528 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Eriophyllum continued. 



suffruticose (from Western North America), merged into 

 Bahia by Bentham and Hooker. 



E. cjespitosum (B. R. 1137), perhaps the only species in cul- 

 tivation, is identical with Bahia lanata (which see) and 

 Ac.tiiid.la, lanata. 



ERJOPSIS (from Eria, and opsis, like ; resemblance). 

 OBD. Orchidece. A genus of three or four species of 

 very ornamental cool-house epiphytal Orchids, natives of 

 Northern Brazil, Guiana, and Columbia. A copious supply 

 of water when growing, full exposure to the sun, and a 

 compost of fresh peat and living sphagnum, are essential. 

 They require the temperature of an intermediate house, 

 such as suits Cattleyas, &c. Increased by dividing the 

 pseudo-bulbs. 



E. biloba (two-lobed). fl. about lin. across ; sepals and petals 

 oblong, dark yellow, shaded round their margins with brown ; lip 

 three-lobed, white, spotted with dark brown ; spike 1ft. to lift, 

 long, curved or drooping. I. broad-lanceolate, borne in twos or 

 threes at the apices of the pseudo-bulbs. Pseudo-bulbs 5in. to 

 Sin. high, conical, dark brown. Native country unknown. 1845. 

 E. rutidobulbon (rough-bulbed). A species similar to E. biloba. 

 but with larger and more deeply-coloured flowers. New Grenada, 

 1847. (B. M. 4437.) 



EHIOSEMA (from erion, wool, and sema, a standard ; 

 vexillum clothed with silky hairs). OKJ>. Leguminosce. A 

 genus of about forty species of stove herbaceous plants 

 and shrubs, most abundant in South America and tropical 

 and South Africa. One species has a wide range in Asia 

 and Australia. Flowers yellow or violet ; racemes or 

 fascicles axillary. Leaves digitately trifoliolate. The two 

 best species are described below. They thrive in a com- 

 post of peat and loam. Propagated by seeds or cuttings. 

 E. grandiflorum (large-flowered), fl., racemes terminal and 

 axillary, panicled ; corollas covered with soft pubescence on both 

 surfaces. October. I., leaflets oblong-elliptic, mucronate ; petioles 

 very short, and, as well as the nerves and veins on the under 

 surface of the leaves, clothed with silky rufous down. Branches 

 angular. A. If t. to 2ft. North Mexico. 



violaooum (violaceous), fl. violaceous ; racemes axillary and 

 terminal, many-flowered. July and August. I., leaflets three, 

 oblong-linear, acute, greenish above and velvety, but clothed 



with rusty hairs beneath, h. 4ft. Tropical South America 

 and Trinidad, 1820. 



ERIOSPERMUM (from erion, wool, and sperma, seed ; 

 referring to the woolly envelope of the seeds). OED. 

 Liliacece. A genus of about twenty-five species of pretty 

 greenhouse bulbous plants, from tropical and Southern 

 Africa. For culture, see Bulbine. 



E. BeUendenl (Bellenden's). fl. light blue. June to August. 

 {. roundish, acuminate, cucuUate at base. h. 1ft. Cape of Good 

 Hope, 1800. (B. M. 1382, under name of E. latifolium.) 



E. Mackenil (McKen's). fl. bright golden-yellow, jointed on the 

 pedicel ; scapes slender, cylindric, glabrous. July. I. ovate-ob- 

 long, obtuse, or sub-acute, quite glabrous, rather fleshy, smooth, 

 nerveless. Natal, 1871. (fi. M. 5955, under name of Bulbine 

 Mackenii.) 



E. prolifernm (proliferous), fl. white, green. June to August. 

 I. proliferous; leaflets filiform, undivided, sessile. h. 9in. 

 Cape of Good Hope, 1821. 



E. pubescens (downy), fl. white, green. June. I. sub-cordate, 

 acute, cucullate, pubescent, h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1820. 

 (B. B. 578.) 



ERIOSTEMON (from erion, wool, and stemon, a 

 stamen ; stamens woolly). OBD. Rutacece. A genus of 

 very handsome greenhouse evergreen shrubs. There are 

 about thirty species, all (with the exception of a single 

 species from New Caledonia) natives of extra - tropical 

 Australia. Peduncles axillary, one-flowered, covered with 

 imbricate bracts, or furnished with opposite or whorled 

 ones in the middle. Leaves alternate, entire, simple, 

 full of pellucid dots. Eriostemons are among the most 

 useful and beautiful of Australian hard - wooded plants 

 whose flowering season is winter and early spring. All 

 the species are well worth attention, the flowers being 

 freely produced when the plants are healthy and well 

 ripened. They are either white or pale pink, and last 

 a long time in good condition, if kept in a cool tempera- 

 ture. Propagation may be effected by cuttings, inserted 

 in sandy peat, early in spring, covered with a bell glass, 



Eriostemon continued. 



