Erica globiceps subsp. consors

Erica globiceps, sometimes referred to as roundhead heath or globe heath, is a low-growing shrublet that sprawls, reaching 30 cm in height. The species bears pink flowers.

E. globiceps subsp. consors has hairy leaves growing in whorls of four. Its flowers have three or four sepals petals and stamens. The stamens and the styles are exserted.

There are three subspecies of this Erica, viz. E. globiceps subsp. globiceps, E. globiceps subsp. consors found only in the Hermanus area and E. globiceps subsp. gracilis also found from Caledon to Riviersonderend.

Due to the lower number of stamens in the flower of E. globiceps (only four, whereas Erica species were initially defined as those plants in the family bearing flowers that have eight stamens), the forms of this plant were earlier classified among the “Minor Genera” of the Ericaceae family in two different genera. These genera were Simocheilus (that included subsp. consors) and Syndesmanthus (that included subsp. globiceps and subsp. gracilis) respectively.

The overall species is distributed from Sir Lowry’s Pass to Worcester and eastwards beyond Heidelberg on fynbos slopes and flats down to the coastal plain, often seen in the Bredasdorp area.

The habitat is fynbos mountain slopes. The habitat populations of all three subspecies are deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century. (Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).