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Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie

Ericaceae · Cape Provinces

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

Photographs not checked iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not asked, or not answered, is not "none": nothing here claims there is none. Why the site says it this way.
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Habitat figuresfrom few records
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
2.8°C
Record low -0.1 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
26°C
Jan and Feb at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
779mm
12 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
16–51DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in your months, northern hemisphere
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Wet winters: the rain comes October to April (April to October at the habitat), read as a winter growing season. rain rule, CHELSA
Northern hemisphere unless you set your site. The chart is in the habitat's months.

From few records: 8 records in 8 grid cells. The records.

Cultivation

Seasons

The rain rule reads a winter growing season: 70% of the median year's rain (552 mm of 753 mm) falls in April to October, cooler than the year (wet-season mean 13.5 °C against a yearly mean of 15.9 °C). Months are the habitat's, southern hemisphere; shifted six months for a northern-hemisphere collection: October to April.

Rain

753 mm in the median year at the habitat, 552 mm of it April to October. Wettest month July at 98 mm, driest month February at 31 mm. Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 428 mm to 1,436 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 779 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 753 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, southern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 16 to 51 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 15, the highest 90th-percentile month 55).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is 2.8 °C, the absolute minimum -0.1 °C, 1 frost night in 44 years (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 38.8 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low 5.7 °C in July (across the grid cells of the range 2.2 °C to 11.3 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 26.3 °C in January and February (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: 2.8 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 57 to 59% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected -175 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Climate across the habitat

From few records: this habitat climate is read from 8 records in 8 grid cells; a page says so under 12 records or 5 cells, and shows the figures as read.

Habitat months, southern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Erica oliveranthus through the yearWarmest months January and February, mean daily high 26 °C; coldest month July, mean nightly low 5.7 °C; 753 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, southern hemisphere.-10°0°10°20°30°40°frost38.8° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER-0.1° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter050100150200250mm rainDLI 16–51RH 57–59%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 8 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C26 / 22–3126 / 22–3125 / 21–2922 / 19–2520 / 16–2117 / 13–1816 / 13–1717 / 14–1819 / 15–2021 / 17–2323 / 19–2625 / 21–29
Night °C16 / 12–1816 / 13–1815 / 12–1712 / 9–1510 / 6–147 / 3–126 / 2–116 / 3–128 / 5–1210 / 7–1312 / 9–1514 / 11–16
Rain mm34 / 24–5931 / 22–4848 / 28–6772 / 46–10679 / 37–18492 / 34–23498 / 38–24495 / 43–19162 / 28–14154 / 36–10048 / 29–8140 / 25–70
DLI51 / 46–5545 / 40–4937 / 33–4026 / 24–2919 / 18–2216 / 15–1918 / 16–2022 / 21–2531 / 29–3340 / 36–4348 / 43–5051 / 47–54
RH %57 / 52–6357 / 52–6457 / 52–6557 / 54–6357 / 54–6057 / 55–5957 / 55–5959 / 56–6059 / 56–6258 / 55–6257 / 54–6357 / 53–63
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 8 grid cells holding the 8 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 2482:3992 (-34.125, 19.625). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -0.1 °C, 1st-percentile night 2.8 °C, 99th-percentile day 38.8 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 8 distinct grid cells holding 8 of the 8 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 2482:3992 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -34.00_19.375, lapse-corrected -175 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 275 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the keys of the names Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 7645026 (Erica tenuis Salisb., 196 records), 10735429 (Ericoides tenuis Kuntze, 1891, 0 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeCape Provinces · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker-33.625, 19.875 · in the densest population, 49 records (58% of those in range)
Kew's description“subtropical” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 84 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 8 of them placed to within 10 km; the map shows only the 79 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 19 km away. Under a dozen records behind the climate. 76 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 7645026 (Erica tenuis Salisb.): Kew's file holds it as Erica tenuis Salisb. (illegitimate under Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie); 196 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 10735429 (Ericoides tenuis Kuntze, 1891): Kew's file holds it as Ericoides tenuis Kuntze (synonym under Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population of the 84 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Not checked. iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not a statement that none exist.

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Diospyros glabra Diospyros glabra Fynbos Star Apple Photo: CC BY-SA, Jeanette ClarkeAthanasia trifurcata Athanasia trifurcata Three-tooth Athanas Photo: CC BY-SA, Tony RebeloFreylinia lanceolata Freylinia lanceolata Honey Bellbush Photo: CC BY, Dave RichardsonLachenalia orchioides Lachenalia orchioides Orchid Viooltjie Photo: CC BY, Dave RichardsonHolothrix villosa Holothrix villosa Hairy Thread Orchid Photo: CC BY, Cricket RaspetPelargonium elongatum Pelargonium elongatum Long Storksbill Photo: CC BY-SA, Tony Rebelo

Other Erica 102 in the reference

Erica abietina Erica abietina Honeysuckle heath Photo: CC BY, Jessica UtrupErica afra Erica afra Ericaceae Photo: CC BY-SA, Andrew massynErica alopecurus Erica alopecurus Foxtail Erica Photo: CC BY, Ren HoekstraErica arborea Erica arborea Tree heath Photo: CC BY, Ксения ВолянскаяErica australis Erica australis Spanish heath Photo: CC BY, Barry StewartErica azorica Erica azorica Azorean Heather Photo: CC BY, Rui RibeiroErica baccans Erica baccans Berry Heath Photo: CC BY-SA, Tony RebeloErica banksia Erica banksia Tutu Heath Photo: CC BY, André DeschodtErica bauera Erica bauera Albertinia Heath Photo: CC BY, Christiaan ViljoenErica blandfordia Erica blandfordia Wax Heath Photo: CC BY, Sarah VisserErica blenna Erica blenna Chinese Lantern Heath Photo: CC BY, Martjie Fia FourieErica bolusiae Erica bolusiae Sand Fynbos Heath Photo: CC BY-SA, Jacques van der Merwe all 103 ›

Names & registers

Also known as Erica capillaris; Erica longifissa; Erica divaricata; Erica tenuis; Ericoides tenuis. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

IPNIPOWO

The record

Family
Ericaceae
Described by
E.C.Nelson & Pirie
Native to
Cape Provinces
Wild records
84 in range · 79 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie (plant_name_id 3304331), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredasked 2026-10-22this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 196 records of GBIF's key 7645026, Erica tenuis Salisb. (Kew's file holds it as Erica tenuis Salisb. (illegitimate under Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie)): the GBIF download; 0 records of GBIF's key 10735429, Ericoides tenuis Kuntze, 1891 (Kew's file holds it as Ericoides tenuis Kuntze (synonym under Erica oliveranthus E.C.Nelson & Pirie)): GBIF occurrence search API
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -34.00_19.375, lapse-corrected -175 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22no item carries Kew's IPNI identifier 77327532-1, POWO 77327532-1
Wikipedia wikipedia nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
iNaturalist taxon inat.taxon not asked
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 8 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

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