ERICA Comptoniana. 
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Erica, antheris aristatis minutis, inclusis, stylo 
sub-incluso: floribus in umbellis terminalibus: 
foliis ternis. 
Heath, with minutely bearded tips, within; shaft 
just within the blossom: flowers grow in terminal 
umbels : leaves by threes. 
DESCRIFTIO. 
Caulis fruticosus, pedalis et ultra : rami et ra- 
muli filiformes, adscendentes. 
Folia ternata, curvata, subulata, acuta. 
Flores ramos terminant, plerumque in umbel¬ 
lis 3—6: calyx adpressus, pedunculis longis: co¬ 
rolla urceolata,erecto-patens,rubro-purpurea: oris 
laciniis asqualibus, patentibus. 
Germen columnare, tenue, bicoloratum. 
Habitat ad Caput Bonas Spei. 
Floret a mense Martii in Augustum. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Stem shrubby, afoot or more high: the small and 
large branches are thread-shaped and ascending. 
Leaves by threes, curved, awl-shaped, and 
sharp-pointed. 
Flowers terminate the branches, mostly in 
umbels of 3 to 6 : empalement pressed to the blos¬ 
som : footstalks long: blossom pitcher-shaped, 
erect, and spreading, of a red purple colour: seg¬ 
ments of the border equal and spreading. 
Seed-bud pillar-shaped, slender, and two-co¬ 
loured. 
Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
Flowers from the month of March till August. 
REFERENTIA. 
1. Calyx lente auctus. 
2. Folium lente auctum. 
3. AntherasetPistillum, anthera unalenteaucta. 
4. Germen et Pistillum, stigmate lente aucto. 
5. Germen lente auctum. 
REFERENCE. 
1. Empalement magnified. 
2. A Leaf magnified. 
3. Chives and Pointal, one tip magnified. 
4. Seed-bud and Pointal, summit magnified. 
5. Seed-bud magnified. 
This fine new species of Erica we have named in honour of the Countess of Northampton, a great 
admirer and encourager of botanic science. Our drawing was made from plants in the Hammer¬ 
smith collection, raised from Cape seed about the year 1815. Like many other species, we have 
found it in bloom in every season of the year; but the most general period of inflorescence for the 
whole genus is from the middle of spring till the beginning of autumn. 
