EKEBERGIA E 



species. By many authors it is considered as a sec- 

 tion of Bm-agineas, from which, however, it is distin- 

 guished by its terminal style proceeding from the 

 apex of a perfectly concrete, four-celled ovary, and its 

 berried fruit. By others it is included under Cordi- 

 acea:. It bears an affinity to HdiotropicecE, from 

 which it differs chiefly in its succulent fruit. 



Its essential characters are : calyx inferior, five- 

 parted, with an imbricated aestivation ; corolla mono- 

 petalous, tubular, with as many segments of its limb 

 as the calyx, and also with an imbricated aestivation ; 

 stamens alternate with the segments of the corolla, and 

 equal to them in number, arising from the bottom of 

 the tube ; ovary simple, two or more celled, seated 

 in an annular disc ; stigma simple, two-lobed ; fruit 

 drupaceous, with as many stems as there are true cells 

 of the ovary ; seed suspended, solitary ; embryo in 

 the midst of their fleshy albumen ; radicle superior. 



The plants belonging to the order are trees or 

 shrubs with a harsh pubescence, simple alternate, 

 exsiipulate leaves, and corymbose flowers. They are 

 found in tropical regions in both hemispheres, and are 

 not distinguished for any important properties. The 

 chief genera are, Ekretia, Tourncfortia, Rhabdia, and 

 Bourreria, 



The root of Ehretia buxifolia has a sweetish and 

 somewhat warm taste, and is used in India as a tonic 

 and alterative in enfeebled constitutions. By the 

 Mahometan practitioners it is considered an antidote 

 to vegetable poisons. 



EKEBERGIA (Sprengel). A tree from the Cape 

 of Good Hope, belonging to Decandria Mvnngynia, 

 and to the natural order MeKacete. Generic charac- 

 ter : calyx four-cleft. ; petals four ; anthers sitting 

 within an annular disc ; style filiform, stigma headed ; 

 berry round, containing tour seeds. This genus is 

 placed in th<: class Monadclphia by Sprengel ; is propa- 

 gated bv cimhigs, and treated as a greenhouse plant. 



EL^EAGNE/E the Oleaster family. A natural 

 order of monochlamydcous dicotyledonous plants, 

 containing five or six genera, and upwards of twenty 

 known species. By its apetalous flowers, definite 

 erect ovuia, tubular inferior calyx, and leprous leaves, 

 this order is at once distinguished from Proteaceoe, 

 Thymelete, Santalacece, and CombreiacccK, to all of 

 which it bears an affinity. 



Its essential characters are : flowers dioecious, 

 rarely perfect. In the sterile or male flowers, the 

 calyx is four-parted ; stamens three, four, or eight, 

 sessile ; antliers two-celled. In the fertile or female 

 flowers, the calyx is inferior, tubular, persistent ; the 

 limb entire, or from two to four-toothed ; ovary supe- 

 rior, simple, one-celled ; ovule solitary, ascending, 

 stalked ; stigma simple, subulate, glandular ; fruit 

 crnstaceous, enclosed within the calyx become suc- 

 culent ; seed erect ; embryo straight, surrounded by 

 a very thin fleshy albumen ; radicle short, inferior ; 

 cotyledons fleshy. 



The plants belonging to this order are hardy trees 

 or shrubs, covered with minute silvery scales, having 

 alternate or opposite entire leaves, and axillary, often 

 fragrant flowers. They are found scattered over the 

 whole northern hemisphere as far as the equator. 

 A few inhabit China and Japan, and the remainder 

 Europe, North America, Guiana, and the East Indies. 

 They are not known south of the line. Many of 

 them furnish edible fruits and astringent barks. The 

 chief genera are, Ef&agniis, Hippoptue, ShephercKa, 

 and Con '-~ 



L JE O D E N D R U M. 39*, 



The genus Elceagnus, or oleaster, so named from 

 its resemblance to the olive tree, furnishes several 

 species, some of which are hardy, and cultivated in 

 our gardens. Elaeagnus angustifolia is a low tree 

 with elegant silvery leaves and yellow flowers, which 

 emit a strong scent, especially at night. El&agnus 

 Oriental/s yields a large fruit, which is used in Persia 

 as an article of dessert under the name of Zhizeyd. 

 El&agnus arborea and conferta also yield fruits which 

 are eaten in Nepal. 



HippophcB rhamnoides, common sallow thorn, or sea 

 buckthorn, is found on sandhills and cliffs on the 

 south-eastern coasts of England. It is a thornv 

 shrub, four or five feet high, frequently cultivated in 

 gardens on account of its silvery leaves. It bears a 

 bright orange berry, which is sometimes preserved 

 and eaten, more especially in Sweden and Tartary. 

 It is used by the fishermen of the Gulf of Bothnia to 

 impart a grateful flavour to fresh fish. The whole 

 plant may be used to dye yellow. 



EL^EIS (Jacquin), is 'a palm indigenous to South 

 America, and from the fruit of which an oil is 

 expressed ; hence it is called the oily, or olive palm. 

 It belongs to Dicccia Hexandria, and to the order 

 PalmtE. 



EL^EOCARP^E. A natural order of dicotyle- 

 donous plants, containing six or seven genera, and 

 nearly twenty known species. It is verv closely 

 allied to Tiliacecc, from which it differs only in its 

 fringed petals and in its anthers opening by two pores 

 at the apex. By some authors it is included under 

 that family. 



Its essential characters are : sepals four or five, 

 without bracteas, and with a valvular aestivation ; 

 petals four or five, alternate with the sepals, lobed or 

 fringed at the extremity ; receptacle glandular ; sta- 

 mens from fifteen to twenty , filaments short and free , 

 anthers long, four-sided, two-celled, opening by pores 

 at the extremity; ovary many celled, with two or 

 more seeds in each cell ; albumen fleshy ; embryo 

 erect, with flat leafy cotyledons. 



The plants belonging to this order are trees or 

 shrubs with alternate, simple leaves, and racemose 

 flowers. They are natives of warm climates, and are 

 found chiefly in the East Indies and in South Ame- 

 rica. Some are also met with in New Holland. 

 Little is known in regard to their properties. The 

 chief genera are, Elceocarpus, Aceratium, Dicera, and 

 V alien. 



The species of Elccocarpus are in general hand- 

 some, and produce showy, fragrant flowers, which are 

 succeeded by an edible Iruit. The hard, furrowed 

 stones contained in the pulpy fruit, are manufac- 

 tured into necklaces in the East Indies. They are 

 sometimes sold in our shops when set in gold. 



EL^ODENDRUM (Jacquin). A genus of trees 

 and shrubs found in the East Indies, New Holland, 

 &c. Linnaian class and order, Pentandria Monogynia, 

 and natural order Cela^trmeas. Generic character : 

 calyx minutely five-lobed ; petals spreading, and 

 broad at the * base ; stamens alternating with the 

 petals, and fixed on a disk surrounding the germen ; 

 style very short ; drupe sapless, from two to five- 

 celled, with as many seeds, some of which are often 

 abortive. This genus has been arranged with several 

 other genera by different botanists, but now admitted 

 as fixed by Jacquin. The hothouse species are 

 pretty, and" those from New Holland are kept in 

 the greenhouse. They all strike freely from cut- 



