524 ERICA 



or sixes ; linear, J to % in. long, dark glossy green. Flowers in terminal 

 umbels carrying four to eight blossoms, and in beauty from June to September. 

 Corolla cylindrical, narrowing towards the mouth, where are four recurved 

 teeth ; pale rose, in. long ; calyx with four t lanceolate lobes, smooth. 



Native of S. Spain, Italy, Corsica and Sardinia ; introduced, according to 

 Aiton, in 1765. Although one of the tallest of the heaths, it is perfectly hardy 

 at Kew. It passed through the winter of 1894-5 without serious injury. It 

 strikes freely from cuttings, and flowers well when 12 ins. high. Its pleasing 

 .habit, erect, clustered twigs, and deep green, healthy-looking foliage ; its bright 

 rosy blossoms ; and the fact that it flowers in late summer, make it a most 

 desirable shrub. Yet it, is almost neglected in gardens. 



E. TETRALIX, Linnceus. CROSS-LEAVED HEATH. 



A low shrub, 6 to 18 ins. high, with the older stems spreading or prostrate, 

 the young flower-bearing ones erect ; young shoots downy. Leaves arranged 

 in whorls of four, forming a cross, narrower than in E. ciliaris, and averaging 

 in. long ; dark green above, white beneath, edged with glandular hairs, and 

 downy. Flowers in a dense head of from four to twelve or more blossoms. 

 Corolla cylindrical, 3- in. long, rose-coloured, contracted at the mouth, where 

 are four shallow recurved lobes. Sepals like the leaves, but more hairy ; 

 flower-stalk and seed-vessel downy. 



Native of N. and W. Europe, and very commonly diffused through the 

 British Isles, where it is the most abundant of the true heaths. It blossoms 

 from June to October, and although so common in a wild state is well worth 

 planting in masses in the garden. It is sometimes confused with E. ciliaris, 

 under which the distinctions between the two are pointed out. 



Var. ALBA, Aiton. Flowers white. 



Var. MOLLIS, Hort. Flowers white ; foliage distinctly greyish, due to the 

 abundant whitish down on the leaves and stems. The whole plant has a 

 frosted appearance. 



E. WILLIAMSII, Druce. A supposed hybrid between E. Tetralix and 

 E. vagans, growing at the Lizard, Cornwall ; found by Mr P. D. Williams. 

 Its leaves have the glandular hairs of E. Tetralix. Corolla pitcher-shaped, 

 rose-coloured ; stamens included within it ; ovary hairy. Flowers in umbels. 



E. VAGANS, Linnaus. CORNISH HEATH 



A low, spreading shrub, from i to i\ ft. high, becoming ultimately 5 ft. or 

 more wide, and rather sprawling ; branchlets smooth. Leaves arranged four 

 or five in a whorl ; the whorls \ in. or less apart on the stems ; linear, \ to ^ 

 in. long, channelled beneath, dark green and smooth. Flowers produced 

 usually in, pairs from the leaf-axils, each on a smooth stalk \ in. long, the 

 whole forming an erect, leafy, cylindrical raceme 4 to 7 ins. long, the flowers 

 opening from below upwards from July to October. Corolla almost globular, 

 about | in. long, pinkish purple, the four lobes but little recurved ; sepals 

 ovate ; anthers exposed and split to the base ; pink, rarely yellow. 



Native of Cornwall and S.W. Europe. A showy and very attractive shrub 

 in late summer and autumn, useful for planting on sunny slopes, and in broad 

 masses. It is easily raised from cuttings, and thrives well in almost any soil 

 not heavy or limy. Like the other late-flowering heaths it should be cut over 

 occasionally in spring before growth recommences, removing all that part of 

 the shoot that has borne flowers. This keeps the plants neater and causes 

 them to flower more profusely, but done too often reduces the size of raceme. 



Var. ALBA. Habit denser and dwarfer; flowers white. 



Var. GR AN Dl FLORA. Flowers larger. 



Var. RUBRA. Flowers more deeply rosy than the type. 



