Erica corifolia

Erica corifolia, commonly the darktip heath and previously sometimes E. coriifolia, is an upright shrublet growing willowy, mostly hairless branches that reach heights around 1 m. 

The hairless leaves more often grow in whorls of three than opposite. They ascend up or are pressed to the stems. The leaf-shape is awl-like to needle-like, from 3 mm to 9 mm long.

The small to medium, pink, urn-shaped or vase-shaped, narrow-mouthed flowers appear solitary or in groups of up to three on spur-branchlets near stem-tips. The large, leaf-shaped sepals are variably pink as the corollas and tipped with darker keels. The sepals may be longer or shorter than the corolla and overlap at the base. The tips of the corollas turn brown quite early. This may appear like protruding anthers. Corollas are from 3 mm to 6 mm long. The eight stamens are concealed in the corolla, the anthers have jagged crests at the base. The style presents its pinhead stigma in the corolla mouth. Flowering continues all year round. 

This common species in the southwest of the Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula northwards to Ceres and eastwards to De Hoop consists of four recognised varieties. 

The habitat of the species is sandy fynbos flats and middle and upper moutain slopes. The habitat populations of all four varieties are considered of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).