City Squares, &c. 49 



Foliage of many of what are called umbelliferous 

 plants is particularly ornamental in young stages of 

 growth. Amongst which are Ferula communis, F. 

 persica, F. tingitana, Oreocome filicina, Ligusticunt, 

 Pelaponnesianuni) Pcncedanum offitinale, &c. 



For more than twelve years, one plant of the com- 

 mon Heliotrope has lived in a border of Merrion- 

 square, losing the foliage at close of autumn, and 

 springing up before the next summer. Here also 

 MeUanthm major grows vigorously, though I have 

 not known it to flower so far within the city. It 

 likes light, rich soil and sandy loam, with which lime 

 rubbish may be mixed. 



Any kind of Erytkrina, commonly called coral 

 trees, is scarcely known in outdoor culture in Ire- 

 land, though some varieties are very suitable, and 

 very showy. Natives of the tropics of both hemi- 

 spheres, some of them attain a height of one hundred 

 feet, with large dimensions ; but grown in Ireland 

 as a garden shrub, they die, or are cut down each 

 autumn, to send up vigorous stems in spring, pro- 

 ducing handsome blood-red, pea-shaped flowers, of 

 various hues. E. amasisa, of Peru, is described as 

 one of the most beautiful trees of the country, clad 

 in spring and autumn with large flame-coloured ver- 

 milion bloom. Thirty years ago, I saw E. crista- 

 cjalli flowering in Kingstown, near Dublin, where the 

 only protection given was cinder or turf-mould at 

 commencement of winter. This variety has been 

 out many years in our College Botanic Gardens; 



E 



