ERYTHEA 



with small spines; Ivs. somewhat glaucescent on both 

 sides: fl.-spadix 3-4 ft., branched: frs. about %in. 

 diam., yellowish, at first waxy. According to Fran- 

 ceschi it was first intro. and distributed by the late 

 John Rock of San Jos6, about 1880, and never found 

 again in the wild state, while only one of the plants 

 raised is known to have ripened. N. TAYLOR t 



ERYTHILEA (Greek, red; alluding to the fls. of some 

 species). Gentianacese. Two outdoor species are in 

 cultivation, with bright deep rose flowers, one of which 

 is a rockery plant from the Azores, the other a Cali- 

 fornian annual. Centaurium is name now used. 



Small or low herbs, annuals, biennials and peren- 

 nials with simple and entire sessile opposite Ivs., and 

 small or medium-sized 5- or 4-merous, mostly red or 

 pink fls.: calyx-lobes narrow and keeled; corolla salver- 

 shaped ; filaments 4 or 5, slender, the anthers becoming 

 twisted; style filiform: caps, oblong or elongated. 

 About 30 species in the Old and New Worlds; interest- 

 ing, but little known in cult. Three or 4 small species 

 have been naturalized from Eu. 



A light sandy loam, in a protected nook of the 

 rockery, with partial shade, is required for E. Mas- 

 sonii (or E. diffusd), which is a charming little alpine 

 plant. It must be planted in a well-sheltered position, 

 and requires protection from sun and severe frost in 

 winter, but the little plant is well worth all the extra 

 care one may have to expend on it in winter. Propaga- 

 ted by cuttings, seeds or division. (J. B. Keller.) 



Massonii, Sweet (E. diffiisa, Woods). Height 4 in.: 

 sts. ascending, tufted, not branched above, 1-3-fld.: 

 Ivs. fleshy, usually concave, shining: fls. lateral. Azores. 

 Annuals in Azores, biennial in W. Eu. The plant 

 cult, under this name is considered perennial by our 

 nurserymen. 



venfcsta, Gray. Height 6-10 in.: sts. erect, 4-angled, 

 cymosely branched : Ivs. J-l in. long, oblong or ovate- 

 oblong, very blunt: corolla-lobes oval or obovate or 

 oblong, l /m. or less long, deep pink; corolla-tube yel- 

 lowish, about the length of the calyx. Dry hills. Calif. 

 B.M. 6396. L . H . B.f 



ERYTHRINA (from Greek for red). Leguminbsx. 

 CORAL-TREE. Herbs, shrubs or trees, with large and 

 showy papilionaceous flowers, for planting out and for 

 greenhouse bloom; and open-ground subjects in Florida 

 and California. 



Erect, or the herbs more or less reclining, usually 

 spiny: Ivs. alternate, pinnately 3-foliolate, with small 

 glanduliform stipules: fls. mostly red and in dense 

 racemes; calyx 2-lipped or oblique; standard free or 

 very nearly so, erect or spreading; tenth stamen free, or 

 united only half its length: fr. a slender, more or less 

 twisted pod; seeds mostly ovoid. Known species 

 about 50, in tropical and warm temperate regions 

 around the world. 



Erythrinas are much prized garden plants. Some of 

 them, particularly the herbaceous kinds, are frequently 

 planted out in the summer. In the house they demand 

 an intermediate temperature. Give rich soil and fre- 

 quent waterings. In the woody species, aim to have 

 well-ripened wood for flowering, for the bloom is pro- 

 duced on wood of the preceding year. The herbaceous 

 species are propagated by division of the rootstock; also 

 by cuttings from shoots springing from the old roots. 

 Woody species are propagated by cuttings of growing 

 wood. All species are propagated by seeds, whenever 

 these are obtainable. Many species have been more or 

 less grown or tried within the limits of the United 

 States; some of them fail to bloom in southern Cali- 

 fornia, probably because of insufficient summer heat. 

 The forms more or less in cultivation are likely to be 

 imperfectly or doubtfuly determined botanically. Some 

 of the erythrinas are used as shade for coffee and cacao 

 plantations. 



ERYTHRINA 



1141 



A. Herbaceous species (or treated as such). These die 

 down at the end of the season, and the roots may 

 be stored after the manner of dahlias. It is best 

 to start the roots before planting them out, 

 particularly in the N. In their native countries, 

 these species are more or less woody. 

