EICHHORNIA 



EL.EAGNUS 



525 



A. Leaf-stalks inflated: inner periauth-segnients not 

 serrated. 

 specidsa, Kunth (£. crdssipesy Solms. Pontederia 

 crdssipes. Mart.). Fig. 755. Lvs. in tufts, all con- 

 stricted at the middle, bladder-like below, sheathed, 

 raany-nerved : scape 1 ft. long, with wavy -margined 

 sheaths at and above the middle: fls. about 8 in a loose 

 spike, pale violet, 6-lobed, the upper lobe larger and hav- 

 ing a large patch of blue, with an oblong or pear-shaped 

 spot of bright yellow in the middle: stamens 3 long and 

 3 short, all curved upwards towards the tip. Braz. 

 B.M. 2932, erroneously, as Pontederia azurea. I.H. 34: 

 14. A. F. 5:511. Var. m^jor, Hort., has rosy lilac flowers. 

 Var. aiirea, Hort., has yellowish flowers. 



AA. Leaf-stalks not inflated: inner perianth-segments 

 beautifully serrate. 

 azilrea, Kunth. Lvs. on long or short not-inflated 

 petioles, very variable in size and shape: scape often as 

 stout as the leaf-stalk, gradually dilated into a hooded 

 spathe: fls. scattered or crowded in pairs along a stout, 

 hairy, sessile rachis ; perianth bright pale blue, hairy 

 outside, inner segments beautifully toothed, the upper a 

 trifle larger, with a heart-shaped spot of yellow, which 

 is margined with white. Braz. B.M. 6487. G.C. II. 

 25:17. I.H. 34:20. R.H. 1890:540.-One plant will be- 

 come 5 or 6 ft. across in one season. 



Wm. Thicker and W. M. 



EL^AGNTJS (ancient Greek name, meaning a kind of 

 willow; from elaios, olive). EUvagnhcew. Shrubs or 

 small trees: lvs. alternate, deciduous or persistent, en- 

 tire or nearly so, clothed more or less with silvery or 

 brownish scales: fls, axillary, solitary or in clusters, 

 apetalous ; perianth companulate or tubular, 4-lobed; 

 stamens 4, included, on very short filaments: fr. a 

 1-seeded drupe. About 15 species in S. Europe, Asia and 

 N. America. Highly ornamental shrubs with handsome 

 foliage and mostly decorative frs.; the fls. are incon- 

 spicuous, but mostly fragrant. Some of the deciduous 

 species, as E. argentea, longipes, mnltiflora and %im- 

 bellata, are hardy North, while the evergreen ones are 

 hardy only South. A distinct feature of some species, as 

 E. argentea, angustifolia and par vi folia, is the conspicu- 

 ous silvery hue of their foliage, while E. longipes is the 

 most ornamental in fruit. They grow in almost any well 

 drained soil, also in limestone soil, and prefer sunny 

 position. Prop, by seeds and by cuttings of matiire and 

 half-ripened wood; also sometimes increased by layers 

 and by root-cuttings; varieties and rarer kinds can be 

 grafted on seedlings of vigorous growing species. 



Index of names (varieties and synonyms in italics): 

 angustifolia, 1. Japonica,2. par\'ifolia, 2. 



argentea, 6. longipes, 5. pungens, 8. 



aureo-variegata, 8. macrophylla, 7. reflexa, 8. 



edulis, 5, niaculata, 8. Siinoiii, 8. 



Frederici variegata, raultiflora, 4. umbellata, 3. 



8. orientalis, 1. variegata, 8. 



hortensis, 1. 



A. L^vs. deciduous. 



B. Brnnchlets and lvs. beneath silvery white, iviihonf 



any brown scales. 



1. aiigU8tifdIia,Linn.{£'.ftoW^«.sts, Bieb.). Oleaster. 

 Shrub or small tree, to 20 ft., sometimes spiny: lvs. 

 lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, quite entire, light green 

 above, 2-3 in. long: fls. short-pedicelled, 1-3, axillary, 

 on the lower parts of the branches; perianth campanu- 

 late, tube about as long as limb, yellow within, fragrant; 

 style at the base included by a tubular disk: fr. oval, 

 yellow, coated with silvery scales. June. S. Europe, W. 

