Ot ae liana 
TaB. 8868. 
ERICA SESSILIFLORA. 
South Africa. 
Ericaceak, Tribe Ericear. 
Erica, Linn; Benth. et Hook. f, Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p 590. 
Erica sessiliflora, Linn. f., Suppl. Plant. p. 222; Benth. in DC. Prodr. vol. 
vii. p. 625; Guthrie et Bolus in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vol. iv. p. 55; species 
affinis H. gilvae, Wendl., sed floribus sessilibus, corollis angustioribus basi 
teretibus facile distinguitur. 
Suffrutex erecta, ramosa, 5 dm. alta, trunco basi 8 mm. diametro, pallide 
brunneo. Folia 4-natim verticillata, lineari-subulata, apice acuminato- 
cuspidata, basi in petiolum contracta, inferiora 8-9 mm. longa, superiora 5-6 
mm. longa, 0°75 mm. lata, pallide viridia, costa alba instructa, inferiora 
pagina superiore leviter minuteque puberula, superiora margine ciliolulata, 
ceterum glabra ; petiolus hyalinus, basi in pulvinum ampliatus, in foliis 
inferioribus vix 1 mm. longus, in superioribus 2 mm. longus. Flores e foli- 
orum superiorum axillis orti, sessiles; bracteae vel folia florifera foliis 
superioribus similes; bracteolae 6, inferiores lineari-lanceolatae, 4 mm, 
longae, superiores lineari-spathulatae, 7 mm. longae, 1°5 mm. latae. 
Sepala 4, lineari-spathulatae, apice acuta, 6°5 mm. longa, hyalina. Corolla 
cylindrico-infundibuliformis, 2:6 cm. longa, basi 1 mm. diametro, fauce 3 
mm. diametro, flavo-virescens, glabra ; lobi 4, obtusi, 1 mm. longi, 2°5 mm. 
lati. Stamina 8, haud exserta, filamentis 2-2 cm. longis, gracilibus, 
antheris 2 mm. longis basi dorso cornubus duobus instructis. Ovarium 
cylindricum, 1°5 cm. altum, 1°25 mm. diametro, 8-sulcatum, glabrum; 
stylus 2°5 cm. longus, glaber ; stigma fere planum.—Z. cephalotes, Willd. 
ex Steud. Nomen. ed. 2, vol. i. p. 570; nec Thunb, E. spicata, Thunb, 
Diss. p, 43, t.4; Andr. Heathery, t. 45, et Col. Heaths, t. 61; Wendl. Eric. 
Ic. fase. 2, p. 27; Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 1208. E. favosa, Salisb, Prodr. 
p. 298 et in Trans, Linn. Soe. vol. vi. p. 365.—W. B. Turrin. 
This South African Heath is rather widely spread in the 
Coast Region of Cape Colony. It has been frequently 
reported from the Cape, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Tulbagh 
and Caledon Divisions, is not uncommon in George and 
Knysna, and has been found as far east as Humansdorp. 
With so wide a range it is hardly surprising that there 
should be a considerable degree of variation in some of 
its characters, more especially the length and width of 
the corolla and the size, shape and margins of the sepals, 
This variability is reflected in the synonomy which 
OcToBER-DecemBER, 1920, 
