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cross-leaf heath

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

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy, acidic, upland sites in old pastures and roadsides
Elevation 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; NC; NH; NJ; OH; WV; NS; n Europe; w Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 494.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Ericoideae > Erica
Sibling taxa
E. cinerea, E. lusitanica, E. vagans
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 353. 1753 ,
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