Erica australis

Appearance

Most of the species of Erica are small shrubs from 20–150 cm (8–59 in) high, though some are taller; the tallest are E. arborea (tree heath) and E. scoparia (besom heath), both of which can reach up to 7 m (23 ft) tall. All are evergreen, with minute, needle-like leaves 2–15 mm long. Flowers are sometimes axillary, and sometimes borne in terminal umbels or spikes, and are usually outward or downward facing. The seeds are very small, and in some species may survive in the soil for decades.

Naming

The Latin word erica means "heath" or "broom".[2] It is believed that Pliny adapted erica from Ancient Greek ἐρείκη.[3] The expected Anglo-Latin pronunciation, /ᵻˈraɪkə/, may be given in dictionaries (OED: "Erica"), but /ˈɛrᵻkə/ is more commonly heard

Distribution

It is a species present in Portuguese territory, including the following infraspecific taxa: [3]
Erica australis subsp. Australis - present in mainland Portugal. In terms of naturalness it is native to the aforementioned region.

Status

It is not protected by Portuguese or European Community legislation.