Erica cubica var. cubica

Erica cubica var. cubica is a shrublet in the Melastemon section of the Erica genus. It grows either straight, erect, rod-like branches or a spreading form reaching heights around 45 cm.

The branches and leaves are hairless. The narrow, furrowed leaves grow in fours or scattered, some longer and incurving, others shorter and overlapping.

The distribution of the variety is in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and maybe into KwaZulu-Natal. The plants are possibly found from Montagu, certainly from around George and eastwards to the Eastern Cape, probably as far as Uitenhage, maybe further. Overlap with the distribution of var. natalensis may occur, the latter variety growing as far as northern KwaZulu-Natal, only in the summer rainfall region. The photo was taken in fynbos on the southern side of the Langkloof near Louterwater.

The habitat is moist fynbos, scrub and grassland on marshy flats and seepages on slopes. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Baker and Oliver, 1967; Pooley, 1998; Moriarty, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).