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December 4, 2008 : Erica glauca var. elegans
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Plant Family / Families: Ericaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Erica glauca Andrews var. elegans (Andrews) Bolus
Institution: University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
Name Location: Berkeley, California, USA
Thank you to today's author, Ruth Sanborn, and today's photographer, J.G. in SF@Flickr (original image via the BPotD Flickr Pool).
Today's plant is Erica glauca var. elegans and is originally from Western Cape Province, Africa (continuing with the recent theme of African plants). Its common name is Cape heath.
Erica is a large genus of flowering plants containing around 700 species. Most of these 700ish species are endemic to Africa -- native to nowhere else in the world. Most species of Erica are small evergreen shrubs that prefer acidic (low pH) soil, and can be called calcifugous (fleeing or seeking refuge from lime-rich, high pH soils). Common names such as heather and heath are generally used to refer to species of Erica, as well as the closely related genus Calluna. Species of Calluna are so similar that they are often confused with Erica species.
For more photographs of Erica glauca var. elegans (and seemingly of this particular plant), see PlantWorld and CalPhotos. Aluka also has some information about an 1847 herbarium voucher of Erica glauca var. elegans.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at December 4, 2008 10:07 PM
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Comments
Posted by: George Vaughan at December 5, 2008 4:50 AM
Thanks, Ruth. Am certainly enjoying the photographic foray into the botany of South Africa. Hope I can get there some day. Love the word "calcifugous".
Posted by: Deborah Lievens at December 5, 2008 5:26 AM
WOW!!!
Posted by: Jacqueline at December 5, 2008 5:41 AM
Too cool! I'd never seen even a photo of anything in Erica. That genus is the type for the family Ericaceae, which also includes a host of genera here in the western US, including the rhododendrons and azaleas, heather, wintergreen, and blueberries, not to mention madrone and manzanita!
Posted by: Norm Jensen at December 5, 2008 8:22 AM
Really great portrait.
Posted by: Eric in SF at December 5, 2008 8:26 AM
Beautiful!
Looks like a cross between Heather and the seasonally familiar 'Christmas Cactus'- especially their blooms.
Posted by: Elizabeth at December 5, 2008 10:40 AM
This is a stunning photo. Is there a way to obtain the technical information on the image? I went to Flicker, but don't see that particular image or how to get the info. Or is there a way to email the photographer?
Posted by: Emily at December 5, 2008 11:05 AM
Emily - under "Additional Information" on the lower right of the image page you'll see a small link labeled "More Properties".
Posted by: Eric in SF at December 5, 2008 11:16 AM
Great pic, J.G.
Boy, Eric in SF, don't you agree with me that Eric-aceae is the best family of all?
Posted by: Eric Simpson at December 5, 2008 3:13 PM
Eric S - My first love is and always will be the Orchidaceae but I have to say there are a plethora of spectacular Ericaceae. My favorite Ericaceous plants are the Neotropical Blueberries and any/all of the Rhododendrons.
Posted by: Eric in SF at December 5, 2008 7:22 PM
A beautiful plant and amazing photo.
Posted by: Robert Sarkisian at December 11, 2008 8:51 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Absolutely beautiful plant. I would love to have one or more of those in my garden. Thanks for sharing Daniel.