ERYSIMUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ERYTHRINA. 



551 



There are several varieties. Syn., Cheiran- 

 thus alpinus. 



E. pumilum (Fairy Wallflower). A 

 very small plant, rare in cultivation, re- 

 sembling the alpine Wallflower in the size 

 and colour of its flowers, but lacking its 

 vigorous and rich green foliage. It is 

 often only I in. high, and it bears very 

 large flowers for its size. They appear 

 above a few narrow sparsely toothed leaves 

 which barely rise from the ground. High 

 bare places in the Alps and Pyrenees. It 

 requires an exposed spot of very sandy or 

 gritty loam in the rock-garden, where it 

 must be surrounded by a few small stones 

 to guard it from excessive drought and 



The common Sea Holly (E. maritimum). 



from accident, and must be associated 

 with the most minute alpine plants. It 

 is nearly related to the alpine Wallflower, 

 E. ochroleucum, but is separated from it 

 by its minuteness, and by its greyish- 

 green leaves. 



E. rhseticum. A pretty mountain 

 flower which, though rare in cultivation, 

 is a common alpine in Rhaetia and the 

 neighbouring districts, where in early 

 summer its broad dense-tufted masses 

 are aglow with pretty clear yellow blos- 

 soms. E. canescens, a South European 

 species with scentless yellow flowers, is 

 also a neat alpine, and so is E. rupestre, 

 which is desirable for the rock-garden. 

 All of them are easy to grow, and delight 

 in gritty soil and a well-drained and sunny 

 position on the rock-garden. Among 

 the biennial and annual kinds the best 

 is E. Perofskianum, i to ITT ft. high, 

 with dense racemes of orange-yellow 

 flowers. For early flowering it should 

 be sown in autumn, and again in March 

 and April for later bloom. E. arkansanum 

 and pachycarpum are similar to E Perof- 

 skianum. 



ERYTHEMA (Centaury). A small 

 genus of rather pretty dwarf biennials be- 

 longing to the Gentian family. The native 

 species, E. littoralis, common in some shore 

 districts, is worth cultivating. It is 4 to 

 6 in. high, and bears an abundance of rich 

 pink flowers, which last a considerable time 

 in beauty, and will withstand full exposure 

 to the sun, though partial shade is bene- 

 ficial. The very beautiful E. diffusa is 

 a similar species. It is a rapid grower, 

 with a profusion of pink blossoms in 

 summer. 



E. Muhlenbergi is another beautiful 

 plant. It is neat and about 8 in. high, 

 putting out many slender branches. It 

 bears many flowers, and the blossoms are 

 3ijjf in. across. They are of a deep pink, 

 with a greenish-white star in the centre. 

 Seeds should be sown in autumn, and 

 grown under liberal treatment till the 

 spring ; the plants will then flower 

 much earlier and produce finer flowers 

 than spring -sown plants. They are 

 excellent for the rock-garden and the 

 margins of a loamy border, but the 

 soil must be moist. 



ERYTHRINA (Coral Tree}. These 

 beautiful trees are pretty general through 

 the tropics. Some attain great dimensions, 

 while others are dwarf bushes with woody 

 root-stocks. Many produce beautiful large 

 Pea flowers, usually of a blood-red or 

 scarlet colour, in terminal racemes. The 

 varieties have proved very hardy and use- 

 ful in the summer garden, flowering freely 

 and showing considerable beauty of foli- 

 age. E. ornata, Marie Belanger, lauri- 

 folia, Crista-galli, profusa, Madame Be- 

 langer, rubernma, and Hendersoni, have 

 stood out with slight protection. The 

 common old E. Crista-galli will thrive for 

 years against a warm south wall in a light 

 soil, if protected about the roots in winter, 

 and when so grown, it is often very hand- 

 some in the warmer countries. How far 

 E. herbacea will prove an efficient sub- 

 stitute for the older and better known 

 species remains to be seen, but, having 

 resisted a New York winter, it may be 

 assumed to be hardy enough for England, 

 and it deserves a trial. It is rather 

 dwarfer than the old species, and has a 

 woody root-stock, which under favourable 

 conditions throws up in summer stems 2 

 to 4 ft. high. These stems are of two 

 kinds, one bearing leaves only, the other 

 bearing flowers with few leaves. The 

 flowering stems have a raceme, I to 2 ft. 

 long, of narrow flowers about 2 in. in 

 length, the deep scarlet standard, erect in 

 so many genera, being horizontal and 

 folded over the wings and keel. The 



