Erica obconica H.A.Baker

Erect sturdy shrub to 1 m or so. Branches tomentose with mixed hairs some of which are compound and longer than the average, numerous. Leaves 3-nate, 6-9 mm long inclusive of the ciliate petiole, erect-spreading to squarrose, imbricate at first, variable in shape from narrow lanceolate to broad lanceolate, more or less flat, faintly sulcate, glabrous, scarious-edged and mucronate. Flowers terminal in umbels of about 6, corolline; peduncles 1.2 cm long, tomentose as the branches; bracts, 2 subapproximate, 2.5 mm long, linear, acute, otherwise like the sepals, 1 remote, about 3 mm long, variable in shape, sometimes similar to the upper two, sometimes spathulate and foliaceous in the upper part. Sepals about 3 mm long, narrowly ovate, concave, imbricate, keeled and sulcate towards the apex, scarious, glabrous, on the margins sparsely toothed with caducous setae, pale pink. Corolla 5 mm long, wide obconic, dry, glabrous rose-pink of various shades; lobes continuous, 2 1/2 mm long, rounded and subobtuse. Filaments broad-linear tapering slightly to the apex; anthers included but manifest, 2 mm long, lateral, narrow-elliptic, scarcely produced above the pore, scaberulous, muticous, bright chestnut-brown as in the ovary; pore about 3/8 of the cell in length. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style exserted; stigma cyathiform.