Erica curviflora

The erect Erica curviflora, commonly known as water heath and in Afrikaans as waterbos (water bush), is a shrub that grows hairy branches with many side-branchlets to heights around 1,8 m. Four varieties of this variable species used to be recognised, but no longer. 

The short-stalked flowers grow mainly solitary at the tips of side-branchlets, sometimes in pairs. The sepals are coloured similarly to the corollas, different from the tiny, narrowly triangular to needle-like green bracts, these days bracteoles positioned behind to on their back ends. The tubular corollas reach lengths varying from 2 cm to 3,8 cm. They may be pubescent or glabrous, i.e. hairy or not.

The curve in the E. curviflora flower tubes is usually a necessary, but not a sufficient characteristic for identifying this plant. Plants with straight flowers are occasionally seen, many other Erica species also having curved flowers. Neither is the colour on the two-toned yellow and pink corolla distinctive. Other Erica species have similar colours while E. curviflora may also be red or orange. The plant is usually found near water, its presence even regarded as an indicator of moisture, but many ericas live near water. The eight anthers in each flower are visible or slightly exserted. The style protrudes, its stigma minute.

The species distribution is from the southwest of the Northern Cape near Nieuwoudtville to the Western Cape, southwards as far as the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to the Eastern Cape as far as Makhanda.

The habitat is a broad coastal mountain strip of moist fynbos, near streams or in seeps. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).