Erica oreotragus E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect, sparse to suberect and compact, shrublet, 300-400 mm high, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: numerous main branches 50-100 mm long, terminating in an inflorescence, internodes 2-10 mm long, occasional short, secondary branches 2-5 mm long with or without terminal inflorescence; all branches covered with dense, short, spreading hairs or with short and long hairs intermixed. Leaves 3-nate, erect incurved, broadly ovate to elliptic, 2.0-3.2 x 0.8-1.3 mm, subacute, adaxially flat, abaxially rounded, margins acute, densely hairy on both surfaces, sulcus partially open, closed at base; petiole ± 1 mm long, hairs all over or only on margin. Inflorescence: flowers 3-nate in 2, rarely 3, whorls in umbel-like group at apices of main and secondary branches; pedicel ± 1.2 mm long, glabrous to finely and shortly hairy; bract partially recaulescent, in mid position on pedicel, narrowly lanceolate to linear, 0.7-1.6 x 0.1 mm, variable in size in an inflorescence, glabrous but ciliate along margin, esulcate, greenish red to whitish; bracteoles 2, in mid position, minute or reduced to just a tuft of hairs within an inflorescence, esulcate. Calyx 4-partite, very slightly fused at base; segments lanceolate to ovate, 1.5-1.8 x 0.5 mm, subacute, puberulous to glabrescent, ciliate with long, spreading hairs and occasionally 1 or 2 minute subsessile to sessile glands, sulcus fairly broad, 1/3-1/2 length of lobe. Corolla 4-lobed, urceolate, ± 3.3 x 2.0 mm, with 4 bulges at base, densely hairy with short and long spreading hairs admixed, pale pinkish to white; lobes spreading, ± 1 mm long, broadly rounded, subacute to obtuse, margins minutely crenulate to entire. Stamens 8, included, free; filaments ± 1.5 mm long, widening towards base, with marked apical S-bend; anthers bilobed, elliptic in outline in adaxial view, dorsally attached near base, appen-diculate; thecae erect adpressed, narrowly ovate-elliptic in lateral view, ± 0.8 x 0.3 mm, glabrous, smooth, brown, pore ± 1/2 length of theca; spurs ± 0.6 x 0.2-0.1 mm, attenuate from broad flat base, unevenly serrate to entire and shortly ciliate, brown; pollen in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, globose, ±1 x 1 mm, obtuse, densely and shortly hairy, with distinct nectaries around base; ovules ± 9 per locule, pendulous from placenta in upper 2/3; style included, terete, glabrous, white; stigma simple, rounded, reddish. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, ± 1.7 x 2.2 mm, valves fused up to 1/5 their length spreading to 45°, equally on valves and columella. Seeds ± 0.6 x 0.3 mm, 4-ridged, abaxially rounded, laterally and adaxially flattened, reticulate, orange-yellow, testa cells 100-125 x 27 µm, with undulate thick anticlinal walls, periclinal walls with a few very small pits.