ERICA gracilis 
CHARACTER SPECIF1CU8. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Erica, antheris inclusis basi bicornibus, corollis 
subquaternis subglobosis terminalibus, foliis lineari- 
bus erectis itidem quaternis. j 
Heath, with tips two-horned at the base included 
within the blossom, blossoms nearly in fours some¬ 
what globose and terminal, leaves linear erect and 
likewise in fours. 
DESCRIPTIO. | 
DESCRIPTION. 
Caulis fruticosus, sesquipedalis, suberectus, ra- 
mulis filiformibus, pergracilibus, numerosis. 
Stem shrubby, a foot and a half high, nearly 
erect, thread-shaped, very slender, and numerous. 
Folia quaterna, linearia, tenuia, glabra, erecta, 
petiolis minutis, adpressis. 
Leaves in fours, linear, thin, smooth, erect, 
with minute foot-stalks pressed to the branches. 
Flores plerumque quaterni in capitulis termina- 
libus, pedunculis capillaribus, corolla longioribus, 
bracteis tribus, linearibus, instructis. 
Flowers chiefly in fours in terminal heads, with 
capillary foot-stalks which are longer than the blos¬ 
som, and furnished with three linear floral leaves. 
Calyx tetraphyllus, foliolis ovato-lanceolatis, 
coloratis, glabris, adpressis. 
Empalement four-leaved, with the leaflets egg- 
lance-shaped, coloured, smooth, and pressed to the 
blossom. 
Corolla parva, subglobosa, laete purpurea, ore 
paululum contracta, laciniis subrotundis, erecto- 
patulis. 
Blossom small, rather globose, bright purple, 
with the mouth a little contracted, with its seg¬ 
ments roundish, and between erect and spreading. 
Stamina octo capillaria, brevia ; antherae bicor- 
nes, inclusae. 
Chives eight hair-like threads; tips two-horned, 
within the blossom. 
Pistillum. Germen tiarasforme, purpureum, 
ad basin nectariferum; stylus filiformis, flexuosus, 
inclusus, purpurascens; stigma tetragonum. 
Pointal. Seed-bud turban-shaped, purple, 
having honey-cups at the base; shaft thread¬ 
shaped, flexuose, within the blossom, purplish; 
summit four-cornered. 
Habitat ad Caput Bonae Spei. 
Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
Floret a mense Februarii in Maium ; et iterum 
ab Augusto ad Octobrem. 
Flowers from the month of February to May ; 
and again from August to October. 
REEERENTIA. 
REFERENCE. 
1. Inferior pars Folii lente aucta. 
1. The under-side of a Leaf magnified. 
2. Calyx et Corolla. 
2. The Empalement and Blossom. 
3. Calyx lente auctus. 
3. The Empalement magnified. 
4. Stamina et Pistillum Corolla diducta, anthera 
unica lente aucta. 
5. Pistillum et Germen lente aucta. 
4. The Chives and Pointal detached from the 
Blossom, with one tip magnified. 
5. The Pointal and Seed-bud magnified. 
5 . Pistillum et Germen lente aucta. 
