Erica plumosa Thunb.

Compact shrub 0.3-1.0 m tall, single-stemmed. Branches: many erect main branches either continuing vegetative growth or terminating in an inflorescence with many secondary flowering branches 10-30 mm long, and occasional tertiary flowering branchlets 5-10 mm long; puberulous with reflexed hairs, often interspersed with short or long plumose hairs which can be gland-tipped, or rarely with numerous spreading long simple gland-tipped hairs. Leaves 3[4]-nate, imbricate on young branches to shorter than internodes, mostly erect to subspreading, rarely spreading, occasionally erect with apex recurved, 1.5-4.5 x 0.8-1.0 mm, oblong to elliptic to ovate, adaxially flattened, abaxially flattened to rounded to subacute and narrowly sulcate, margins acute to subacute, apex subacute, indumentum very variable from tomentose to pubescent to glabrous on both sides, occasionally only at base, margins with short or long stout or delicate plumose hairs, or with long simple gland-tipped hairs, or plumose hairs with a gland-tip, occasionally any of these can be scattered on abaxial surface and very rarely on adaxial surface; petiole 0.5 mm long, glabrous to puberulous with or without sessile or shortly stalked glands. Inflorescence: flowers 3[4]-nate in 1-3(4) whorls in terminal umbel-like heads, erect or nodding; pedicel 0.5-1.5(-2.5) mm long, red, puberulous; bract partially recaulescent, subbasal to approximate to calyx, erect adpressed to spreading-recurved, 1.5-2.5(-5.0) x 0.4-2.3 mm, very variable in shape from oblong to broadly ovate or obovate, usually with a pink flattened base and rounded keeled green leaf-like apex 1/4-1/2 the length of bract, indumentum as in leaf and calyx; bracteoles 2, from equal to much shorter and markedly narrower than bract, otherwise similar. Calyx 4-partite to 4-lobed, fused up to 2/3 its length, mostly 1/2 the length of corolla, rarely 1/3 or 2/3, 1.2-3.0[-4.3] X 0.3-1.8[-2.3] mm, cyathiform, if fused 4-angled with angles alternating with lobes, pink, indumentum like the leaves but adaxially always glabrous, often with hair type of leaves, bract, bracteoles and calyx similar; segments or lobes, when free or slightly fused oblong to broadly elliptic, when fused to about 1/2 their length then triangular to broadly so, apex subacute to acute, upper portion pink or green keeled with sulcus subnarrow 1/8-1/4 of length of calyx. Corolla 4-lobed, shallowly to deeply constricted 1/2:-2/3 from base, (2.5-)3.0-4.0(-7.0) mm, lower portion ovoid to obovoid lower portion and sometimes 4-angled at base with angles alternating with calyx segments/lobes, upper portion cyathiform, basal 1/2-2/3 pubescent, occasionally also on centre of the lobes, puberulous around the constriction adaxially, pink; lobes erect, sometimes incurved or recurved, triangular to broadly so, apex obtuse to truncate to slightly emarginate, distinctly to slightly colliculate, edges entire, not imbricate laterally. Stamens 4, free, manifest; filaments linear, broadening and with slight sigmoid bend at apex, sparsely to densely pilose; anthers bipartite, dorsally attached 1/3 way up, obovate, spurred or muticous; thecae erect to slightly spreading, (0.5-)0.7-1.0(-1.5) mm, aculeate to papillate to hirsute mainly along edges and upper inside surface, occasionally also with sparse long fine hairs; pores 1/3-1/2 the length of theca, nearly facing adaxially; spurs, when present, arising laterally from broadened apex of filament, very short to 1/3 the length of theca, linear, spreading to recurved-pendulous; pollen in monads. Ovary 2-locular, 07 x 0.8 mm, ovoid to broadly so, complanate, apex obtuse to emarginate, glabrous to sparsely puberulous to pilose at apex, with large basal nectaries; ovules 1 per locule, pendulous, placenta apical; style from just longer than to 2x the length of corolla, terete, glabrous; stigma minutely capitate to minutely cyathiform. Fruit indehiscent, 1.5-2.0 mm long, ellipsoid to broadly ovoid, complanate, apex rounded dark red, smooth or with a few basal bumps and ridges to very warty; pericarp thickish and brittle not tough and leathery, with mesocarp red, variable in thickness forming the main layer of pericarp, lacking crystals, endocarp thin; seeds ellipsoid with testa very thin yellowish, occasionally sticking to endocarp, the cells elongate with thickened jigsawed anticlinal walls and numerous large pits. Flowering time: This occurs from June to October, earlier on the coastal flats and later at higher inland altitudes.