Erica sessiliflora L.f.

국표에 없다.

Erica sessiliflora has intriguing, pale yellowish green, tube-shaped flowers in showy heads and is a rewarding and decorative garden plant.

Erica sessiliflora is an erect, woody, densely branched, strong-growing shrub, 1-2 m high. The branches are covered in upward-pointing, needle-like leaves. The flowers are pale yellowish green, tubular, 16-30 mm long and curving downward, and are arranged in dense spikes towards the tips of main branches. This spectacular plant is hard to miss when in flower, which takes place all year round (January to December) with a peak during autumn to spring (April to September), although flowering time may vary from locality to locality.

What makes this species different from other ericas, and so easy to recognise, are the knobby protuberances on the stems below the current flower heads. These are not a fungal or viral infection, but the seed capsules, which remain on the plant for many years and are known as fruiting heads. When flowering is over and the flowers shrivel up and die, the sepals remain, grow larger and become hard and fleshy, protecting the ovaries with their developing seeds inside. The fruiting heads are usually yellowish green turning brown, but in one form they are a striking dark red. No other Erica shares this characteristic, it is unique to E. sessiliflora.

Erica sessiliflora is not threatened; it is widespread.

Erica sessiliflora has a wide distribution range. It occurs from Piketberg in the Western Cape to Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, and is found in a number of regions in between including the Cape Peninsula, Overberg and along the Garden Route.

It is usually seen on flats and lower mountain slopes, growing in damp to moist places, especially seepage areas, or next to streams, or where there is a lot of water run-off. This indicates that this species does best in cultivation in areas with high precipitation or where it is given water all year round.

 

Erica sessiliflora | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org)

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