Erica dispar (N.E.Br.) E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect often compact shrublets up to 0.4 m tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: numerous main erect branches with a few secondary flowering branchlets 2-20 mm long, pubescent with a few shortly stalked glands intermixed, no infrafoliar ridges. Leaves 4-nate, erect-incurved, occasionally spreading, imbricate to as long as internodes, 2.5-4.0 x 0.7 mm, oblong to ovate, obtuse to subacute, adaxially slightly flat or rounded, abaxially rounded with margins obtuse to subacute, narrowly sulcate, glabrous, subglabrous or sparsely hispid, sometimes only the younger so, with occasional sessile glands marginally. Inflorescence: flowers 4-nate in 3-4 whorls, the upper whorls umbel-like and the lowest with distinct internodes, terminal on main branches and secondary branchlets, often with 2 or 3 lateral subumbels close under the terminal main inflorescence forming a head-like synflorescence; pedicel 0.3-0.6 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; bract non-recaulescent in lowest whorl becoming partially recaulescent to approximate to the calyx in upper whorls, 1.5-4.0 x 0.3-0.7 mm, large and leaf-like reducing to half size and bracteose, glabrous or sparsely hirsute, green; bracteoles 2, rarely absent, from basal on pedicel to approximate, small and bracteose, 0.1-0.8 mm long, like the reduced bract. Calyx 4-lobed, 2.0-2.8 x 1.5 mm, obconical, distinctly and subobtusely angled alternating with lobes, with midrib below the lobes slightly thickened, glabrous or pubescent to hirsute, thick in texture, green; lobes 1/3-1/4 as long as calyx, 0.4 mm long, broadly triangular, acute, narrowly sulcate for just more than their length, glabrous or sparsely hirsute and ciliate. Corolla 4-lobed, 2.0-4.0 x 1.0-1.2 mm, tubular to obovoid, smooth, pink; lobes erect, 0.4 x 0.3 mm, broadly triangular, subacute, entire. Stamens 4, free, exserted; filaments just longer than corolla, linear, broadening below the anther, straight, glabrous; anthers bipartite, basifixed, oblong-elliptic, dark brown, muticous; thecae erect to slightly divergent, 1.0 x 0.2 mm, oblong, obtuse, minutely aculeate; pore about 1/3 as long as the theca; pollen in monads. Ovary [1]2(-4)-locular, 0.5 x 0.4 mm, oblate, obtuse, with distinct basal nectaries; ovules 1 per locule, pendulous, placenta apical; style exserted up to 2x the length of the corolla, glabrous; stigma simple truncate. Fruit indehiscent, up to double size of ovary with the columella considerably enlarged; pericarp thin, brittle, endocarp 2-layered with elongate lignified cells, many crystals present; seeds ellipsoid, testa thin, cells elongate with jigsawed anticlinal walls and small pits.