Erica atromontana E.G.H.Oliv.

Semi-spreading to erect shrub up to 500 mm tall, multi-stemmed reseeder. Branches: many erect main branches continuing vegetative growth or ending in a florescence with numerous flowering lateral branches 0.1-0.5 mm long, puberulous to hirtellous with spreading to recurved hairs, with no infrafoliar ridges. Leaves 3-nate, imbricate to subimbricate, suberect, 3.0-4.0 x 0.6-1.0 mm, oblong to lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, flattened adaxially rounded and narrowly sulcate abaxially, apex acute, edges acute, sparsely hirtellous adaxially to glabrescent abaxially, edged with small sessile glands and sometimes a few short hairs; petiole adpressed, 0.4-0.6 mm long, glabrous or puberulous. Inflorescence: flowers 3-nate in 1 or 2 whorls, when 2 then umbel-like, terminal on main and lateral branches; pedicel 0.1 mm long, puberulous; bract partially recaulescent, approximate to calyx, sometimes laterally imbricating the bracteoles, 1.0-1.3 x 0.3-1.0 mm, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic, leaf-like to bracteose to semi-membraneous, narrowly sulcate in upper 1/3-1/2, green, pink or cream, puberulous or basally hirtellous or fully glabrous, edged with small slightly viscid sessile glands and short hairs; bracteoles 2, approximate to calyx, 0.8-1.3 x 0.3-0.8 mm, otherwise like bract. Calyx 4-lobed, 1.5-2.0 x 1.0-1.5 mm, cyathiform to obovoid, pubescent or with short stubbly hairs only in lower half to 1/3, or glabrous above, red to green to greenish cream or cream, thick becoming membraneous; lobes sometimes lateraally imbricate, 1.0-1.2 mm long, broadly elliptic to ovate, acute, markedly carinate and sulcate just less than half their length, the sulcus narrow broadening suddenly and flattening out towards the base, sometimes edged with sessile glands and short hairs. Corolla 4-lobed, 2.0-3.0 x 1.0-1.3 mm, narrowly cyathiform to ovoid or obovoid, sometimes obtusely 4-angled, glabrous or with short stubbly hairs in lower 1/2-2/3, colliculate towards lobes, pink to cream; lobes erect to slightly spreading, 0.2-0.4 mm long, rounded, entire to fimbriolate. Stamens 4, free, exserted; filaments linear, straight, glabrous; anthers bilobed, dorsally attached near base, oblong to elliptic, spurred; thecae 0.6-2.0 x 0.4-0.7 mm, erect adpressed or sightly parted, oblong to oblong-elliptic, slightly falcate, very finely aculeate sometimes more so on margins, dark brown; spurs attached laterally to apex of filament, 0.1-0.3 x 0.05-0.1 mm. oblong to ovoid, slightly thickened, pendulous; pore 1/3 the length of theca; pollen in monads. Ovary 2-locular, 0.8 x 0.8 mm, ellipsoid to ovoid, complanate, subemarginate, colliculate, glabrous or sparsely puberulous apically, with distinct basal nectaries; ovules 1 per locule, pendulous, placenta apical; style exserted to 2x as long as corolla, terete, sometimes slightly bent at base, glabrous; stigma simple to minutely capitate to cyathiform. Fruit indehiscent, 1.2 mm long sometimes slightly longer than the calyx, ovoid, markedly colliculate; pericarp somewhat thick and rather brittle, mesocarp thin red with many crystals, endocarp thin but hard and leathery to brittle; seeds ellipsoid, testa thin to very thin, smooth, cells elongate, with undulate anticlinal walls, with mostly no pits but sometimes pits at ends, these rounded to elongate and slit-like. Flowering time: August to December depending on altitude.