About Erica umbellata L.
Erica umbellata L. is a bush that grows between 10 and 50 cm (3.9 to 19.7 in) tall. Its young stems have barely visible ribs, and it has reddish-brown bark. It produces terminal, umbelliform inflorescences that hold 3 to 6 flowers, with no basal bracteoles present. Its seeds are ellipsoidal, measuring 0.5–0.6 mm (0.020–0.024 in) in length. The corolla is 3.5–5.5 mm (0.14–0.22 in) long, and is most often intensely pink or purple, though occasionally albino flowers occur. This species is native to the western Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and western Spain) and northwest Africa (Morocco). It grows on bare terrain, dwarf or cleared heaths, scrublands, cleared forests, pine forests, and subcoastal sand, and it always occurs on siliceous soils, at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). A number of varieties have been named based on differing traits. Populations in the Algarve with very large flowers that reach up to 7 mm (0.28 in) have been named var. major. Plants from Galicia with slender, graceful stems and small flowers were described as var. filiformis. Rarely, individual plants with rudimentary or aborted stamens are classified as var. anandra. Unlike its usual habitat preference, Erica umbellata can grow well on limey soils.
