ELAEOCARPACEAE 237 



Egyptian bean, lotus, Nclubium, Nyinphaea ; -lily, Richardia. 



Ehretia L. Boraginaceae (n). 40 trop., chiefly %.. Timber. 



Ehrharta Thunb. Gramineae (7). 25 S. Afr., .Ylasc., N.Z. Useful 

 pasture grasses for sandy soil. 



Eichhornia Ivunth. Pontederiaceae. 5 S Am., W.I. The sympodium 

 is very complex. Each shoot in turn is pushed to one side by the 

 axillary shoot of its last 1. but one ; with this shoot it is combined, 

 however, up to the last 1. of the axillary shoot. After leaving the 

 axillary shoot, each shoot bears another 1. , and then ends in the infl., 

 which is enclosed in a spathe, and at first glance appears to spring 

 from the stalk of the last 1. In E. azarea Kunth. the fls. are di- 

 morphic, in E. crassipes Solms trimorphic heterostyled. This last 

 sp. has, when floating freely, large bladder-like swollen petioles, 

 but in soil these are not nearly so large. They cause the plant to 

 float high and it is easily blown about by wind, and has become a 

 very troublesome weed (water hyacinth) in Florida, Java, Australia, 

 &c. 



Eichleria Progel. Oxalidaceae. 2 S. Brazil. 



Eichlerodendron Briquet (Xylosma p. p.). Flacourt. (4). i Brazil. 



Eicosia Lilume. Orchidaceae. Nomen. 



Ekebergia Sparrm. Meliaceae (in). 12 S. and trop. Afr., Madag. 



Elachanthera F. Muell. Liliaceae (x). i Austr. 



Elachanthus F. Muell. Compositae (7). i temp. Austr. 



Elacholoma F. Muell. et Tate. Pedaliaceae. i Austr. 



Elaeagla Wed. Rubiaceae (i. 3). 2 N. Andes. 



Elaeagnaceae (EP., Bff.). Dicots. (Archichl. Myrtiflorae; Daph- 

 nales /?//.). 3 gen., 25 sp. , chiefly on steppes and coasts, % ; much 

 branched shrubs, often with leathery L, entire, opp. or alt., and 

 covered, as are all parts, with scaly hairs. There are frequently 

 thorns on the surface (reduced shoots). Infl. racemose; fls. or 

 unisexual, 2- or 4-merous. In the 3 the recept. is often flat, but in 

 the ? or ? fl. it is tubular as in Thymelaeaceae, and may be fused 

 with the ovary. No petals. Sta. as many, or twice as many, as 

 sepals. G i with one erect anatr. ov. Pseudo-drupe. Seed with 

 little or no endosp. Chief genera: Hippophae, Elaeagnus. 



Elaeagnus (Tourn.) L. Elaeagnaceae. 20 As., Eur., N. Am. (oleaster). 

 The fr. of some is ed. Cult. orn. shrubs. 



Elaeis Jacq. Palmae (iv. 2). 2, one trop. Am., the other, E. guine- 

 ensis [acq. trop. Afr. (oil-palm) from whose fr. the palm-oil, used 

 for railway axles &c., is obtained by boiling. 



Elaeocarpaceae (EP. ; Tiliaceae p.p. BH.). Dicots. (Archichl. Mai- 

 vales). 7 gen., 1 20 sp. trop. and subtrop., trees and shrubs with 

 alt. or opp., stip. 1., and racemes, panicles or dichasia of fls. Disc 

 usu. present. K 4 or 5, free or united, valvate ; C 4 or 5, rarely 

 united, often o, the petals often much divided at the ends, valvate 

 or imbr. but never conv.; A oo , free, on the disc, which is some- 

 times developed to an androphore ; anthers 2-loc. usu. opening by 

 two pores (sometimes confluent) at the apex ; G sessile, with 2 oo 

 (rarely i) loc.; ovules in each loc. oo or 2, anatr., pend. with ventral 

 raphe; style simple, sometimes lobed at apex. Capsule or drupe; 

 embryo straight, in abundant endosp. Chief genera: Elaeocarpus, 



