504 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Echites continued. 

 E. fronclscea (River Francisco). JL purplish-red, large; 



peduncles short, producing from six to eight-flowered umbels. 



September. I. dark green. Brazil, 1845. (B. R. 1847, 24.) 

 E. L sulphurea (sulphur).* fl. sulphur-coloured, with a red 



tube and a rose-coloured eye ; smaller than in the type. Brazil. 



A pretty, distinct variety. It is a free-growing stove creeper, 



and may be cultivated either in a pot, and supported by neat 



rods or a wire trellis : or planted out in a border, against a back 



wull or pillar. (I',. M. 4547.) 



FlO. 700. ECHITES NUTANS. 



E. nutans (nodding).* /. yellow, nodding, in panicles, peduncu- 

 late ; corolla lobes blunt, wavy. September. I. ovate, acuminate, 

 pale pea-green, the midrib and nerves veined with beautiful 

 transparent red, downy beneath. West Indies, 1823. See 

 Fig. 700. (B. M. 2473J 



E. rubro-venosa (red-veined). I. covered with a brilliant net- 

 work, which is speckled with bright red or a golden-yellow, and 

 stands out conspicuously from the emerald-green ground. South 

 America, 1867. A very handsome plant (F. d. S. 1728.) 



E. scholaris. See Alstonia scholaris. 



E. splendens (splendid). A synonym of Dipladenia splendent. 



E. stellaris (starry).* fl. rose, yellow ; racemes axillary, a little 

 hispid, ten to twelve-flowered ; peduncles downy. September. 

 I. ovate-oblong, glabrous above, downy beneath. Branches 

 downy, h. 6ft. Brax.il, 1831. (B. R. 1664.) 



E. umbellata (umbellate). ft., corolla silky, villous inside the 

 tube, large, with a white or pale yellow limb and green tube ; 

 umbels few-flowered. July. /. ovate-orbicular, cuspidately 

 mucronate, 2iin. long. West Indies, &c., 1733. 



ECHIUM (from Echion, the old Greek name given to 

 this plant by Diosoorides). Viper's Bugloss. OBD. 

 Boragineas. A genus of about twenty species (chiefly 

 South European and Oriental) of very handsome rough, 

 shrubby or herbaceous, hardy or greenhouse plants. 

 Flowers in spiked or panicled racemes, recurved at top. 

 Leaves alternate. All the species of this large genus 

 are of very easy culture in good ordinary garden soil. 

 Cuttings of the shrubby sorts will root in sandy soil, 

 under a hand glass, but they are more readily increased 

 by layers. The herbaceous species are easily raised 

 from seeds. The following are nearly all those which 

 are in cultivation. About fifty forms have been de- 

 scribed as species; a careful study of the genus would 

 probably reduce the number to about half. 

 K. albicans (whitish). /., corolla at first rosy colour, ultimately 



becoming violet, nearly lin. in length; racemes branching, 



Echium continued. 



recurved at the ends. I. forming a dense tuft, linear-lanceolate, 

 tapering at the base. h. (tin. to 18in. Spain. Plant clothed with 

 hoary, appressed, bristly hairs. Hardy perennial. (G. C. n. s., 



E. candicans (whitish).* fl., corolla blue, pilose at top outside ; 



n nicies tenninal, conical ; spikelets pedunculate, simple. May. 

 lanceolate, clothed with silky, silvery, canescent down. Stem 

 branched, h. 2ft. to 4ft. Madeira, 1777. Greenhouse biennial. 

 E. eroticum (Cretan). Jl., corolla reddish-violet, irregular ; 

 spikelets simple, axillary, and terminal, many-flowered. July. 

 I. oblong-lanceolate, hispid. Stem herbaceous, diffuse, very 

 hispid, branched at the base. h. bin. to 18in. South Europe, 

 1683. Hardy annual. (B. M. 1934.) 



E. fastuosum (proud).* Jl., corolla deep blue, campanulate ; 

 panicle thyrsoid, ovate, large, dense ; spikelets pedunculate, 

 simple. April to August. I. oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, 

 veiny, beset with soft white hairs, ciliated. Stem branched, 

 rather villous above, h. 2ft. to 4ft. Canary Islands, 1779. Green- 

 house evergreen. (R. H. 1876, 10.) 



E. vulgare (common). JL, corolla fine purple in bud, afterwards 

 violet-blue, downy outside ; racemes terminal, spike-formed, long ; 

 spikelets spreading, simple. Stem usually simple, tubercled. 

 h. 2ft. to 4ft. Europe (Britain). Biennial. (Sy. En. B. 1095.) 

 ECLOFES. Included under Relhania (which see). 

 EDELWEISS. See Leontopodium alpinum. 

 EDENTATE. Without teeth. 



EDGEWORTHIA (named in honour of M. P. Edge- 

 worth, of the East India Co.'s service, and a botanist). 

 OED. Thymelacece. Ornamental greenhouse evergreen 

 shrubs, closely allied to Daphne. The only other species 

 besides that here described is a native of East Indies. 

 They grow best in a compost of two parts sandy loam 

 and one part turfy peat. Good drainage, and a liberal 

 supply of water in summer, are essential in the culture 

 of these plants. Increased by cuttings, inserted in sandy 

 soil, under a bell glass, in spring. 



E. chrysantha (golden). Jl. yellow, capitate ; tube of corolla 

 clavate, clothed with silky hairs. February. I. oblong-lanceo- 

 late, stalked, dull green, pilose on the ribs beneath. A. 1ft. 

 China and Japan, 1845. (B. R. 1847, 48.) 



EDGING. This term is applied to dwarf plants, turf, 

 or material of any description, used in gardens for dividing 

 beds, borders, &c., from the walks. It also refers to an 

 outside line of short plants in an arrangement with others 

 of a taller-growing character. Turf verges are only to 

 be recommended for flower gardens or pleasure grounds, 

 where they should be wide enough to admit of mowing 

 with the machine each time the lawns are cut. In a 

 kitchen garden, they would necessitate too much work 

 in keeping in order, as, besides mowing the verge, the 

 Edge on each side of it would require to be frequently 

 clipped. Box Edging is largely used for walks, and looks 

 well if the whole length grows evenly. It has, however, 

 the disadvantage of harbouring slugs, &c., and also of being 

 liable to destruction in patches by severe frosts. Thick 

 corrugated tiles, placed lengthways in a vertical position, 

 or common bricks, used similarly, but set on an angle 

 towards the walk, form a clean and permanent Edging, 

 when properly laid, for kitchen gardens. These latter are 

 also uninjured by salt or acids, used in many places for 

 killing weeds in the gravel. In preparing the ground 

 for an Edging of any description for walks, it should first 

 be firmly and evenly trod its full length, and also well 

 raked. The proper levels should be marked by short 

 pegs, driven in the ground about 10ft. apart. If such 

 pegs are placed straight, and a line tightly strained to 

 touch their tops, the necessity of removing or adding 

 soil in any part of it may be at once seen. It is im- 

 possible to cut out, plant, or fix an Edging properly if 

 the ground is not previously carefully prepared. 



EDGING-IRON. A crescent-shaped tool, made of 

 steel, with a socket for the insertion of a straight wooden 

 handle. It is most useful for cutting turf verges by the 

 sides of walks, flower-beds, &c., as, being well under the 

 guidance of the hand, it may be employed with equal 

 facility either in a curved or straight line. 



EDRAIANTHUS. See Wahlenbergia. 



