| Erica tetralix | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Erica |
| Species: | E. tetralix |
| Binomial name | |
| Erica tetralix | |
 | |
Erica tetralix, thecross-leaved heath, is aspecies offlowering plant in thefamilyEricaceae,native to western Europe.
It is aperennialsubshrub with glandularleaves inwhorls of four (whence the name). Appearing in summer and autumn, small pink bell-shapedflowers droop in compact clusters at the ends of the shoots.
Related speciesE. cinerea has glabrous leaves in whorls of three.Calluna vulgaris has much smaller and scale-like leaves in opposite anddecussate pairs.[1]
The sticky, adhesive glands on leaves, sepals and other parts of the plant promptedCharles Darwin to suggest that this species might be aprotocarnivorous plant, but little, if any, research has been done on this.[2]
E. tetralix isnative to western Europe from southernPortugal to centralNorway, as well as a number of boggy regions further from the coast in Central Europe such asAustria andSwitzerland. It has also beenintroduced to parts of North America.
E. tetralix can become a dominant part of theflora inbogs, wetheaths, and dampconiferous woodland.[3]
A species ofTrialeurodes whitefly discovered in 1971 was namedT. ericae for the plant, due to its frequent association with it.[4]
In cultivation, like other heathers,E. tetralix requires anacidic soil, as it is acalcifuge. Numerouscultivars have been developed for garden use, of whichE. tetralixf.alba 'Alba Mollis'[5] (a white-flowered variety) andE. tetralix f.stellata 'Pink Star'[6] have gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[7]
It appears in the 1938 German marching song "Erika" byHerms Niel.
Media related toErica tetralix at Wikimedia Commons
