512 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Epacris cvMttMctwf. 



E. minlata (vermilion). A synonym of E. longiflora. 



E. mucronulata (mucronulate). A synonym of E. acurmnata. 



E. obtuslfolla (obtuse-leaved), fl. white, axillary, usually form- 

 ing long, one-sided, leafy racemes, either almost sessile or on 

 peduncles of above one line ; corolla sometimes almost campanu- 

 late ; tube shortly exceeding the calyx ; lobes broad. I. oblong- 

 elliptical, obtuse, thick, few-nerved, slightly concave, narrowed 

 into a short petiole. A. 1ft to 3ft. An erect shrub. (L. B. C. 



E. onosmaeflora (Onosina-flowered). A synonym of E. purpu- 

 rascens. 

 pulchclla (pretty).* jl. pale red or pink, disposed along the 



branches on very short stalks; calyx segments equalling the tube 

 of the corolla. May. I. rather concave, each ending in a 

 spreading point, which is not so long as the base of the leaf. 

 h. 1ft. to 3ft 1804. 



E. pnrpurascens (purplish).* fl. white, or more or less tinged 

 with red; segments of calyx acuminated, iibout equal in 

 length to the tube of the corolla. January to March. I. ovate- 

 acuminate, ending each in a recurved mucrone, which exceeds 

 the base of the leaf. h. 2ft to 3ft. 1803. SYN. E. onoxmasjlora. 

 (L. B. C. 237.) There is a pretty double-flowered form of this. 

 See Fig. 708. (G. C. n. a., v. 340.) 



E. rigida (rigid), jl, corolla tube broad, as long as the calyx, 

 with five transverse thickenings inside ; sepals obtuse, or rarely 

 one or two of them almost acute. I. almost sessile, erect or 

 spreading, ovate or ovate-oblong, very obtuse and thick, h. 1ft. 

 to 2ft An erect, rigid, bushy shrub. 

 The following is a list of the best garden varieties : 



ARDENTISSIMA,. DENSI FLORA, DEVONIANA, ECLIPSE, EXONIENSIS, 

 EXQUISITE, FIREBALL, HYACINTHIFLORA, H. ALBA, H. CAN- 

 DIDISSIMA, H. CARMINATA, H. FULGENS, IGNEA, KlNGHOUNI, 

 LADY ALICE PEEL, LADY PAMMURE, LUCIFER, MINIATA SPLE.X- 

 DENS, M. GRANDIFLORA, MODEL, MONT BLANC, MRS. PYM, 

 RAMOSA, RUBRA SUPERBA, SUNSET, THE BRIDE, VESTA, VESU- 

 VIUS, VISCOUNTESS HILL. 



(from Epnedra, the Greek name used by 

 Pliny for the Hippuris, or Horse Tail, which it resembles). 

 OBD. Onetacece. Low-growing evergreen trailing shrubs. 

 The species (about thirty have been described) are natives 

 of South Europe, North Africa, temperate and sub-tropical 

 Asia, and extra-tropical America. They have small scale- 

 like leaves, and numerous slender-jointed green branches. 

 These curious little plants are rarely grown, but E. ne- 

 brodeneis is very showy when covered with its scarlet 

 berries. They are very suitable for rockwork, and require 

 little water. Increased by layering the young shoots or 

 branches. 



E. dlstachya (two-spiked). A synonym of E. nebrodensit. 

 E. monostachya (one-spiked). A synonym of K. mdgarit. 

 E. nebrodensls (Nebrodean).* fl. whitish; catkins twin; pe- 



red. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 

 An evergreen shrub, with numerous 

 cylindrical wand-like branches, articulated, and furnished at each 



duncles opposite. July, August. 

 South-western Europe, 1750. An 



articulation with two small linear leaves. SYN. E. dixtachya. 

 K. vulgarls (common).* fl. whitish ; catkins solitary : peduncles 

 many. June, July. Berries red. h. 1ft. to 2ft. South Europe, 

 1772. An evergreen shrub, much smaller and haulier than 

 E. nebrodenitis. SYN. E. monostachya. (W. D. B. ii. 142.) 

 EPHEMERUM. A synonym of Tradescantia. 

 EPHIPPIUM. Included under Cirrhopetalum. 

 EFICARP. The outside covering of a fruit. 

 EPICARPURUS. A synonym of Streblus. 

 EPIDENDRUM (from epi, upon, and dendron, a 

 tree ; epiphytal on trees). Including Physinga. OKD. 

