Erica turneri E.G.H.Oliv.

Plants up to 450 mm tall, laxly erect to sprawling, entwined, single-stemmed reseeders. Branches: several lax, spreading main and numerous entwined secondary branches; stems, younger and older with sparse, short, simple and gland-tipped hairs, no infrafoliar ridges, internodes ± 5-10(-17) mm long. Leaves 3-nate, ovoid to obovoid, ± 3-4 x 1.0-2.5 mm, flat, open-backed, abaxi-ally with short, simple and gland-tipped hairs, midrib slightly thickened in basal and median portions, adaxi-ally with short, simple and occasional short, gland-tipped hairs, green, margins slightly thickened abaxially, ciliate, with short simple and gland-tipped hairs; petiole ± 0.5-0.75 mm long, yellowish green. Inflorescence: flowers 1 to 3-nate in 1(2) whorls at ends of main branches and secondary branchlets, the latter long or highly reduced; pedicel ± 8 mm long, green turning reddish, with short, simple and gland-tipped hairs; bract partially recaulescent, basal to median, leaf-like, narrowly obovate, ± 0.7 mm long, open-backed, abaxial and adaxial surfaces and margins with short, dense, simple and gland-tipped hairs, pale green; bracteoles 2, basal to median, longer than bract, linear, ± 0.8 mm long, open-backed, leaf-like, abaxial and adaxial surfaces and margins with short, dense, simple and gland-tipped hairs, pale green. Calyx 4-lobed; sepals adpressed, ovate, open-backed, ± 1.5-2.0 mm long, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with short, simple and gland-tipped hairs, margins slightly thickened, ciliate, with short simple and gland-tipped hairs, green. Corolla 4-lobed, broadly cup-shaped to slightly ovoid, 3-4 x 2.5-3.5 mm, with short simple hairs (± 0.1-0.4 mm long), translucent white tinged pink in upper half and lobes, becoming deeper pink upon exposure to sunlight and when older, lobes erect, acute, margins smooth. Stamens 8, free, included; filaments linear, ± 1.5 mm long, with a slight apical bend, glabrous, white; anthers dorsally fixed at base, bipartite, thecae erect, subfalcately rectangular-elliptic in lateral view, ± 0.8-1.0 mm long, sparsely aculeate, golden brown with reddish tinge on dorsal ridge; appendages pendulous, dentate, narrowly obcuneate, ± 0.7 mm long, sparsely aculeate, dorsally fixed at bases of thecae, white, often tinged red, pores ± 0.25-0.3 mm long; pollen in tetrads. Ovary 4-locular, subturbinate, slightly flattened, ± 0.85 mm long, with sparse lanate hairs, green turning red; ovules 7 or 8 per locule, placenta apical, nectaries, basal, green; style filiform, ± 2 mm long, glabrous, exserted, occasionally with sparse lanate hairs on upper 0.4 mm, white to pale green, tinged red apically; stigma subcapitate, reddish. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, broadly cylindric-ellipsoid, ± 0.85 mm long, sparsely lanate, pale cream-coloured, valves thin and brittle, speading to ± 45°, septa ± 60% on valve, 40% on columella. Seeds ellipsoid, ± 0.3 mm long; testa yellowish brown, smooth, shiny; cells irregularly elongate, 50-80 x 25-40 urn, anticlinal walls unevenly jigsawed, periclinal walls with numerous small pits.