Erica diaphana

Erica diaphana, commonly called diaphanous heath, is an erect shrub growing rigid, spreading branches to 1,8 m. Branch tips are initially soft and pale yellow, becoming woody as they develop a covering of coarse bark. Older branches are dark and leafless. The plant resprouts after fire.

The species forms part of the Syringodea subgenus of Erica according to Baker and Oliver. The subgenus is characterised by corolla tubes exceeding 8 mm in length and corolla lobes that are not star-like. Within this subgenus they are further classified in the Evanthe section, a smaller group comprising plants with terminal flowers mostly longer than 9 mm. Manning and Helme produced a later classification, grouping this plant among Smooth or Sticky Trumpet Heaths. The group bears flowers at the tips of side-branchlets, sometimes in false spikes or racemes, and sometimes hairless and sticky.

The species distribution is large, ranging from Swellendam in the Western Cape, along the Outeniqua, Langkloof, Baviaanskloof and Tsitsikamma Mountains to Kariega (Uitenhage) in the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is fynbos flats and rocky slopes, also at higher elevations. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; Wikipedia; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).