Erica halicacaba leaves from the top

Seen from the top, the Erica halicacaba branch tips display six vertical arrays of leaves. The needle-like leaves grow in whorls of threes closely spaced up the stem, the six arrays formed by alternating positions in consecutive groups of three, all growing densely together and soon dropping off from lower stems. Leaves become from 8 mm to 14 mm long. 

Young leaves have tiny, prickle-like hairs along their margins. The hairless, round-backed mature leaves are linear in shape, ascending or spreading and sometimes recurving (Manning and Helme, 2024; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org).