Erica karooica E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect dense shrub to 1.25 m tall, single-stemmed. Branches wiry flexuose, very shortly puberulous with occasional glands intermixed, no infrafoliar ridges, bark grey flaking irregularly when old. Leaves 3-nate, erect, imbricate, 2-3 mm long, linear-oblong, subacute to obtuse, rounded in transverse section, sulcate, very shortly ciliolate and with a few sessile glands when young, otherwise glabrous; petiole ± 0.5 mm long, appressed, shortly ciliate. Flowers 3-6 at ends of main branches and short lateral branchlets, erect; pedicel ± 1 mm long, densely puberulous, reddish; bract median, appressed, ± 0.7 mm long, oblong, terminally sulcate, glabrous, minutely ciliate, pale green; bracteoles subapproximate, like the bract but slightly smaller. Calyx 4-lobed, ± 0.8 mm long, green, lobes erect, 1/3-2/3 length of calyx, ovate to deltoid, subacute to obtuse, apically sulcate, puberulous at base, shortly ciliate with hairs and a few sessile red glands. Corolla 4-lobed, 1.3 x 1.0 mm, obconical, glabrous, dull translucent cream soon turning brown, lobes erect to slightly incurved, 1/3 length of corolla, subacute, sometimes sparsely crenulate. Stamens 8, free, erect; filaments linear 0.7 mm long; anthers subexserted, muticous, thecae ovate in outline, glabrous, golden brown, pore 1/2 length of theca; pollen in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, 0.5 x 0.5 mm, obovoid, 8-lobed, glabrous, emarginate, with no nectary glands at base, ovules ± 8 per locule, pendent, placenta confined to upper half; style exserted, ± 1.1 mm long, red; stigma very broadly cyathiform, red. Capsule 1.2 x 1.0 mm, narrowly cyathiform, septa split for 3/4 their length, upper part of septa 50% on axis and 50% on valve; seeds 0.5 x 0.2 mm, slightly flattened ellipsoid, smooth and shiny, yellow to brown, with a distinct short paler elaiosome.