486 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



ELvE 



6. Ehrharta Geniculata. Awned: outer corolla hairy; one 

 valve awned ; panicle close ; stem decumbent, bent at the 

 joints. This species is distinguished from the last by its crisp- 

 ed leaves and pointed awned corolla. Native of the Cape. 



7. Ehrharta Longiflora. Awned : outer corolla rugged, 

 hispid ; both valves awned ; panicle rather lax, branched. 

 This is a large species, with the habit of an Avena. The 

 length of the awns varies. Native of the Cape. 



8. Ehrharta Gigantea. Awned : outer corolla hairy ; valves 

 both awned ; panicle close, somewhat whorled ; stem remotely 

 jointed ; calix very membranous, half as long as the corolla. 

 This is one of the largest- species, being six feet high ; the 

 flowers also are more hairy and larger than any other. 

 Native of the Cape. 



9. Ehrharta Bulbosa. Awned: outer corolla with obovate, 

 emarginate, rugged, short-awned glumes ; panicle lax. The 

 root of this species is more bulbous than of some others. 

 The number of stamina vary from three to four or more. 

 Native of the Cape. 



Ekebergia ; a genus of the class Decandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, bell-shaped, tomentose, four-parted ; divisions ovate, 

 obtuse. Corolla: petals four, oblong, obtuse, tomentose on 

 the outside, a little longer than the calix ; nectary a ring 

 surrounding the base of the germen. Stamina : filamenta 

 ten, very short, pubescent ; antheree ovate, acute, upright. 

 Pistil: germen superior; style cylindric, very short ; stigma 

 capitate. Pericarp: a globular berry. Seeds: five, oblong. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: four-parted. Petals: 

 four. Nectary: like a garland, surrounding the germen. 



Berry: containing five oblong seeds. The only known 



species is, 



1. Ekebergia Capensis. A tree resembling the Ash, with 

 abruptly or unequally pinnate leaves ; the common petiole 

 flatted ; the flowers panicled and axillary, they are small and 

 whitish. The wood of this tree is hard, and used for many 

 utensils. Native of the Cape. 



Elceagnus; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENKRIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, four-cleft, superior, straight, bell-form, outwardly 

 scabrous, inwardly coloured, deciduous. Corolla: none. 

 Stamina: filamenta four, very short, inserted into the calix 

 below the divisions; antherse oblong, incumbent. Pistil: 

 germen roundish, inferior; style simple, a little shorter than 

 the calix ; stigma simple. Pericarp : drupe ovate, obtuse, 

 smooth, with a dotted tip. Seed: nut oblong, obtuse. ES- 

 SENTIAL CHARACTER. Corolla: none. Calix: four-cleft, 



bell-form, superior; drupe below the calix. The species 



are, 



1. Elaeagnus Angustifolia; Narrow-leaved Oleaster. Leaves 

 lanceolate. A tree, branching from the bottom, growing 

 sometimes to the height of three fathoms, with a trunk the 

 thickness of a man's arm or thigh, elegant in its appearance, 

 especially from the silvery brightness of the leaves ; bark 

 smooth, brown ; wood pale, prettily veined with gray and 

 brown, but not hard ; branches and branchlets slender, fre- 

 quent, alternate, smooth, unarmed, or having thorns, especi- 

 ally in young trees. The flowers come out at the middle 

 leaves of the smaller branches, usually solitary, or two to- 

 gether, sometimes, but very seldom, three from each axil, in 

 which case one or two are on shorter peduncles, and barren, 

 having no germen, though they have a style and antheree ; 

 drupe always solitary, oblong, hoary, white when young, 

 thicker and yellowish when ripe, enclosing within a sweet 

 pulp a woody, gray, furrowed nut. In the deserts near the 

 Volga, the fruit is hardly bigger than the berries of the Bar- 



berry, whereas in the more southern parts it is of the size of 

 the Cornelian Cherry. Mr. Miller specifically distinguishes 

 the Thorny from the Unarmed Narrow-leaved Oleaster. The 

 latter, he says, is that which is most commonly preserved in 

 the English gardens. The leaves are more than four inches 

 long, and not half an inch broad ; they are very soft, and 

 have a shining appearance like satin. The flowers come out 

 at the footstalks of the leaves singly, or two, and frequently 

 three, at the same place ; the outside of the calix is silvery 

 and studded, the inside of a pale yellow; it has a very strong 

 scent. The flowers appear in July, and are sometimes suc- 

 ceeded by fruit. Mr. Miller conceives the thorny Olceagnus 

 to be the common sort, which grows naturally in Bohemia, 

 and of which he saw some trees in the curious garden of the 

 famous Boerhaave, near Leyden. The leaves of this are not 

 more than two inches long, and about three-quarters of an 

 inch broad in the middle ; they are white, and have a soft 

 cottony down on their surface; at the footstalk of every leaf 

 comes out a pretty long sharp thorn ; the leaves being alter- 

 nate, the spines come out on each side of the branches. The 

 flowers are small, and have a strong scent when fully open. 

 Native of the Levant. This species is extremely hardy, and 

 sets the frost at defiance. It is not, however, of very long 

 duration ; young plants, therefore, should be raised, once in 

 three or four years, by seeds or layers. 



2. Eleeagnus Orientalis ; Oriental Oleaster. Leaves ob- 

 long, ovate, opake. This has the appearance of the foregoing 

 species, but the leaves are twice as broad, ovate-oblongish, 

 soft to the touch on both sides, pale underneath, but neither 

 surface shining or silvery. In its stature and manner of 

 growth, this tree resembles a middle-sized Willow, as it does 

 also in the hoariness of its leaves, and the division of its 

 branches. This, and the Spinosa of Linneus, do not seem to 

 differ, except as a garden-tree does from a wild one, or the 

 thorny variety of the preceding species from the unarmed. 

 Native of the mountains of Persia, from Caucasus to Derbent; 

 found in abundance on the shores of the Caspian sea, and 

 also in the Levant. This plant requires the protection of a 

 green-house. 



3. Elseagnus Latifolia; Broad-leaved Oleaster. Leaves 

 ovate. This rises with a woody stem to the height of eight 

 or nine feet, dividing into many branches ; leaves silvery, 

 with several irregular dark-coloured spots ; they are alternate, 

 and continue all the year. Native of the East Indies and 

 China. This sort requires a warm stove to preserve it in this 

 country ; for it is too tender to live in the open air, except for 

 a short time in the warmest part of summer. It may be 

 raised from the seeds. 



4. Elseagnus Crispa ; Curled-leaved Oleaster. Leaves lan- 

 ceolate-oblong, obtuse, waved ; flowers solitary. This is an 

 uprigh ttree ; branches and branchlets alternate, round, diva- 

 ricate, upright, ash-coloured, scabrous with dots; the last 

 twigs angular, and whitish ; leaves alternate, petioled, entire, 

 above naked, brownish, dotted, with a middle longitudinal 

 furrow, silvery underneath, from erect patulous, an inch 

 and a half in length ; petiole furrowed above, scarcely a line 

 long ; flowers not in the axils, but scattered over the last 

 twigs, solitary, and peduncled ; peduncle capillary, shorter 

 than the flower. Native of Japan. 



5. Eleeagnus Multiflora; Many -flowered Oleaster. Leaves 

 obovate, obtuse; flowers axillary, aggregate; peduncles 

 longer than the 'flower; stem shrubby, little branched; 

 branches and branchlets alternate, few, round, ferruginous, 

 brown, spreading, scabrous with dots; leaves from each 

 bud, many, alternate, petioled, entire, upright, above half 

 naked, with scaly silver dots, wholly covered with silvery 



