E L E 



E M P 



ELEPHANTOPUS,a genus comprising plants 

 of the flowery, herbaceous, exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Syngenesia 

 Polygamia Segregata, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Composite Capitate*. 



The characters are : that the calyx is an invo- 

 lucre of three broad, sharp leaflets, many-flow- 

 ered, large, permanent, without an umbel : pe- 

 rianthium partial, four-flowered, oblong, imbri- 

 cate; scales lance-subulate, mueronate, upright, 

 of which the four longer are equal : the corolla 

 compound tubular : corollets hermaphrodite five 

 or four, equal, disposed in a single circle. Pro- 

 per one-petalled, tubular : border narrow, five- 

 parted, nearly equal : the stamina consist of Civn 

 capillary filaments, very short: anther cylindric, 

 tubular : the pistillum is an ovate, crowned 

 germ : stvle filiform, length of the stamens : 

 stigmas two, slender, spreading : there is no 

 pericarpium : calyx unchanged : the seeds soli- 

 tary, compressed : down bristle-form : the re- 

 ceptacle is naked. 



The species cultivated arc : 1 . E. scaler, Rough- 

 leaved Elephant's Foot; 2. E.tojnentosus, Wool- 

 ly-leaved Elephant's Foot. 



The first sends out from a perennial root many 

 oblong rough leaves, which spread near the 

 ground ; between which, in the spring, arises a 

 branching stalk, little more than a foot high : 

 the side branches are short, and generally ter- 

 minated by two heads of flowers, each on a short 

 fitduncle : the florets are of a pale purple co- 

 our. It is a native of the East and West Indies, 

 flowering about the beginning of autumn. 



The second species generally rises to the height 

 of fifteen or twenty inches, sometimes more. 

 The common receptacles of the flowers rise 

 singly from the axils of the upper leaves, and 

 seem disposed in the form of a spike, but there 

 are seldom more than four florets in each. At 

 first coming up it has many leaves, five inches 

 long, and an inch and half hroad where broad- 

 est; beginning very narrow, continuing so 

 for two inches, and ending in a round point ; 

 are hard, smooth, dark green, and indented 

 about the edges. From among these a round, 

 strong, green stalk rises, four feet high, with 

 an embracing leaf at each joint: it has branches 

 towards the top, standing round at every joint, 

 divided into others, which are beset with smaller 

 leaves. From the axils of these come out the 

 flowers, without any peduncle, standing in se- 

 veral green leaves ; they arc white, in bundles, 

 without any involucre. It is a native of Ja- 

 maica, &c. 



Culture. — These plants arc capable of being 

 increased by sowing the seed in the early spring 

 on a moderate hot-bed, or in pots plunged in it. 

 When the plants have attained a little growth, 



they should be removed into pots filled with 

 light fresh earth, and be re-plunged in the bark 

 hot-bed, due shade and water being given, till 

 they are fresh rooted, air and water being then 

 freely afforded when the season is hot. 



These plants require the protection of the 

 green-house in winter, but may be placed abroad 

 a little in the hot summer season. 



They afford variety among other potted green- 

 house plants. 



ELM-TREE. See Ulmus. 

 EMPETRUM, a genus containing plants of 

 the under-shrubby kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Dioecia Tri- 

 andiia, and ranks in the natural order of Erica. 

 The characters are: that in the male the calyx 

 is a three-parted perianthium ; divisions ovaie, 

 permanent : the corolla has three petals, ovate- 

 oblong, narrower at the base, larger than the 

 calyx, withering : the stamina consist of three 

 capillary filaments, very long, hanging forwards : 

 anthers upright, short, two-parted. In the fe- 

 male the calyx is a perianthium, as in the male : 

 the pistillum is a superior germ, depressed: style 

 scarce any : stigmas nine, reflex-expanding 

 (styles three to nine) : the pericarpium an orbi- 

 culate berry, depressed, one-celled, larger than 

 the calyx : the seeds nine, jointedly placed in a 

 circle, on one side bulging, on the other cor- 

 nered (three to nine). 



The species are: 1. E. nigrum, Black-berried 

 Heath; 2. E. album, White-berried Heath. 



The first is a small decumbent shrub ; the 

 outer bark deciduous, and of a brown colour, 

 the inner yellow : branches rough with the re- 

 mains of the petioles : the terminating bud 

 consists of five membranaceous leaflets, hairy at 

 the edge ; this puts forth five little branches, of 

 which four are in a whorl : the leaves are in 

 fours, somewhat three-cornered, with a white 

 linear keel, and petioled : the flowers axillary, 

 sessile, and solitary: the berries brownish-black, 

 when ripe; the size of juniper berries. It is a na- 

 tive of the north of Europe, flowering in April. 



The second species differs from the above in 

 having the smaller branches pubescent ; the 

 leaves longer, somewhat scabrous on their upper 

 surface, and channelled underneath ; the berry 

 guarded at the base by a fleshy, white, shining 

 calvx. It is a native of Portugal. 



Culture. — These plants are capable of being 

 raised from seed, slips, or offsets, and layers ; 

 but the best method is that of planting the 

 young plants procured from the places where 

 they grow naturally. 



The seeds in the first sort may be sown in 

 situations where the earth is boggy, and there is 

 a degree of shade and moisture, in the open 

 ground, in the spring season; but in the second 



