Erica ignita E.G.H.Oliv.

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ericaceae > Erica

Characteristics

Erect bushy single-stemmed shrub up to 0.5(-1) m tall. Branches: 1-5 erect main branches 10-25(-40) cm long continuing vegetative growth, with few short to long side branches 2-5 cm long, sparsely puberulous with spreading hairs. Leaves 4-nate, imbricate subspreading incurved, 6-10 x 0.8 mm, oblong-linear, apex subobtuse, adaxially flattened and abaxially rounded, margins acute, sparsely hirsute; petiole 10 mm long, appressed, glabrous ciliate. Inflorescence: flowers (1-)4(-6) terminal on short side branchlets c. 5 mm long, these arranged in a dense cylindrical spike-like synflorescence 4-20 x 2-3 cm; pedicel 2 mm long glabrous; bract partially recaulescent more or less basal in position, 2-4 x 0.4-0.5 mm linear to lanceolate, leaflike to bracteose, the longest leaf-like oblong hirsute and green, the smallest bracteose oblong-lanceolate white to pale green, glabrous, ciliate; bracteoles 2, on lower half of pedicel, c. 1.3 x 0.4 mm, bracteose, lanceolate, white, glabrous, ciliate. Calyx 4-partite, segments appressed to corolla, c. 2.5 x 1.5 mm, ovate-trullate, apex acute, margins slightly serrated at base otherwise entire, apically narrowly sulcate for 1/3 their length, glabrous, ciliate, white. Corolla 4-lobed, c. 12 x 4 mm, tubular oblong slightly contracted towards the mouth, glabrous, with a distinct bloom, dull brick-red flushed with orange, glowing orange-red in transmitted light; lobes 2.0 x 1.5 mm, subacute to obtuse, entire, spreading to slightly reflexed. Stamens 8, included, just reaching the mouth; filaments linear, slightly bent inwards at apex, glabrous white; anthers bilobed, oblong in front view, dorsifixed near the base, muticous; thecae ovate, c. 0.9 x 0.6 mm, roughly textured due to collapsed cells, dark brown; pore third length of theca; pollen in tetrads. Ovary (5)6(7)-locular, c. 2.0 x 1.5 mm, very broadly ellipsoid (depressed globose) with a very short stipe, (10)12(14)-lobed, emarginate, with small green nectaries at base of the stipe, glabrous, green; ovules 15-20 per locule spreading, placenta the full length of locule; style broad at base tapering to apex, glabrous white; stigma included at mouth of corolla, capitate, dark reddish green. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, c. 2.5 x 5.0 mm, septa on valves only, splitting to halfway down, valves subspreading, cucullate, red, thin texture; seeds globose-ellipsoid rounded, c. 1.3 x 1.0 mm, testa light yellow to white, consisting of few large collapsed cells with relatively tall straight anticlinal walls, numerous pits present.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Erica ignita world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:20002013-1
WFO ID wfo-0000672287
COL ID 6GM3Q
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Erica ignita