Erica thamnoides E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect woody shrub up to 1.5 m tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: numerous erect main branches terminating in an inflorescence or continuing vegetative growth, with many short secondary and very short tertiary flowering branchlets, the latter only 2.0 mm long, young branches with very short spreading scabrid simple or semi-stellate hairs, sometimes with short gland-tipped hairs admixed, no infrafoliar ridges. Leaves 3-nate, imbricate erect, 4.0-6.0 x 0.5 mm, oblong, apex subacute, adaxially flattened, abaxially subacute and narrowly sulcate, margins acute ciliolate and with minute sessile glands, otherwise glabrous; petiole adpressed, 0.4 mm long, glabrous or minutely puberulous, edges glabrous or ciliolate or with sessile glands. Inflorescence: flowers 3-nate in 1 or 2 whorls, when 2-whorled then umbel-like, terminal on main branches and secondary and tertiary branchlets; pedicel 0.1-0.2 mm long, puberulous; bract partially recaulescent, approximate to calyx, 0.8-1.3 x 0.2 mm, from as long as calyx to as short as bracteoles, oblong to oblanceolate, sulcate for 1/3 its length, apex acute, puberulous, green mainly at apex; bracteoles 2, approximate, 0.8 x 0.2 mm, oblong, apex acute, greenish, otherwise like bract. Calyx 4-lobed, 1.5 x 1.3 mm, broadly funnel-shaped, obscurely and obtusely ridged opposite the lobes, pale green to white or pinkish, puberulous; lobes 1/2-1/3 length of calyx, triangular, apex acute, narrowly sulcate and strongly keeled for their full length, ciliolate, with numerous sticky sessile glands mainly towards edges adaxially, lobes agglutinated to corolla. Corolla 4-lobed, 2.5-3.5 x 1.3 mm, obovoid-urceolate, often slightly contracted at mouth, obtuse-angular alternating with the lobes, reticulate when dry, glabrous, pinkish cream to deep pink; lobes erect or slightly recurved, 0.5 x 0.3 mm, rounded, often erase. Stamens 4, exserted, free; filaments just longer than the corolla, linear, glabrous; anthers basifixed, subbasally fixed, oblong, spurred on filament just below thecae; spurs oblong-triangular, aculeate, pendulous; thecae 1.2 x 0.2 mm, oblong, erect, aculeate at edges and between thecae, dark brown; pore 1/3-1/2 length of theca; pollen in monads. Ovary 1-locular, 0.5 x 0.5 mm, obovoid, 4-lobed or-angled, apex acute, glabrous, with distinct basal nectaries; ovules 4, pendulous, placenta apical; style exserted, 1.5-2x as long as corolla, terete, glabrous; stigma cyathiform. Fruit a semi-dehiscent capsule splitting partially into 4 valves, valves tough yet flexible, endocarp of 2 lignified layers, exocarp and mesocarp thin, no crystals present; seeds not shed, ellipsoid, testa thick, foveate, the cells slightly elongate, with straight or finely undulate anticlinal walls, finely pitted. Flowering time: most summer months, but varying according to locality.