Erica
on 2nd January 2012
Small, delicate Erica. White, tubular/trumpet flowers axillary. Grow in dense stands in young fynbos.
Comments
It is.
Sp. 117 in Schumann & Kirsten - Erica heliophila Guthrie & Bolus 1905.
Don't know why it isn't in the dictionary though...
ID
Strange overlapping distribution for two very closely related species. Prefer tetragona based on features I can see from the electronic Erica key.
Agreed
Would love to know why Ted prefers E. heliophila - hopefully he'll return and tell us what we're potentially missing.
Dulfer key to Erica albens group: Erica (Platyspora)
Corolla with lobes relatively big, starlike, spreading; corolla tube about 10mm long; Leaves linear, hairless, shiny, sharp-pointed mainly adpressed; Styles thickened and hairy at top; Seeds unusual in being flat or winged.
(not included in key: 112 astroites Starlight Heath with very large spreading corolla lobes)
1. Flowerhead very short (< 15-20mm); Corolla 6-7mm long, including lobes. Leaves and stem thin and delicate: 115. macilenta Boosmans Heath
1' Flowerheads long then 20mm; Corolla longer than 7mm (except albens). Leaves and stems relatively stout ... goto 2.
2. section of corolla 4-sided; pale yellow; Corolla lobes not big (1.5mm); Sepals small: 116 tetragonia Box Heath
2' section of corolla round ... goto 3.
3. Corolla lobes rather big (2-3mm); Corolla tube pink, 10mm long; Flowerheads usually shorter than 40mm: 114 georgica George Star Heath
3' Corolla lobes shorter; Flowerheads usually longer than 40mm ... goto 4.
4. Sepals basally broader than 1mm; Leaves all adpressed; Corolla white: 113 albens Palestar Heath
4' Sepals at base broader than 1mm; Leaves more spreadng especially below: 117 heleophila Sunlover Heath
Distributions:
astroites: Cango to Meirinspoort; George to Stormsriver;
albens: Swellendam to Karatara; Ladismith to Cango;
georgica: Warmwaterberg and Mossel Bay to PE; Ladismith to Cango;
macilenta: Barrydale and Oubos;
tetragona: Garcias to PE;
heleophila: Barrydale and Ladismith to Kammannassie;
Looks suspect - ignoring outliers I would refine as mostly:
astroites: Cango to Meirinspoort; George to Stormsriver;
albens: Swellendam to Karatara; Ladismith to Cango
georgica: (Warmwaterberg); Mossel Bay to Storms River; Ladismith to Cango
macilenta: Barrydale
tetragona: (Garcias) George to PE
heleophila: Swartberg & Kammannassie
Habitat: all are damp, south facing slope species; with heleophila more on seeps and thus occ. on north slopes.
The species in section
The species in section Platyspora come out together in the DNA analysis. But the section is a very variable and complex of 'species' (colour, inflorescence arrangement, sepal length and margins). It is not easy to ID them just from photos when one needs to see sepal edges and shapes clearly.
Inge drew up a tentative key to the group with the taxa as we saw them at the time. There will have to be changes . . . sinking of some names and new taxa to be described. Guthrie & Bolus and more so Dulfer, had only a few specimens to study and now we have many more and complications come in.
heliophila/heleophila: Flora capensis named it heliophila which is what I learnt, but they changed it to heleophila which Dulfer picked up in 1965. So sometimes I write the name without noticing that I am using the old spelling.
EricasTed
Great thanks!
Great thanks!
Please remember to click on "I agree" to give your votes to an ID.
Erica key.
Erica electronic key does not have this as white and has the sepals = half the length of the petals.
Needs to be fixed.
Noted at http://ispot.org.za/node/150733