About Erica abietina L.
Erica abietina L., commonly known as the honeysuckle heath, is a species of heath endemic to the Cape Peninsula, located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Currently, E. abietina is divided into four subspecies, each typically having a highly restricted native range and a distinct flower color. In older classifications, the species included three additional subspecies. Further study revealed these three subspecies are more distantly related to the endemic Cape Peninsula subspecies of E. abietina, so they have been reclassified: two are now placed under Erica grandiflora L.f. (these are Erica abietina subsp. aurantiaca E.G.H.Oliv. & I.M.Oliv. and Erica abietina subsp. perfoliosa E.G.H.Oliv. & I.M.Oliv.), and one is now classified as Erica situshiemalis E.G.H.Oliv. & Pirie.
