Syn.: Arsace arborea Fourr., Ericoides arboreum (L.) Kuntze
Family: Ericaceae Juss.
Distribution: Southern Europe, northern and eastern Africa, Asia Minor – from the islands of Macaronesia to Turkey, southward to Yemen and mountains of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. Naturalized in southeastern Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom.
Ecology: It grows mainly in forests, but also on dry hillsides and slopes, from mountains (about 600 m) up to the alpine zone. It blooms from March to May.
Description: Evergreen shrub or small tree, 1–4(–7) m tall. Young twigs densely pubescent, leaves 3–5 mm, in whorls of (3–)4, linear, glabrous, minutely denticulate, dark green, margins revolute. Flowers in lateral racemes up to 40 cm long, sepals 1.5 mm long, ovate, glabrous, corolla 2.5–4 mm, white, broadly campanulate, with erect lobes. Fruit is a capsule.
Use: The wood is used for making smoking pipes, jewellery and ornaments.
These images were taken in Portugal, Madeira, Rabaçal and Pico Ruivo (June 29 and July 2, 2005) and Spain, the Canary Islands, Tenerife (March 27, 2006).
