40 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



SPECIES III.— E RICA CINEREA. Linn. 



Plate DCCCXCL 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MCLXIII. Fig. 3. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 588. 



Stem rather stout, much branched throughout, with straggling' 

 barren branches, which arc puberulent, but without gland-tipped 

 hairs. Leaves irregularly whorlcd, usually 3 in a wliorl, very 

 shortly stalked, linear-strapshaped or lanceolatc-strapshaped, very 

 finely serrulate, without revolute margins, fiat above, convex and 

 with a narrow furrow beneath, glabrous above and below, not 

 ciliated, with fascicles of small leaves in their axils. Flowers 

 slightly drooping, shortly stalked, in terminal umbels or short 

 racemes, often with very short axillary branches bearing racemes 

 or single flovrers in the axils of the upper leaves so as to convert 

 the inflorescence into a thyrsoid panicle. Pedicels glabrous, rather 

 longer than the calyx, with the bracteoles close beneath the calyx, 

 the uppermost ones without bracts at the base. Calyx-segments 

 scarious at the margins, lanceolate, glabrous. Corolla ovate- 

 elliptical-urceolate, rather more than twice as long as the calyx, 

 with 4 very short deltoid-ovate teeth at the apex. Anthers 

 included, with short denticulate awns at the base. Style exserted. 

 Ovary glabrous. 



On heaths and commons. Generally distributed, from Cornwall, 

 the Isle of Wight, and Kent, to Orkney and Shetland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Shrub. Late Summer 

 and Autumn. 



Stem 6 inches to 2 feet high, thicker and more woody below 

 than in the two preceding species. Leaves irregularly 6-farious, 

 very narrow, sub-acute, crowded on the barren shoots, more distant 

 on the flowering ones, generally in whorls of 3, with the three leaves 

 generally one above the other, and with tufts of leaves or short leafy 

 branches in their axils. On weak branches the flowers are confined 

 to a terminal or pseudo-terminal umbel, beyond which the stem 

 very frequently grows, so as to leave the flowers apparently lateral : 

 but on luxuriant branches most of the axillary branchlets bear 

 flowers which, taken together, form a compact spike-like panicle 

 2 to 3 inches long. Corolla \ inch long, purplish-crimson, quite 

 regular, less inflated than in E. Tetralix ; anther-spurs shorter than 

 in that species, and much more denticulate on the outer side. Plant 



