Erica afra[3] is a small tree, sometimes a shrub, that grows in riparian habitats and on forest edges and occurs from the Western Cape to the Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho.[2][4] The tree's flowers look like bells. The tree's national tree number is 572.[5]
| Erica afra | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Erica |
| Species: | E. afra
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| Binomial name | |
| Erica afra | |
| Varieties[2] | |
| Synonyms[citation needed] | |
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Taxonomy
editThe etymology of the original species name caffra is related to kaffir, an ethnic slur used towards black people in Africa. At the July 2024 International Botanical Congress, a vote was held with the result that "caffra" related names will be emended to afra related ones, with the implementation of this being done at the end of July 2024.[6]
References
edit- ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. 2019. Erica caffra. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T143722238A143722240. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T143722238A143722240.en. Accessed on 3 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Erica afra L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ Callaway, Ewen (2024). "Hundreds of racist plant names will change after historic vote by botanists". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02365-x. PMID 39026072. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Erica caffra | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ "National List Of Indigenous Trees". Treetags. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ McKie, Robin (20 July 2024). "Botanists vote to remove racist reference from plants' scientific names". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
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