Erica polycoma Benth.

Dwarf, probably under 1 ft. high; whole plant silvery-grey; branches erect, stoutish; branchlets short and flexuous, these and the leaves, pedicels, bracts and sepals pilose with short and long simple, somewhat silky, grey hairs; leaves 3-nate, erect, closely imbricate, adpressed, lanceolate, subobtuse, pubescent, the hairs towards the apex long and tufted, 1-1 1/2 lin. long; flowers 3-nate, subcorolline; pedicels curved, 1 1/2-2 lin. long; bracts adpressed, ovate, concave, keeled, subscarious, long-ciliate, about 1 lin. long; sepals like the bracts but broad-ovate, obtuse, apiculate, 1-11/4 lin. long, about 1/2 the length of the corolla; corolla ovoid-cyathiform, or by the connivence of the segments in dried specimens appearing ovoid-inflated, glabrous, dry (or 'subviscid', Bentham), rosy, about 2 lin. long; segments erect, or connivent in age (and in dried specimens), semiovate, obtuse, longer than broad, equal or nearly so to the tube in length; filaments slender; anthers subcuneate-oblong, slightly incurved, nearly 2/5 lin. long, crested; pore 1/2-2/3 the length of the cell; crests narrow-lanceolate, acute, pendulous, long-ciliate, brown, about 2/3 the length of the cells; style included, 4-gonous below, swollen and terete above; stigma subsimple, small; ovary glabrous, or thinly hispid on the apex.