294, ERICACEX (Guthrie & Bolus). [ Lrica. 
Heathery, t. 214.° EH. marginata, Benth., and E. nitidula, Hort. ex 
Benth, l.c. 687. E. Dickensonia, var. alba, Sinclair, Hort. Eric. 
Wob. 8. E. cucullata, Tausch in Flora, 1834, 615, aec. to Ind. 
Kew. E. nigrescens, Steud. Nom. ed. 2, ii. 7. E. nigricans, Lodd. 
ex G. Don in Loud. Hort. Brit. 151, fide Ind. Kew. LE. divaricata, 
Lodd. ex Steud. Nom. ed. 1, 305. 
Var. 8, periploceflora (Bolus) ; flowers reddish or dull red-purple, numerous ; 
anthers terminal, decurrent-crested or aristate, the appendages usually (or 
always?) more or less adherent to the filament, only partially free, or more 
rarely muticous. E. periploceflora, Salisb. in Trans. Linn. Soe. vi. 387. 
Var.y, fragrans (Bolus) ; leaves opposite or 3-nate ; flowers fewer and somewhat 
larger, 23 lin. long, blueish-purple, or livid: anthers subexserted, terminal, 
decurrent-aristate, with short free points. EH. fragrans, Andr. Col. Heaths, 
t, 95, and Heathery, t. 163. 
Sourn Arrica: without locality, Herb. Salisbury! and cultivated speci- 
mens ! 
Coast Reeton : from Clanwilliam Div. on the north, throughout the Coast 
Region generally, eastward as far as Grahamstown, usually at an elevation of 
from 2000 to 5000 ft.; Thunberg, Niven, 114, 219/ Burchell, 7685! Drége, 
7778b! Zeyher, 341! 3253! 3254! 3280! 3286! MacOwan, 1260! Bolus, 
1579! 8294! 32946! 8771! 3991! 5186! 5466! 6337! 9368! MacOwan, 
Herb. Norm. Austr.-Afr., 36! Guthrie, 648a! Schlechter, 17383! 5509! 8915! 
Wolley Dod, 127%! 3258! Galpin, 3688! Leipoldt, 550! 1046! Marloth, 2687! 
Var. B: Niven, 57! MuacOwan, Herb. Norm. Austr.-Afr., 938! Bolus, 5185! 
5454! Guthrie, 3669! Schlechter, 5592! Var. 7: Swellendam Div. ; summit of 
Zuurbraak Mountain, 4800 ft., Galpin, 83693! (Schlechter, 5400! and Zeyher, 
325! probably belong to this species, but are immature). 
The examination of a very large number of specimens has obliged us to unite 
the four species to which Bentham reduced the still larger number cited above. 
It is evident that he still suspected the identity of three of these; and our 
additional material has confirmed the suspicion. Like all widely distributed 
species it varies somewhat in habit and in every organ, so that if every variation 
were regarded as distinctive, it would be necessary to make 8 or even 10 varieties 
or species. Those forms which have been collected northwards towards Clan- 
william diverge from the others by a poorer growth and smaller leaves and 
flowers, the result probably of climatic influences ; but the floral structure differs 
little ; the anthers are more lateral, but even these pass by gradations into the 
usual or commoner, more southern, form. ‘The var. vy looks distinct, but the real 
differences are not great; and it is connected with var. 8 by such a form as 
Bolus, 5454, which has almost exactly the same anther. One of Bentham’s 
distinctions of E. fragrans was the opposite leaves ; but Galpin’s 3698, which is 
undoubtedly the same as Andrews’ fig. t. 163, has the 3-nate leaves of the 
section. 
446. E. comata (Guthrie & Bolus) ; branches densely and shortly 
tomentulose, at length glabrescent; the younger leaves, also the 
bracts and sepals ciliate and furnished with a tuft of rather long 
white hairs at the apex; leaves erect-spreading, imbricate, linear- 
subulate, sulcate, greyish-pubescent, ciliate, at length naked ; petiole 
red, 2-2} lin. long; flowers on short branchlets, subcorolline ; 
pedicels woolly, scarcely 1 lin. long; bracts subapproximate, in- 
curved, usually lax and spreading, oblanceolate, acute, keeled, ciliate, 
reddish, {-1} lin. long; sepals somewhat lax and incurved, sub- 
orbicular, very concave, keeled, the keel red, the rest hyaline, 
