Erica scoparia

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Erica scoparia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Erica
Species:
E. scoparia
Binomial name
Erica scoparia

Erica scoparia, the green heather[1] or Common Besom Heath,[2] is a shrubby European species of heath in the flowering plant family Ericaceae.

Description[edit]

Erica scoparia is a perennial evergreen shrub with small yellowish white to red-brown bell-shaped drooping flowers borne in clusters at the ends of its shoots.[3]

Distribution and habitat[edit]

It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), Southern France, Italy, Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Corsica.[4]

It is found in a range of Mediterranean habitats, including semi-arid locations. Its distribution seems to largely depend on water availability (being considered hygrophytic) and dissolved aluminum in the soil. It is quite consistent under varied levels of shade.[5][6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Erica scoparia (green heather)". Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Common Besom Heath (Erica scoparia)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  3. ^ FloreAlpes: Erica scoparia
  4. ^ "Erica scoparia L." Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  5. ^ Ojeda, Fernando; Arroyo, Juan; Marañón, Teodoro (2000). "Ecological Distribution of Four Co-Occurring Mediterranean Heath Species". Ecography. 23 (1): 148–159. ISSN 0906-7590.
  6. ^ Antunes, Cristina; Díaz Barradas, Mari Cruz; Zunzunegui, Maria; Vieira, Simone; Pereira, Ângela; Anjos, Andreia; Correia, Otília; Pereira, Maria João; Máguas, Cristina (23 March 2018). Llorens, Laura (ed.). "Contrasting plant water‐use responses to groundwater depth in coastal dune ecosystems". Functional Ecology. 32 (8): 1931–1943. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13110. ISSN 0269-8463.

External links[edit]

Media related to Erica scoparia at Wikimedia Commons