Erica vagans

Plants decumbent or ascending, 30–60 cm; twigs of current season green, glabrous, ridged from decurrent leaf bases, older twigs light brown, glabrous, rough from raised leaf scars. Leaves in whorls of 4–5; petiole 0.5–1 mm; blade linear-lanceolate, compressed-triangular in cross section, 4.5–6 × 1 mm, margins revolute, ciliate, surfaces glabrous, grooved abaxially. Inflorescences terminal or lateral racemes, ovoid to oblong, 5–10 cm. Pedicels 5–8 mm, glabrous; (bracteoles 2, in basal third, 0.4–0.6 mm, scarious). Flowers: calyx lobes elliptic, 1 × 0.5 mm, margins ciliate, apex obtuse, glabrous; corolla pink or white, broadly campanulate, 2.5–3.5 mm, lobes deltate, 0.5 mm, apex obtuse; stamens 10; filaments 1.5–2 mm; anthers not awned, 0.5–0.8 mm; ovary glabrous; style 3.5–4.5 mm; stigma exserted, filiform, (glabrous). Capsules 1–2 mm, hairy. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.6 × 0.5 mm, finely pitted. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Sandy, acidic, upland sites in old pastures and roadsides
Elevation: 0-50 m

Introduced; Mass., Pa., w Europe.

Discussion

The Massachusetts records of Erica vagans are dated 1915 to 1921, from Nantucket Island.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa