Erica pannosa

Erica pannosa, commonly known as felted heath and previously scientifically known as E. barbata on account of its hairiness (or beardedness), is an erect, hairy and sticky shrub reaching 1 m; probably mostly well below that height. E. perlata is a very similar, related species occurring in a largely overlapping distribution, but usually at higher elevations.

Both species belong in the Ephebus section of the Euerica subgenus according to the classification of Baker and Oliver, comprising plants with short corollas that are not tubular. Manning and Helme classified the species under Small-Flower Heaths in a subgroup called Small Bottlebrush Heaths that produce single or paired flowers from upper leaf axils arranged in cylindrical spikes or racemes near stem-tips.

The distribution of E. pannosa is fairly small, in the Riviersonderend Mountains. The plant in picture was encountered near Greyton.

The habitat is moist, lower fynbos slopes. Some habitat degradation is happening through farming and alien plant invasion, but the habitat population is deemed stable early in the twenty first century (Manning and Helme, 2024; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).