138 



HENDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



EHR 



Ehre'tia. In honor of D. G. Ehret, a celebrated 

 German botanical draughtsman. Nat. Ord. 

 Boraginacece. 



A small genus of very beautiful tropical 

 trees and shrubs, producing large corymVjs of 

 fragrant, mostly white flowers. Introduced 

 in 1823 ; propagated by cuttings. 



Ehre'tia'ceae. A natural order, now placed as a 

 tribe of BoraginacecB. 



Eichho'rnia. Named in honor of J. A. F. Etch- 

 ham, an eminent Prussian. Nat. Ord. PonU- 

 deriacece. 



Very interesting stove aquatics, natives of 

 South America and tropical Africa. E. cran- 

 sipes, Syn. Pondeteria azurea, or P. craHsqv'.s, 

 grows freely, floating on the surface of the 

 water, without the roots being in the soil ; the 

 other species are easily grown in pots filled 

 Avith coarse, rather rich soil, immersed and 

 kept in water. 



Elaeagna'ceae. A natural order of trees or 

 shrubs, more or less covered with minute 

 silvery or brown scurfy scales, and natives 

 chiefly of the northern hemisphere. There 

 are four known genera and about thirty spe- 

 cies. Shepherdia, Elceagnus, and Hippophai 

 are examples of the order. 



Elaea'gnus. Oleaster, or Wild Olive. From 

 Elaia, an olive, and ag7ios, a chaste tree ; 

 resemblance the tree bears. Nat. Ord. Eke- 

 agnacece. 



A genus of hardy and half-hardy ornamental 

 low-growing trees or shrubs, natives of 

 southern Europe and Asia. E. hortennis, is an 

 old garden shrub, noted for the silvery white- 

 ness of its foliage, and, on this account, is 

 often selected to plant in a conspicuous situa- 

 tion, or to contrast with shrubs of darker 

 foliage. Its flowers are produced in May, are 

 quite small, pale yellow, and fragrant. E. 

 argentea is described by Gray, under the name 

 of Shepherdia argentea, which see. 



Elae'is. The Oil Palm. From Elaia, the 

 olive ; similarity of expressing oil from the 

 fruit. Nat. Ord. Palnuicece. 



This interesting genus of Palms consists of 

 but few species, the minor ones being na- 

 tives of South America. E. Guineensis, the 

 most important species, abounds on the west 

 coast of Africa. It grows to the greatest 

 perfection in shadj' places, where the trees 

 attain a height of twenty feet. The immense 

 groves iiiterspei'sed with the larger vegeta- 

 tion of that country, gives the landscape an 

 indescribable beauty. The fruits in this 

 species are borne in immense dense heads, 

 measuring from one to two feet long, and 

 from two to three feet in circumference, the 

 individual fruit, or nut, being about an inch 

 and a half long by an inch in diameter. These 

 fruits yield the Palm Oil of commerce, the 

 collecting of which is the principal industry' 

 of the negroes in many parts of Africa, but 

 more particularlj' on the west coast. The 

 oil is obtained by bruising the fruit, boiling 

 in water, and skimming it off as it rises to 

 the surface. The Palm Oil of commerce is 

 about the consistence of butter, of a deep 

 orange yellow, becoming lighter upon being 

 exposed to the air, and when fresh it emits a 

 sweet violet odor. In Africa this oil is used 

 as butter under the name of ghea. A soup is 

 also made of it, that forms an important 



ELI 



article of food. The vast productiveness of 

 the plant is evident from the fact, that the 

 importations into Great Britain alone, in 1660, 

 amounted to more than eight millions of dol- 

 lars. The chief uses to which this oil is ap- 

 plied is in the manufacture of candles. Palm 

 Oil soap, and for lubricating oil for machin- 

 ery. 



Elaeoca'rpus. From Elaia, the olive, and kar^ 

 pus, fruit ; resemblance of the fruits. Nat. 

 Ord. Tiliacew. 



A genus of handsome trees belonging to the 

 Linden family. They are natives of South 

 America, Australia, and the East Indies. 

 The flowers are white or green, quite showy. 

 The rough bony fruit, or stone, has a sculp- 

 tured appearance, and is used for necklaces 

 and other articles of ornament. The fruit is 

 surrounded by an edible pulp, and is pickled 

 like olives. The bark of some of the species 

 affords an excellent dye, vai-ying from light 

 brown to deep black; it is highly valued for 

 its pei-manency. 



Elaeode'ndron. Olive "Wood. From Elaia, an 

 olive, and dendron, a tree; alluding to the re- 

 semblance. Nat. Ord. CelastracecB. 



A genus of medium-sized evergreen trees, 

 common in Africa, India, the south of Europe, 

 and is also abundant in the Holy Land. The 

 trees grow from tliirty to forty feet high, 

 much branched, with rough, scraggy trunks, 

 and furnish the Olive Wood, used so much 

 in turning and various small works, such 

 as boxes, charms, trinkets, and small cabi- 

 net work. The fruit is much esteemed and 

 yields an oil something like that of the true 

 Olive, Olea Europcea, though of an inferior 

 quality. 



Elder. American. Samhucus Canadensis, and 

 the genus Iva. 

 British. Sambucvs nigra. 

 Marsh, or Water. Viburnum Gpulus. 

 Poison. Rhus venenatum. 

 Wild, of North America. Aralia hispida. 



Elecampane. See Inula Helenium. 



Elephant's Apple. Feronia Elephantum. 



Elephant'.s Ear. The genus Begonia, and Colo- 



ca.sia esculenta. 

 Elephant's Foot. See Testudinaria Elephan- 



tijjes. 

 Elephant's-trunk Plant. Martynia probosddea, 



and Adenium namaquanum. 

 Eletta'ria. A synonjm of Amomum, which 



see. 



Eleusi'ne. Derived from Eleusis, whei-e was a 

 celebrated temple of Ceres. Nat. Ord. 

 Graminacew. 



A family of curious grasses, mostly inhabi- 

 tants of the East Indies. E. oligostachya, one 

 of the most ornamental species, is a dwarf 

 grass, well adapted for the flower border, or 

 to be used as a " dried grass " for winter- 

 bouquets ; it is native of China, perfectly 

 hardy, and of perennial duration. E. coracana, 

 is grown in Japan as a grain crop for its large 

 farinaceous seeds. 



Elichry'sum. See Helichrysum. 



Elise'na. Named in honor of Princess Elise, 



sister of Napoleon. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidacece. 



A small genus of strong-growing bulbs from 



Peru. The flowers are borne in a cluster on a 



