Erica melanthera

Erica melanthera, commonly known as black-anther heath, is an erect shrublet growing to 70 cm in height. The specific epithet, melanthera, is derived from the Greek words melas meaning black and anthera meaning flowery, referring to the black anthers of the flowers. Being single-stemmed, the plant does not resprout after fire.

The species resembles E. chamissonis, but lacks the long hairs on the leaves and has less hairiness on the peduncles and calyces. 

The distribution of the species is in the Western Cape from around Ashton, the Swartberg Mountains and the Langeberge in the Little Karoo and eastwards into the Eastern Cape across the Kouga Mountains and Baviaanskloof to around Kariega (Uitenhage). The photo was taken in October in the Tradouw Pass.

The habitat is moist slopes of mountain fynbos. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).