Erica tetralix |
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cross-leaf heath |
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Habit | Plants erect or ascending, 10–25 cm; twigs of current season green, with both appressed and spreading, stiff hairs, older twigs brown, glabrescent. |
Leaves | in whorls of 4; petiole 0.1–0.3 mm; blade linear-lanceolate, flat, 3–5.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm, margins revolute, not prickled, abaxial surface stiffly short-hairy, adaxial sparsely, stiffly short-hairy (hairs ca. 0.1–0.2 mm), mixed with longer, glandular hairs (hairs 0.5–0.6 mm). |
Inflorescences | terminal umbels, capitate, 0.8–1.6 cm. |
Pedicels | 2–3 mm, glabrous. |
Flowers | calyx lobes narrowly deltate, 2.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, margins entire, with short, stiff hairs, apex obtuse, with short, stiff hairs; corolla light pink, campanulate, 4–5 mm, lobes deltate, 0.5 mm, apex acute; stamens 10; filaments ca. 3 mm; anthers awned, ca. 0.7 mm, awns 2, basal, subulate, ca. 0.7 mm; ovary hairy; style 3–4 mm; stigma included, not slender, capitate. |
Capsules | 1.5–2 mm. |
Seeds | ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.3 × 0.3 mm, reticulate. |
2n | = 24. |
Erica tetralix |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Sandy, acidic, upland sites in old pastures and roadsides |
Elevation | 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; MA; ME; NC; NH; NJ; OH; WV; NS; n Europe; w Europe [Introduced in North America] |
Source | FNA vol. 8, p. 494. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 353. 1753 , |
Web links |