Erica silvatica (Welw. ex Engl.) Beentje

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

Morphology General Habit

Small shrubs or shrublets to 1 m. tall, branched from the base, with more or less dwarfed branchlets arising from the axils of the leaves.

Morphology Branches

Branchlets without infrafoliar ridges, pubescent with very short simple hairs and longer hairs, mostly with side branches on their basal part and with tips either glandular or eglandular and usually bifurcate, glandular hairs up to 0·9 mm. long, eglandular hairs to 2·0 mm. long, the proportions of the two types varying from all of one to all of the other; occasionally some branchlets of a plant glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in whorls of 3, patent on the main stems, somewhat ascending on the dwarfed side shoots, straight or recurved, margins reflexed but normally not quite meeting in the centre line on the abaxial side of the leaf, 1·5–5·0 mm. long, 0·2–1·0 mm. broad, normally pubescent with short simple hairs over the whole dorsal surface of the leaf and widely spaced longer hairs, up to 0·8 mm., at the apex, on the apparent margins and on the abaxial part of the dorsal surface of the leaf, these longer hairs either glandular or eglandular and usually bifurcate, eglandular hairs occasionally with a few side branches at the base; short simple hairs sometimes few and caducous, sometimes absent, and occasionally longer hairs much reduced in number or leaf entirely glabrous with sessile glands along the apparent margin; petioles c. 0·5 mm. long, minutely pubescent or glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence consisting of clusters of 3–15 flowers at the tips of dwarfed branchlets on the upper part of the stem.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels 0·5–1·5 mm. long, minutely pubescent or glabrous, sometimes also with sparse longer glandular hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts leaf–like, 1·0–2·0 mm. long, inserted from very near the base of the pedicel to close under the calyx, pubescence as on leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles

Bracteoles only present when bract inserted on lower half of pedicel, when present very narrow, linear, 0·5–0·7 mm. long, with marginal hairs that may be either glandular or eglandular and bifurcate and usually also with very short simple hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx segments 4, free to the base, narrowly oblong to narrowly triangular, 0·9–1·5 mm. long, pubescent with marginal hairs that may be either glandular or eglandular and bifurcate, and usually also with short simple hairs on the outer surface, but these absent when there are no such hairs on the leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 4–lobed, pink to pale lavender to purple, 1·0–3·0 mm. long, 1·0–1·5 mm. broad, the shortest crateriform, the longer ones tubular below and crateriform to campanulate above, the crateriform or campanulate part 1·0–1·5 mm. long, the tubular portion, when c. 1 mm. long or more, usually somewhat curved, corolla lobes rounded, sinuses acute, c. 0·5 mm. deep.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4, about equalling the corolla, sometimes the anthers protruding; filaments narrow, somewhat expanded below the anthers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers 0·4–0·8 mm. long, deeply divided, thecae elliptical, opening by lateral pores, with appendages sometimes absent, usually present and varying in length from minute to 0·4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary globose, pubescent, with dense white hairs on the upper part and sparser hairs below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style exserted, 1·5–3·0 mm. long, stigma small, capitate.

Ericaceae, R. Ross. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

A heath-like undershrub

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Purplish flowers