 Crista-gdlli, Linn. (E. laurifblia, Jacq.). COMMON 

 CORAL-TREE. Bushy and woody, sometimes develop- 

 ing a very short trunk, but the flowering branches 

 dying back after blooming, the stronger branches com- 

 ing annually or periodically from near the root: st. and 

 petioles somewhat spiny: Ifts. ovate-oblong or lance- 

 oblong, acuminate, entire: fls. large, brilliant crimson, 

 the keel nearly as long as the down-folding standard, 

 the wings rudimentary. Brazil. B.M. 2161. B.R. 

 313. L.B.C. 3:296. G. 4:451. G.W. 3, p. 437; 6, 

 p. 281. F.E. 16:637 (var. compacta). Runs into many 

 forms, varying in the shade of red, some of them with 

 variegated Ivs. South of Washington, it stands out- 

 of-doors if protected. In the N. the fleshy roots are 

 taken up and stored. Valuable for summer bloom. Fls. 

 hi large, terminal racemes. Madame Belanger is a 

 popular garden form. E. compacta, Bull, of very com- 

 pact habit and fls. rich crimson is probably a form of 

 this species. 



specidsa, Andr. Bush-like, reaching 8-12 ft., but 

 usually cut back as E. Crista-gatti is: sts. and Ivs. 

 prickly: Ifts. broad and more or less 3-lobed, pointed, 

 veiny: fls. in pubescent racemes, rich crimson. W. 

 Indies. B.R. 750. St. green, very prickly. 



herbacea, Linn. Perennial: sts. several and herba- 

 ceous, from a very thick root, 2-4 ft. high, the flower- 

 ing ones nearly leafless : If ts. 3, ovate to hastate; petioles 

 long, more or less prickly : fls. 2 in. long and very slender, 

 deep scarlet, in loose racemes 1-2 ft. long: seeds scarlet. 

 N. C. to Texas and W. Indies. Common on Gulf 

 coast of Ala. and Miss. B.M. 877. E. Bidwillii, Lindl., 

 is a beautiful hybrid of this species and E. Crista-galli 

 (the latter the pollen parent), with herbaceous shoots 

 and an ascending vexiUum. B.R. 33:9. H.F. 2:48. 



AA. Woody or tree-like species. Greenhouse plants, or 

 planted in the open in S. Calif, and S. Fla. 



Humeana, Spreng. (E. cdffra, Ker-Gawl, not Thunb.). 

 Often tree-like and 30 ft. or more, the st. and petioles 

 very spiny: petioles long; Ifts. rhomboid-ovate, acumi- 

 nate: peduncles axillary and strictly erect, longer than 

 the Ivs., white- warty; fls. verticillate-spiked on the 

 ends of the peduncles, long and slender, deflexed, 

 brilliant scarlet fading to purple. S. Afr. B.M. 2431. 

 B.R. 736. 



Corallodendron, Linn. CORAL-TREE. Tree, prickly: 

 petioles not armed; Ifts. ovate-rhomboid: calyx cam- 

 panulate, the teeth obsolete; standard erect, linear- 

 oblong, scarlet : seeds scarlet, usually with a black spot. 

 W. Indies. L.D. 3:170. The handsome deep scarlet 

 large fls. are borne in long racemes after the Ivs. fall. 



velutina, Willd. Prickly tree: Ifts. scurfy-tomentose 

 beneath, broadly ovate, obtuse, the terminal deltoid- 

 ovate: calyx split nearly to base, the 5 teeth minute; 

 standard orbicular, reflexed (1-1 H in. long), the wings 

 nearly as long as calyx, the keel-petals distinct and small : 

 pod velvety, few-seeded. Jamaica to Brazil. B.M. 3227. 



indica, Lam. (E. cdrnea, Blanco). Tall tree with very 

 small usually black prickles and thin gray back: Ifts. 

 rhomb-ovate, membranous and glabrous: fls. showy 

 scarlet, in dense short racemes; calyx split nearly to 

 base; standard ovate-oblong and blunt or nearly so, 

 slightly recurved, 2-2^ in. long, and about half as 

 broad, much exceeding the wings and keel; wings and 

 keel nearly equal, not more than half so long as the 

 calyx: pod 6-12 in. long, torulose. India, Polynesia, 

 W. Indies. Variable, var. picta, Hort (E. picta, 

 Linn.), has variegated Ivs. Var Parcellii, Hort (E. 

 Parccllii, Bull), has Ifts. with variable yellow vane- 



