Daboecia
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 Daboecia cantabrica | ||||||||||||
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Daboecia is a small genus in the family Ericaceae, containing two shrubby species, closely related to the genus Erica.
Daboecia differs from European Erica species in having a deciduous corolla which is substantially larger than the corolla in the same species of Erica. The leaves are always alternate in Daboecia, never whorled. The generic name come from the name of an Irish saint, Saint Dabeoc, but with the two middle vowels reversed.
- Species
- Daboecia azorica, from the Azores.
- Daboecia cantabrica, from western Europe, in western Ireland (counties Galway and southern Mayo), western France, northern Spain, northwest Portugal.
Some botanists regard the genus as monospecific, making the D. azorica a subspecies of D. cantabrica.
St Dabeoc's heath is a popular garden plant and numerous cultivars have been named. Cultivars include selections from the hybrid between the two species, which is named Daboecia x scotica (lists of cultivars are available from the Heather Society).
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.