 Asia. Var. orientalis, Schlecht.(^. orientdlis, Linn. f.). 

 Spineless: lvs. often oblong cr oval, clothed more with 

 stellate hairs beneath than with scales, usually glabrous 

 above at length: fr. rather large. Var. spindsa, Dipp. 

 {E. spindsa, Linn.). Spiny: lvs. linear-lanceolate or 

 lan<'tM)Iatc-, sralv above and densely scaly beneath: fr. 

 smaller. L. B.C. 14:1.339. B.R. 14:1156. 



2. parvifdlia, Royle {E. Japdnica, Hort.). Shrub or 

 small tree, to 20 ft., with erect stems and spiny, spread- 

 ing branches: lvs. elliptic-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 

 crisped at the margin, usually with stellate hairs above, 

 glabrous at length, silvery beneath, lM-3 in. long: fls. 

 axillary, usually crowded on short lateral branchlets, 

 short pedicelled; perianth narrow, tube longer than 



limb, whitish within, fragrant: fr. globose or nearly so, 

 densely silvery when young, pink when ripe, J'a i". long. 

 June. Himalayas, Japan. B.R. 29:51. Mn. 5:145. — Not 

 quite hardy North. Sometimes cult, under the name of 

 E. reflexa, which species, however, is evergreen. Var. 

 Japonica macrophylla is advertised, but probably does 

 not belong to this species. 



755. Eichhornia speciosa (X 1 



3B. Branehlets with reddish or yellowish browti scales 

 and sometimes silvery besides: lvs. silvery whits 

 beneath, often with f^w brown scales. 

 c. Fr. juicy, scarlef-i'ed or brownish red. 



3. umbellflta, Thunbg. Spreading shrub, to 12 ft., 

 often spiny, w^ith yellowish brown branehlets, often 

 partially silvery: lvs. elliptic or ovate-oblong, silvery- 

 scaly above, without brown scales beneath, crisped at 

 the margin, l?^-3 in. long: fls. yellowish white, fragrant, 

 axillary, 1-3 usually crowded on short lateral branehlets; 

 tube of perianth longer than the limb: fr. globose or 

 roundish oval, scarlet, K-Kin. long, erect, rather short- 

 stalked, clothed with silvery scales when young, ripen- 

 ing late in fall, while the similar E. parvifolia ripens 

 much earlier. May, June. Japan. A. G. 12:206. M.D.G. 

 1899:509. 



4. multifldra, Thunbg. Spreading shrub, to 8 ft., 

 spineless; branehlets reddish brown: lvs. elliptic or 

 ovate-oblong, with scales or stellate hairs above, often 

 glabrous at length, usually with few brown scales be- 

 neath: fls. 2-3, axillary, iisually crowded on short lat- 

 eral branehlets; tube longer than the limb: fr. acid, 

 oval or roundish-oval, scarlet, ^4-hiin. long, erect or 

 nodding, with brown scales when young, ripening in 

 July or August, rarely later: pedicel as long as or some- 

 what longer than fr. May, June. Japan. M.D.G. 1899: 

 569. — Very variable species, and perhaps the former and 

 the following are only varieties of it. 



5. Idngipes, Gray (E. edulis, Hort.). Goxt>xi. Fig. 

 756. Shrub, to 6ft., with reddish brown branehlets: lvs. 

 elliptic, ovate or obovate-oblong, with stellate hairs 

 above, usually glabrous at length, mostly with scattered 

 brown scales beneath, \-2% in. long: fls. 1-2, axillary, on 

 the lower part of the branches or on short branehlets, 

 yellowish white, fragrant; tube as long as the limb; fr. 

 pendulous, oblong, H in. long, scarlet, on slender pe- 

 duncles, much longer than the fr. ; fr. with brown scales 

 when young, ripening in June or July, of agreeable, 

 slightly acid flavor. April, May. Japan, China. B.M. 

 7341 (as E.wuUiflora), G.F. 1:499. G.C. 1873:1014 

 Gng. 1:275, 277. 



cc. Fr. rather dry, silvery white. 



6. argentea, Pursh. Erect shrub, to 12 ft., spineless, 

 stoloniferous, with reddish brown branehlets: lvs. ovate 



