Erica velatiflora E.G.H.Oliv.

Erect sparse to dense shrublets 300-800 mm tall, single-stemmed reseeder. Branches: few erect main branches with continuous vegetative growth and many recurving, secondary, flowering branchlets up to 100 mm long and occasionally tertiary flowering branchlets ±3 mm long, young branches pubescent, the older with a few straight spreading stalked glands. Leaves 4-nate, subspreading to spreading, 0.6-2.0 mm long, elliptic to ovate, adaxially flattened, abaxially open-backed, edges rounded to subacute, apex acute often with a shortly stalked gland, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, margins with sessile glands and ciliate when older, occasionally with 1 or 2 gland-tipped hairs on midrib abaxially; petiole adpressed, 0.4-0.5 mm long, gland-edged when young and ciliate when older. Inflorescence: flowers 4-nate in 1 whorl, terminal on secondary and occasionally tertiary branches in involucrate heads with the approximate leaves often becoming coloured and hyaline; pedicel short, 0.1-0.6 mm long, pubescent; bract partially recaulescent, approximate to calyx, 1.7 x 1.3 mm, broadly ovate, basally adnate to pedicel on adaxial side, flat except for a small apical semi-open sulcus 1/5 its length, pilose all over or along midrib only, ciliolate to shortly gland-edged, greenish cream or white to reddish, partially overlapping the bracteoles; bracteoles 2, approximate, 1.3 x 1.0 mm, asymmetrically broad-elliptic, the exposed half broader and prolonged basally, otherwise like bract. Calyx 4-partite, well separated, 1.2 x 0.4-0.2 mm, narrow-to broad-spathulate to oblong, apex obtuse to acute, semi-sulcate in upper 1/5 of the lobe, pilose, edged with subsessile glands, hyaline, greenish cream to reddish. Corolla 4-lobed, 1.5 x 1.2 mm, broad-cyathiform, 8-lobed at base, finely puberulous in upper half otherwise smooth, white or cream tinged red; lobes erect, 1/4 length of the corolla, broadly rounded, entire. Stamens 8, free, manifest; filaments short, about as long as anthers, oblong, curving inwards, glabrous; anthers remaining adpressed to each other laterally with matrix of intertwined hairs around style. Flowering time: Variable. Some fruiting material was obtained in March but young buds and flowers were also present. The material from Schurweberg collected in May was in full flower. The species probably flowers throughout the year depending on the moisture available.