Erica gerhardii E.G.H.Oliv. & I.M.Oliv.

Shrubs sparsely branched, erect, 1.0-1.5 m tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: few main branches normally with continuous apical growth, rarely ending in a florescence, secondary branches occasional (not every node), ±3-30 mm long, internodes ±1.5 mm long with infrafoliar ridges; stems glabrous with very occasionally, a few short gland-tipped hairs in grooves. Leaves 4-nate, suberect incurved, imbricate, very narrowly lanceolate, 8-10 x 0.8 mm, triangular in section, margins acute, flat adaxially, with distinct small acute tip, glabrous, sulcus narrow, closed at base; petiole ±1 mm long, glabrous, with occasional marginal hairs. Inflorescence: flowers 1(2)-nate at ends of side branches, rarely main branches, mostly suberect, occasionally spreading to slightly pendulous, not in spike-like synflorescence; pedicel ±3 mm long, glabrous; bract partially recaulescent near base of pedicel, ovate-triangular, 1.5-2.0 x 0.7 mm, glabrous, acute, pale yellow-green, margin with or without short, gland-tipped hairs, sulcus present or absent; bracteoles 2, ± in middle of pedicel, ovate to obovate, acute, 2-3 x 1.2 mm, glabrous, pale yellow-green, glabrous margin entire, sulcus in upper 1/2 narrow. Calyx 4-partite, ovate-lanceolate, ±7 x 2 mm, slightly imbricate laterally, margins entire, sulcus narrow ±2/3 length of segment, slightly keeled, pale green, darker around sulcus. Corolla 4-lobed, broadly tubular, 16-17 x 5 mm, slightly 4-angled in t/s, slightly curved, slightly contracted below mouth, greenish yellow, hard when fresh, glabrous; lobes ±2 x 2.5 mm, rounded, entire, erect to slightly spreading. Stamens 8, free, included; filaments ±12 mm long with apical sigmoid curve, glabrous, white; anthers bilobed, appendiculate, dorsally attached ±1/3 way up, narrowly ovate in adaxial view, thecae erect, adpressed, slightly curved-oblong, ±1.2 x 0.6 in lateral view, strigose apically, dark brown, appendages narrowly lanceolate, ±1.4 x 0.15 mm, subpendulous, covered with short upwardly pointing strigae; pore ±1/2 length of theca; pollen shed in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, oblate, ±2.5 x 3.0 mm, deeply emarginate, glabrous, nectaries apparently absent, ovules ±12 per locule spreading from small bulbous placenta in upper half of columella; style included, ±12 mm long, slightly curved, glabrous; stigma capitate. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, broadly obovoid, ±4 x 5 mm, hard and woody, valves laterally splitting to base, septa remaining attached to columella. Seeds ellipsoid, ±1 x 0.7 mm, shallowly alveolate, brown; testa cells rectangular to somewhat square, ±100 x 100 µm, anticlinal walls jig-sawed, inner periclinal wall with numerous small pits.