The Ericoideae and the southern African heathers

OLIVER, E. G. H., 1989. The Ericoideae and the southern African heathers. The subfamily Ericoideae (Ericaceae) containing the true heathers and heaths has been a group long recognized as a sound natural entity. With work on the southern African genera and species which comprise approximately 95% of the subfamily well in progress, a reassessment of the number of genera has become necessary because of the considerable variation recorded in, and the postulated polyphyletic origin of, the capsular genera. Changes envisaged will affect the whole concept of the heaths within Africa. The genus Philippia Klotzsch has been reduced to synonymy under Erica L. and it is shown that the case for a similar action is very strong for Blaeria L. and Ericinella Klotzsch. The position of the monotypic European genus, Bruckenthalia Reichb., is also affected but remains unresolved.