 Orchideai. A large genus (about 300 species) of stove 

 and greenhouse Orchids, comparatively few of which 

 are worth cultivating, the great majority having small, 

 dingy-coloured flowers. Dr. Lindley says the essential 

 character of the genus resides in the lip being more or 

 less united by a fleshy base to the edge of a column, 

 which is hornless, and considerably elongated, but not 

 petaloid, and winged; in the pollen masses being four, 

 equal and compressed ; and, in the presence of a passage, 

 more or less deep, at the base of the lip. Most of the 

 species are epiphytes, though some few succeed in pots, 

 under the same treatment as recommended for Cattleya 

 (which see), except that less heat is needed. Growers 

 of orchids, according to Mr. Williams, have been more 

 deceived in buying Epidendnuns than in any other group 



Epidendram continued. 



of similar plants. The bulbs of many kinds are so nearly 

 alike that it is very difficult to tell what they are before 

 flowering. Sometimes they have to be grown several 

 years before this occurs ; and then frequently only dingy 

 green flowers are produced, about the same colour as the 

 leaves. Some of these insignificant flowers are, how- 

 ever, very fragrant, and will perfume the whole house 

 in which they are grown. In the following enumeration, 

 the most beautiful and approved sorts only are included. 

 E. alatnm majus (large- winged).* il. pale yellow, disposed in 



straggling panicles, and remaining nearly six weeks in beauty ; 



lip striped with purple. June, July. Guatemala. Greenhouse. 



SYN. E. calochilum. (B. M. 3898.) 



E. aloifolium (Aloe-leaved). A synonym of E. falcatum. 

 E. atropurpureum (dark-purple).* fl., sepals and petals dark 

 le, the apices greenish, incurved ; lip rose-coloured, 

 blotch of crimson-purple in its centre. May, June. 



rose or purple, the apices greenish, incurved ; lip rose-coloured, 

 with a dark blotch of crimson-purple in its centre. May, June. 

 A. 6in. to 12in. Mexico, 1836. This secies succeeds well either 



in a shallow pan or on a block, with sphagnum. Greenhouse. 



SYN. E. macrocliilum (B. M. 3534). The variety roseum (F. d. S. 



372) has the lip wholly of a dark rose colour. 

 E. aurantlacum (golden).* Jl. bright orange, produced from a 



sheath at the top of the bulb, five to ten in a cluster ; lip orange, 



striped with crimson. March to May. A. 1ft. Guatemala, 1836. 



A very handsome stove species. In habit and structure, it ap- 



proaches CattUya Skinneri. (R. G. 138.) 

 E. bicameratum (two-arched). .//. ochre-coloured, with a deep 



brown disk ; lip white, ochre-coloured at the base. Mexico, 



1871. Greenhouse. 



FIG. 709. SINGLE FLOWER OF EPIDENPRUM BICORNUTUM. 



E. bicornutum (two-horned).* jl, pure white, with a few crimson 

 spots in the centre of the lip ; spike produced from the tops of the 

 pseudo-bulbs, sometimes twelve-flowered. Summer. Pseudo- 

 bulbs stout, 1ft. to lift, high, hollow in the centre, and producing 

 short leathery leaves near the apex. Trinidad. This curious, 

 but handsome stove species is sometimes found difficult to grow. 

 It has, however, succeeded upon a bare block of wood, in a 

 high temperature, fully exposed to the sun. and supplied with 

 abundance of atmospheric moisture when making its growth. 

 Occasionally, it grows and flowers well annually, treated in a 

 precisely similar way to Cattleyas. See Fig. 709. (B. M. 3332.) 

 This species, together with about three others, also formerly 

 included under Epidendrum, now constitute the genus Dia- 

 crium, and the correct name of this plant is Diacrium Incomutum, 



E. Brassavolee (Brassavola). /. 4in. in diameter, on long, many- 

 flowered spikes ; sepals and petals rich yellowish-brown ; lip 

 large, ovate, straw-coloured at the base, with the apex purple, 

 sweet-scented in the evening. Guatemala, 1867. Greenhouse. 

 (B. M. 5664.) 



E. calochilum (beautiful -lipped). A synonym of E. alatum 

 majus. 



E. Catillus (Catillus). fl.. cinnabar-red, in clusters. Columbia, 

 1873. Greenhouse. (I. H. n. a. 162.) 



