Erica vestita

Erica vestita, commonly known as trembling heath and in Afrikaans as trilheide (vibrate heath or quiver heath), is an erect, compact shrublet branching from a single stem to heights around 1 m; a reseeder.

The thin, straight, thread-like leaves grow in whorls of six, the backs white from rolled under margins and probably lower surface hairs. Leaves are up to 2 cm long. Shimmering of the leaves in the breeze brought the plant its common names. The lower leaf parts that might be considered as petioles are sticky, possibly causing the shimmering.

Small raceme-shaped flower clusters are formed by single flowers growing from upper stem leaf axils. The bracteoles are needle-like. The sepals are needle-like but for their widened bases. The flower tubes are from 16 mm to 25 mm long, about four times the length of the green, hairless, leaf-like calyces.

The slightly curved corolla tubes end in four shallow, rounded lobes curving out. The tubular red, pink, purple or white flowers are hairy but not sticky. Two-toned pink and white flowers occur. The corolla lobes in picture do not have a different colour, although the tube bases may be whitish, are so on the plant in picture. Another common name of the plant, wide mouth heath, is descriptive of the corolla tips.

The eight stamens lacking tails are concealed in the tube or shortly exserted. The anthers are rounded at the base. The styles are sometimes seen, ending in pinhead stigmas. Flowering lasts all year round.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape, from near Worcester to Agulhas and on the Riviersonderend and the Langeberg Mountains to east of Swellendam. The photo was taken in the Tradouw Pass.

The habitat is wet as well as arid fynbos on shale and sandstone slopes. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2009; Mustart, et al, 1997; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).