Skip to main content
This genus is accepted, and its native range is Europe to Arabian Pen, Africa.

[FZ]

Ericaceae, R. Ross. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Trees, shrubs, or sub–shrubs, usually much branched with flexuously ascending sterns.
Morphology Stem
Branchlets slender.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves normally in whorls of 3–6 (3–4 in the F.Z. area), or occasionally spirally insertedd, very small, the margins usually revolute and meeting in the centre line on the under side of the leaf to form a sulcus.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence normally consisting of capitate clusters of up to 20 flowers on the tips of the branchlets, but sometimes spicate with the flowers in the axils of leaves on branches whose vegetative growth may continue after flowering. Pedicels short and 1–flowered, normally bearing 1 bract and 2 opposite bracteoles, but sometimes either the bract or the bracteoles, very rarely both, missing.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Calyx and corolla actinomorphic and hypogynous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx segments 4, free or fused to a greater or lesser extent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla globular to tubular, 4–lobed, the lobes usually appreciably shorter than the tube, in the F.Z. area rather to very small, always less than 1 cm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens normally 8, rarely fewer (4–7) or more (12); filaments free, insertedd on a hypogynous disc, often geniculate below the anthers; anthers often with appendages, dehiscing by lateral pores.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 4 (8) loculate, placentation axile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 1, more or less expanded at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a cartilaginous loculicidal capsule contained within the persistent calyx and corolla.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds several per loculus.

[FTEA]

Ericaceae, Henk Beentje. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2006

Morphology General Habit
Trees or shrubs, the shrubs sometimes very small, usually much branched
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in whorls of 3– 6 or occasionally spirally inserted, very small, slightly fleshy, the underside of the leaf often with a distinct sulcus
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of axillary flowers, in 1– several whorls arranged in elongate racemose to umbellate groups, either at the ends of leafy lateral branches or on very reduced lateral branches or on the main branches Pedicels short, normally bearing 1 bract (at base, resembling a leaf; on the pedicel; or adjacent to the calyx and resembling a sepal) and 2 opposing bracteoles(in various positions: from basal to appressed to the calyx; rarely missing)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx segments 3– 4, free or fused, but the situation becomes complicated when bract and/or bracteoles are appressed to the calyx and true sepals in that case may be few or even (as in E. rossii ) completely absent and replaced by bracts/bracteoles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla hypogynous, globular to tubular, 4-lobed (in ours), the lobes usually shorter than the tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4– 8; filaments free, inserted on the hypogynous disc, often geniculate; anthers often with appendages, dehiscing by lateral pores
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 3– 4-locular (in ours), placentation axile; style 1, ± expanded at apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a loculicidal capsule, contained within the persistent calyx and corolla
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds several.

[FZ]

Ericaceae, R. Ross. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology Leaves
Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4 (always 3 in the F.Z. area), very small, the margins reflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Pedicels short and 1–flowered, normally bearing one bract and two opposite bracteoles, but the bracteoles sometimes absent. Inflorescence consisting of clusters of flowers at the tips of the branchlets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx and corolla hypogynous, tetramerous. Calyx actinomorphic, segments free to the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla crateriform to campanulate to slightly urceolate, or tubular below and campanulate to crateriform above, actinomorphic or when a tubular portion is present this is often somewhat bent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4; filaments free, inserted on a hypogynous disc; anthers often with appendages, dehiscing by lateral pores.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 4–loculate, placentation axile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 1, somewhat expanded at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a cartilaginous loculicidal capsule contained within the persistent calyx and corolla.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds several per loculus.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or subshrubs to about 1 m. tall, much branched with slender and flexous stems often with many dwarfed side branches in the axils of their leaves.

[FZ]

Ericaceae, R. Ross. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Much branched trees or shrubs with flexuously ascending stems.
Morphology Stem
Branchlets slender.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4, very small, the outer margins reflexed, normally to such an extent that they meet along the mid–line of the under side of the leaf, forming a sulcus; often glandular at the tip and along the apparent margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, in capitate clusters of up to about 12 flowers, but usually fewer, at the tips of the branchlets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Pedicels without bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx and corolla hypogynous, 4–partite, occasionally 3–partite in some flowers, regularly 3–partite in some species not in the F.Z. region. Calyx with one sepal longer than the others, and this sepal usually free and leaf–like at the tip, other sepals connate to a variable extent, sometimes leaf–like at the tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla actinomorphic, campanulate to urceolate, not deeply cleft, lobes obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens in one species 4 and opposite the calyx lobes, in the other species (5) 6–8 (10), anthers without appendages, in some species connate, in others free, opening by narrowly elliptical pores on the outer side of the upper part of each lobe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 3–4–locular, placentation axile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 1, expanded at the apex normally into a disc bearing the stigmatic surfaces on its upper side, but in one species in the F.Z. region expansion at the tip of the style broadly conical and the areas bearing the stigmatic surfaces somewhat depressed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a cartilaginous loculicidal capsule contained within the persistent calyx and corolla.

[FZ]

Ericaceae, R. Ross. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Much branched shrubs or sub–shrubs with slender branchlets.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4, very small, acicular, the outer margin reflexed and meeting in the mid line on the under side of the leaf.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, in capitate clusters of 3–16 at the tips of the branchlets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Pedicels without bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with one sepal longer than the other 3, leaf–like, free and inserted immediately below the others. Calyx and corolla tetramerous, hypogynous and persistent in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla actinomorphic, campanulate to tubular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4; anthers with appendages.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style slender; stigma narrowly to broadly infundibuliform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary globose, quadrilocular, capsule loculicidal.

Native to:

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Chad, Comoros, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Free State, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kriti, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Réunion, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Uganda, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

California, Connecticut, Crozet Is., Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Netherlands, New Hampshire, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Australia, Tasmania, West Virginia

Erica Tourn. ex L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Hedberg, O. [93121], Cameroon K000087433

First published in Sp. Pl.: 352 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Nelson, E.C. (2011). Hardy Heathers from the Northern Hemisphere: 1-442. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Geerinck, D. (2009). Révision du genre Erica L. (Ericaceae) en Afrique centrale Taxonomania 28: 6-16.
  • Govaerts, R. (2001). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS E-F: 1-50919.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 167 (1754).
  • Sp. Pl.–1: 352 (1753)

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • in Contrib. Bolus Herb. 19: 1– 483 (2000)
  • in K.B. 48: 771– 780 (1993)
  • E.G.H.Oliv. in S.Afr. J. Bot. 53: 455– 458 (1987)
  • L., Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 167 (1754)
  • Sp. Pl. 1: 352 (1753)

Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0