Erica terniflora E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect dense shrub 300-500 mm tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: numerous erect main branches terminating in an inflorescence with many short flowering secondary branches 1-10 mm long, all puberulous, occasionally with minute shortly stalked glands admixed. Leaves 3-nate, erect, imbricate 20-3.5 x 0.6 mm, oblong to elliptic-oblong, adaxially flattened, abxially rounded and narrowly sulcate, apex subacute to obtuse, edges acute, puberulous to shortly setose, becoming glabrous, apical slightly longer, ciliolate and with minute sessile glands; petiole adpressed, 0.4 mm long, puberulous to glabrous, ciliolate. Inflorescence: flowers 3-nate in 1(2) whorls, when 2-whorled then umbel-like, terminal on main branches and secondary branchlets; pedicel 0.2-0.4 mm long, pubescent often with a few short stalked glands admixed; bract fully recaulescent as abaxial lobe of calyx; bracteoles 2, fully recaulescent as lateral lobes of calyx. Calyx unequally 4-lobed, 1/2-2/3 as long as corolla, 0.7-0.9 x 1.2 mm, cyathiform to shortly funnel-shaped, puberulous all over or at base only; lobes subequal the abaxial slightly longer, ovate, more free and imbricate laterally, other lobes ±2/3 the calyx, lanceolate to elliptic, apex obtuse, narrowly sulcate 1/4-1/2 the lobe, ciliolate and with minute sessile glands. Corolla 4-lobed, 1.3 x 1.0-1.5 mm, obovoid to cyathiform, glabrous or with tufts of short hairs on lobes, green to reddish; lobes 1/3 as long as corolla, erect to slightly spreading, obtuse, erose, occasionally ciliolate. Stamens 6[5], included; filaments free to fully fused, almost 0.2 mm wide, oblong, straight, glabrous; anthers bilobed, oblong, dorsifixed near base, muticous; thecae 0.8 mm long, oblanceolate, long hairs basally rarely none, a few hairs on adaxial edge and papillate apex; pore ±1/2 the theca; pollen tetrads. Ovary 2-locular, 0.6 x 0.4 mm, ovoid to ellipsoid, laterally flattened and slightly bilobed, puberulous in upper half, no nectaries; ovule 1 per locule, pendulous from apical placenta; style distinct, 0.5-0.7 mm long, cylindric, glabrous with a few short hairs towards the base; stigma well exserted, 0.5-0.6 mm across, cyathiform. Fruit indehiscent, up to 1.1-1.8 x 1.4-1.8 mm, oblate, laterally flattened, with distinct longitudinal groove on either side, with distinct apical beak; pericarp thick and hard, mesocarp thin with many crystals, endocarp several layered and well lignified; seeds ellipsoid with very thin transparent testa, cells elongate with straight to slightly undulate radial walls, many pits. Flowering time: January to May, with the plants retaining the conspicuous fruits for several months.