Erica rhopalantha, browntip heath at Varksnoet

Erica rhopalantha, commonly known as browntip heath or club-flowered heath, sometimes has dark tips both on the corolla-coloured, angled out sepals, the widest flower parts, and on the narrowing, angled-in corolla tips that are double the calyx length. Many-flowered, often in threes, the flowers measure only 3 mm to 4 mm in length, their pedicels from 2 mm to 4 mm.

The species forms part of the Lamprotis section of the Erica genus according to the Baker and Oliver classification, the flowers of which are characterised by prominent, coloured calyces. The corolla tips of the Lamprotis ericas often spread when young but soon turn brown and become constricted. Manning and Helme have this one under Chaffy Vase Heaths that are small-flowered with hairy corollas shorter than 10 mm, tapering to small mouths and glossy petal-like sepals.

The eight anthers and the styles of E. rhopalantha flowers are included in the corollas (Manning and Helme, 2024; Marais, (Ed.), 2017; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Baker and Oliver, 1967; iNaturalist).