562 CALLUNA. [CLASS VIII. ORDER 1. 



which, with the exception of a few which are found in Europe, are. 

 natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and are peihaps the prettiest and 

 most graceful of any genus. Some of them are very splendid, others 

 remarkably curious, and collectively present the greatest conceivable 

 variety in the shape and character of the leaves, as well as in the form 

 and disposition of the flowers, rendering them great favourites in 

 every collection of plants. Their successful cultivation was once thought 

 the greatest test of the gardener's ability ; but now the mode of ma- 

 nagement and propagation are so well understood, that the triumph with 

 which the gardener presented at one time even a dwarf specimen is 

 long passed, and he exhibits in his heath house large bushy plants, 

 every branch and spray fringed with an abundance of flowers. Ericas 

 are not possessed of any known valuable properties ; some are delight- 

 fully fragrant, as the E, odor-rosea, E. tenuiflora, &c., the former 

 having the /odour of otto of roses, and the latter that of a carnation ; 

 others are more or less fragrant, but the greater part of them are 

 altogether scentless, and have only their beauty to recommend them ; 

 they have a very remarkable property in favour of their cultiva- 

 tion, in not being liable to be infested with insects. 



GENUS VII. CALLITNA. SALISB. Ling. 

 Nat. Ord. ERI'CE.C. Jess. 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx of four coloured pieces, longer than the corolla, 

 and accompanied with four bracteas, coloured like the calyx, 

 Corolla campanulate, four-cleft. Capsule four celled, four valved. 

 the disseppimeats adhering to the axis, the valves opening at the 

 disseppiments, and separating from them. Named from xaXXww, 

 to cleanse, or embellish ; either from the beauty of the plant, or 

 the use made of it in the manufacture of brooms. 

 1 . C. vulga'ris, Salisb. (Fig. 640.) Comnu n Ling. Anthers included, 

 awned at the base. 



English Flora, vol. ii. p. 225. Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 

 181. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 173. Erica vulgaris, Linn. English 

 Botany, t. 1013. 



/3. pubescens. Leaves and branches densely clothed with hairy 

 pubescence. * 



E. ciliaris, Hudson, Flora Anglica. ed. 1. (not Linn.) 

 <y, plena Jlora. Flowers double. 



Root woody, with tufts of fibrous branches. Stem woody, contorted 

 repeatedly and irregularly branched, forming a tufted bush, about a 

 foot high or more, the branches round and smooth. Leaves numerous, 

 dark green, smooth, or more or less clothed with pubescence, as is the 

 whole of the plant, sessile, with a spur-like prolongation from the 



