Tas. 6108, 
ERICA CHAmissonis. 
Native of South Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Ericacra.—Tribe Ericea. 
Genus Erica, L.; (Benth. in DC. Prodr., vol. vii. p. 613). 
Erica (Melastemon) Chamissonis ; erecta, ramosa, hirto-pubescens, foliis in- 
curvi-patentibus 3-nis } poll. longis anguste linearibus dorso sulcatis, 
floribus numerosis in ramulis abbreviatis terminalibus, pedicellis hirtis, 
bracteis minutis, calycis parvi segmentis acuminatis, corolla globoso- 
campanulata, lobis latis brevibus, staminibus inclusis filamentis brevibus 
glabris, antheris brevibus, loculis apice subacutis lateraliter anguste 
cristatis poris amplis apices versus lateralibus, ovario hirto, stylo gra- 
cili, stigmato truncato. 
Erica Chamissonis, Klotesch in Herb. Reg. Berol. ex Benth. in DC. Prodr., 
vol. vii. p. 685. 
Many years ago the Cape Heaths formed a conspicuous 
feature in the greenhouses of our grandfathers, and in the 
illustrated horticultural works of the day, including this 
Magazine, wherein about 50 are figured. These have given 
place to the culture of soft-wooded plants—Geraniums, Cal- 
ceolarias, Fuchsias, &.; and the best collections of the 
present day are mere ghosts of the once glorious Ericeta of 
Woburn, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Kew. A vast number of 
the species have indeed fallen out of cultivation, and a few 
easily propagated hybrids for decorative purposes are all that 
are to be seen of this lovely tribe in most of the best esta- 
blishments of England. No less than 186 species of Hrica 
were cultivated at Kew in the year 1811, now we have-not 
above 50, together with many hybrids and varieties. Besides 
the fact of their going out of fashion, there have been two 
main causes for their present rarity ; of these the first and 
most conspicuous is bad treatment. As with Australian 
and other Cape hard-wooded plants, their culture 1s special, 
unknown to most gardeners of the present day, and they will 
not survive the promiscuous use of the water-pot and syringe, 
to which they are exposed if mixed up with many other things. 
JULY Ist, 1874. 