and placed in a gentle heat. When rooted, they should 

 be hardened and potted off singly, to be transferred to 

 larger sizes afterwards very gradually. The mode of 

 propagation adopted by nurserymen on a large scale, is 

 that of grafting, using for the purpose small stocks of 

 Correa. This is a quick, and, as practised by them, a 

 tolerably certain method. It is best for small growers 

 to purchase such plants, as, by good culture, they 

 soon form fine decorative subjects. Fibry peat, not 

 broken too finely, with the addition of a little loam 

 and silver sand, is a suitable compost. The soil should 

 be rammed tolerably firm, care being taken not to bury 

 the stem of the plant. Eriostemons succeed under the 

 same treatment during the summer as many other Aus- 

 tralian plants, namely, keeping a little close while the 

 growth is being made, afterwards admitting more air, 

 and finally placing outside, in a sunny position, from 

 July until the end of September, in order to insure 

 thorough ripening. The plants naturally form bush 

 specimens, but may be trained as pyramids if desired. 

 But little pruning, beyond shortening a few of the long 

 growths, to induce a symmetrical habit, is necessary. 

 In the case of large plants, whose flowers are used for 

 cutting a purpose for which they are well adapted 

 sufficient pruning may be performed simply by the removal 

 of the longest flowering shoots. Efficient drainage and 

 careful watering are at all times essential points towards 

 success in cultivation. Eriostemons will flower earlier in 

 winter if introduced into a temperature of about 55deg., 

 but are quite as healthy and floriferous later on, if kept 

 in a house from which frost is merely excluded. If old 

 plants get out of health, it is advisable to prune back 

 hard in spring, reduce the balls, and place them amongst 

 new soil, in pots of a smaller size. 



E. buxifolius (Box-leaved).* fl. pink or rose-coloured, axillary, 

 almost sessile. April to June. 1. small, cordate-ovate, or ob- 

 ovate, usually mucronate, with prominent glands. Branches 

 round, pubescent, h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1822. (B. M. 4101.) 



B.lntermedlus (intermediate).* fl. white, suffused with rosy-pink, 

 large, solitary, axillary. April. I. obovate. h. 3ft. (B. M. 4439.) 

 E. myoporoldes(Myoporum-like).* fl. rose-coloured; peduncles 

 axillary, trifld, three-flowered. Early spring. I. linear-lanceolate, 

 quite entire, smooth, glandular, mucronate. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1824. 

 (B. M. 3180.) 



E. neriifolius (Nerium-leaved).* fl. rose-coloured or pink ; pe- 

 duncles axillary, three-flowered. April. I. lanceolate, rather 

 wrinkled, mucronate. h. 3ft. 1847. 



E. saliclfolius (Willow-leaved), fl. pink, axillary, almost sessile, 

 solitary. July. I. linear-lanceolate, entire, smooth. Branches 

 triquetrous, h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1822. (B. M. 2854.) 

 E. scaber (rough).* fl. white, tinged with pink, rather small; 

 peduncles short. March to June. I. linear, entire, dark green, 

 mucronate, glandular, h. lift. 1840. (P. M. B. xiii. 127.) 

 ERIOSTOMUM. A synonym of Stachys. 

 ERIPHIA. See Besleria. 



ERITHALIS (from Eritliales, a plant mentioned by 

 Pliny; the Greek word means very luxuriant). OBD. 

 Rubiacece. A genus of about five species of stove ever- 

 green shrubs, natives of Florida and the West Indian 

 Islands. They thrive in sandy fibrous loam, to which a 

 little peat may be added. Cuttings of ripened side shoots 

 will root in sandy soil, during the spring or summer, if 

 placed under a hand glass, in heat. 



E. frutlcosa (shrubby), fl. white, small, sweet-scented ; peduncles 

 axillary, panicled. July. I. petiolate, obovate, or spathulate- 

 lanceolate; stipules broad, short, mucronate, sheathing, per- 

 manent, h. 10ft. to 15ft. Jamaica, 1793. 



ERITHJCHIUM (from erion, wool, and thrix, trichos, 

 hair; plants woolly). OBD. Boraginece. A rather large 

 genus of handsome dwarf annual or perennial herbaceous 

 plants, widely dispersed throughout the temperate regions 

 of the Northern hemisphere ; a few come from South Africa 

 and Australia. The species here given is the one most 

 generally known!. Like many other beautiful plants 

 which grow at considerable elevations, it is difficult to 

 keep alive lone 1 ! it requires a thoroughly well-drained 



