bud club-shaped, and furrowed. Shaft thread-shaped and without the blossom. Summit four-cornered.

Native of the Cape of Good Hope.

Flowers from August, till November.

REFERENCE.

1. The Flower.

2. The Empalement, magnified.

3. The Chives, and Pointal.

4. The Shaft and Summit, magnified.

ERICA ramentacea.

CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.

ERICA, antheris cristatis, inclusis; corollis globosis, umbellis confertis, rubro-purpureis, pedunculis longissimis, coloratis; foliis quaternis.

DESCRIPTIO.

CAULIS erectus, spithamæus, ramosissimus, rami et ramuli filiformes, divaricato-patentes.

FOLIA quaterna, linearia, subtus sulcata, glabra, acuminata.

FLORES plures, terminales, umbellati, conferti; pedunculi purpurei, longissimi, capillares, bracteis tribus instructi.

CALYX. Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis subulatis, coloratis.

COROLLA globosa, rubro-purpurea, ore contracto, laciniis minutis, reflexis.

STAMINA. Filamenta octo capillaria, receptaculo inserta; Antheris cristatis, inclusis.

PISTILLUM. Germen globosum, sulcatum; Stylus filiformis sub-exsertus. Stigma tetragonum, pubescens.

Habitat ad Caput Bonæ Spei.

Floret a mense Augusti in Decembrem.

REFERENTIA.