Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC.

Half hardy, erect or branching, evergreen shrub with clustered leaves, to 8mm long, and solitary or paired, axillary, purplish flowers, to 8mm long.  To 1m.  [RHSD].

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘In Holland it appears to have been very long since known; but was a stranger here, till introduced from the Cape by Mr. Masson, in 1787, to Kew.  In the course of a few years it becomes a shrub of considerable size, equalling a small furze bush, to which, in its habit, it bears a distant resemblance; and furze-leaved, in our humble opinion, would have been a more expressive name than heath-leaved, which Mr. Aiton has given it in accordance with Commelin’s idea.  The purple of the flowers is brilliant in the extreme, and as those are plentifully produced almost the year through, it has very generally obtained a place in collections of green-house plants about London.  It is commonly increased by cuttings, but not easily.’  [BM t.340/1796].  MB p.150/1837.

History at Camden Park

Listed in all published catalogues [T.689/1843].

Notes

Naturalised on the coast near Sydney.  [FNSW, Beadle].

Published Mar 22, 2009 - 04:39 PM | Last updated Mar 24, 2010 - 03:19 PM

illustrated are the small clustered leaves and axillary, purplish flowers.  Curtis's Botanical Magazine t.340, 1796.

Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC. | BM t.340/1796 | BHL

Family Polygalaceae
Category
Region of origin

South Africa

Synonyms
Common Name
Name in the Camden Park Record

Muraltia Heisteria 

Confidence level high