Erica dolfiana E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect, compact shrub up to 300(-500) mm tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: main branches up to 50 mm long, erect, with numerous secondary branches 2-5 mm long on every node towards apex and a few sometimes distally, all ending in an inflorescence; all branches with short, spreading to reflexed hairs with or without a few stouter, longer gland-tipped hairs admixed. Leaves 4-nate, subspreading, imbricate, ovate to elliptic, 2.0-3.3 x 1.0-1.3 mm, adaxially flattened and abaxially rounded with acute margins, sparsely puberulous with a few long, stouter gland-tipped hairs interspersed abaxially, ciliate with a few long, gland-tipped hairs, sulcus narrow and open at base; petiole ± 1.3 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence: flowers 4-nate in 1 whorl at apex of main and secondary branches, these packed in terminal, capitate or longer spike-like synflorescences; pedicel ± 2.2 mm long, loosely puberulous, white to pale green, sometimes tinged red; bract partially recaulescent from basal to middle position, oblong, ± 1.4 x 0.4 mm, with very short subapical sulcus, white and slightly hyaline, sometimes with pale green tip, sparsely puberulous in upper '/4-'/2, margins with gland-tipped hairs and one apically, glands white or pink; bracteoles 2, median to just below calyx in position, otherwise like bract. Calyx 4-lobed, fused ± 1/8 at base; lobes adpressed to corolla, oblong, ± 2.0 x 0.5 mm, subacute, sulcus in upper half, short and narrow, white to pale green or reddish, more so at apex, puberulous in upper 1/4-1/2 margins with short gland-tipped hairs, glands red. Corolla 4-lobed, campanulate to slightly urceolate, ± 3.4 x 2.2 mm, glabrous, white or tinged pink; lobes ± 0.7 x 1.3 mm, rounded to emarginate, margins entire to slightly erose. Stamens 8, included, free; filaments narrowly linear, ± 1.8 mm long, with slight apical S-bend, glabrous, white; anthers bipartite, oblong in adaxial view, dorsally attached near base, appendiculate; thecae erect adpressed, ovate to elliptic in lateral view, ± 0.9 x 0.5 mm, smooth dark brown, spurs narrowly lanceolate, ± 0.6 mm long, with 2 or 3 teeth, white, pore ± 1/3 length of theca; pollen in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, broadly obovoid-ellipsoid, ±1 x 1 mm, emarginate, puberulous, green, with small dark-green nectaries around base; ovules 9-15 per locule, laterally spreading; style ± 2.7 mm long, exserted, pale greenish red, glabrous; stigma subpeltate to peltate, dark red. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, ± 1.1 x 1.5 mm, valves splitting for 3/4 their length and to ± 45° angle, septa equally divided on columella and valves. Seeds ellipsoid, ± 0.4 x 0.25 mm, slightly alveolate, orange, testa cells 60-75 x 25-30 µm, anticlinal walls jigsawed, inner periclinal walls pitted.