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Daboecia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the heath family Ericaceae}}

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| image = Daboecia cantabrica1373917974.jpg

| image_caption = Daboecia cantabrica

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Daboecia

| authority = D.Don

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Daboecia {{IPAc-en|d|æ|ˈ|b|iː|ʃ|i|ə}},Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607 or St. Dabeoc's heath, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, containing two evergreen shrubs, closely related to the genus Erica. They are native to cliffs and heathland in southern Atlantic Europe and the Azores.{{cite web |title=Daboecia cantabrica (Huds.) C. Koch |url=https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6BXMG |publisher=Catalogue of Life |access-date=24 March 2021}}

Description

They produce urn-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink and red. Daboecia differ from European Erica species in having a substantially larger corolla. The leaves are always alternate in Daboecia, never whorled. The generic name comes from the Irish Saint Dabheog.

Distribution

Daboecia has an oceanic distribution in western Europe, including western Ireland, western France, northwestern Spain, northwestern mainland Portugal and the Central Group of the Azores.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}} Like Erica and Calluna species, Daboecia are calcifuges, but will tolerate neutral soils and avoid peat.

Species

| url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Irish%20heath

| title = Irish heath

| publisher = Merriam-Webster

| access-date = 6 February 2018}}

Some botanists regard D. azorica as a subspecies of D. cantabrica, which would render the genus monospecific.

Cultivation

The two species have been extensively cultivated and hybridised to produce a number of popular garden plants. Cultivars include selections from the hybrid between the two species, which is named Daboecia × scotica.

The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017):{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 16 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 24 January 2018}}

  • D. cantabrica 'Waley's Red'{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/96805/i-Daboecia-cantabrica-i-Waley-s-Red/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - D. cantabrica 'Waley's Red'

| access-date=6 February 2018}}

  • D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'Silverwells'{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/119067/i-Daboecia-cantabrica-i-subsp-i-scotica-i-Silverwells/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'Silverwells'

| access-date=6 February 2018}}

  • D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'William Hicks'{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/119069/i-Daboecia-cantabrica-i-subsp-i-scotica-i-William-Buchanan/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - D. cantabrica subsp. scotica 'William Hicks'

| access-date=6 February 2018}}

References

{{Reflist}}

  • 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.

External links

  • {{Commons category-inline|Daboecia|Daboecia}}
  • [http://www.heathersociety.org/ Heather Society]

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Category:Ericaceae genera

Category:Ericoideae

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