Daboecia
| Daboecia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Daboecia cantabrica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Tribe: | Ericeae |
| Genus: | Daboecia D.Don |
Daboecia /dæˈbiːʃiə/,[1] St. Dabeoc's heath, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, containing two evergreen shrubs, closely related to the genus Erica. They are native to cliffs and heathland in south-western Europe.
Description
They produce urn-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink and red. Daboecia differ from European Erica species in having a substantially larger corolla. The leaves are always alternate in Daboecia, never whorled. The generic name comes from the Irish Saint Dabheog.
Distribution
Daboecia has an oceanic southern distribution in western Europe, including western Ireland, western France, northwestern Spain, Portugal and the Azores.[2] Like Erica species, and Calluna Daboecia are calcifuges, but will tolerate neutral soils and avoid peat.
Species
- Daboecia azorica.Tutin & E. F. Warb.
- Daboecia cantabrica.(Huds.) K. Koch
Some botanists regard D. azorica as a subspecies of D. cantabrica, which would render the genus monospecific.
The two species have been extensively cultivated and hybridised to produce a number of popular garden plants. Cultivars include selections from the hybrid between the two species, which is named Daboecia × scotica.
References
- Oliver, E. G. H. (2000). Systematics of Ericeae. Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 19.
- Nelson, E. C. (1984). Dabeoc – a saint and his heather. Yearbook of the Heather Society 1984: 41–46.
- Nelson, E. C. (2000). A history, mainly nomenclatural, of St Dabeoc's heath. Watsonia 23: 47–58.
External links
Media related to Daboecia at Wikimedia Commons- Heather Society