532 EPACRIS 



purpuriBcena, R. Br. Lvs. ovate-acuminate, trough- 

 shaped, tipped with a long curved point or spine : fls. 

 short, the calyx nearly equaling the corolla, white or 

 pinkish. There is a doublc-t)d. form. L.B.C. 3:237. 

 G.C. II. 5: 340. -Probably identical with E. pidchella, 

 Cav. 



obtusiidlia, Smith. Lvs. small, elliptic or linear, thick 

 and obtuse : fls. small, white, the spikes more or less 

 one-sided. L.B.C. 3:292. 



Other trade names aro /•; ,.,,;-,,/, < IK ,iiiii-.nn, ;;. 



hyacinthiflbra, v;ir. cartili'i'^ ■■':■ .imI v ;n /"^ 



gma,vink.—E.hubridasiii'r : ,:.,-u. ich-h l..r 



mixed kinds of Epacris.-/. '' -' I I III i-hl r.a. -y,, .f"(- 

 miinea. L. 11. U. 



The genus EiKicri< iilini-li i.rrhaps not as well known 

 as the Ericas, Willi wlu'li ili.v are usually grown, re- 

 quiring the saiiii-.iiliur. I tiniiishL-s the Cool greenhouse 

 with some of thr III. iM In :i,,i iiul hard-wooded flowering 

 plants known, iIh i1 . . mln .irini,' a good range of color. 

 Where a goo.l \iiiiitv "( iln-^i- plants is grown, the 

 flowering period rxi. ii,U Ir.iu the end of Januaryto the 

 end of April. Atlir lluw. rint', the upright or bushy 

 species should receive whatever pruning may be neces- 

 sary to secure a well-shaped plant, while the pendulous 

 Tarieties will require the shortening of only the strong- 

 est branches to induce a more even growth. If neces- 

 sary, potting should be done at this timr. and tlm^i- 

 which do not need repotting should have tli. .hainiL'. 

 of their pots made perfect, as a water-lot;L'i d r.niditiMii 

 of the soil is fatal to these plants. The sml l">t ^-uii. d 

 to them is two parts good fibrous peat, one part k-al- 

 mold, and one part silver sand. In potting, small 

 shifts should be given and the soil pressed as firmly as 

 possible in the pots. After potting and pruning, the 

 plants should be placed in a temperature of 60-65°, and 

 syringed on all fine days to encourage fresh growth. 

 During the summer they should be placed outside, in a 

 position where they would receive some shade during 

 the hottest part of the day, and tlie pots should be 

 plunged in ashes or i.ili> r in.ii i.ndnriing niatirial. 



Careful watering is ni_T. h : s witli tli.sr 



plants. If allowed t" li will l"^'- tin ii- 



lower lvs., which spoils liin . ;. , ■ ; nt tlir -imii' 



time a saturated condition i,i iln i ; fivil t i i!i m. 

 Though they may be propagute<l 1. , , , , i . . 



tings of the young growth is in-i. r > 



should be about I inch in len^'ili ; i i ■ 

 the young growths. They may l" nir.d r: n 



pans of sharp silver sand, with a lI.i-- Ik II inr idn.. d 

 over them to keep them close. 'I'lir inni-; sIhmiM lir 

 plunged in the propagating bed and tin- cuitinir^ rarr- 



fully watered and shaded till i tid. TIi.' iii"i~iiin. 



which collects in the ludl-Jar- slii.nld lii' \vi|i.d "iii tw.i 

 or three times a day, and a Imli- \ .■iiiil:iii..ii f:"iM ilic 

 bottom admitted after al..iui ihr iliird ,]:ty. r.iiM.vinu' 

 the bell-jars altogether as lin- .ntiiiiL'- lucn'ii. i,,..i.d, 

 which usually takes two or tlini- wr, i,^. win n iia.iv 

 rooted, they should be potted sinuly int.. ilimnli pmI - 

 and grown "along, pinching when n. rrs-.ny t" indue, a 

 bushy habit. T'l.w ai-m d. i'anmni,. 



It is a good plan t.. idunj,'!' ]Mits .ii' I',]. arris in an open 

 position and cnvrr Ihr iduuls dnrinu' dimr and .luly with 

 lath racks. AImhiI Aiiuusi. hr-in u. ithmiv.- the racks 

 a few hours enidi day iinlil the niiddl.- nt Scpti-mber. 

 Then remove the racks altogether. This practice 

 hardens the wood and insures the setting of buds. A 

 top dressing is a great help to Epacris and all hard- 

 wooded plants. Hay or straw, run through a hay cutter, 

 makes the best dressing. It can be put on quickly and 

 evenly; it protects from the sun; It is light; it dries 

 quickly, and has no bad effects, as manure does in the 

 case of some hard-wooded plants. The writer has found 

 the following sorts do well : Diadem, Eclipse, Her 

 Majesty, Model, Rose Perfection, hyacinthiflora and 

 vars. candidissima and fulgens, impressa alba, miniata 

 vars. superba and splendens, rubra superba. 



H. D. Darlington. 

 EPHfiDEA (ancient Greek name, used by Pliny for 

 the Horse-tail). Oiietdcea. Generally low, much- 

 branched shrubs, often procumbent and sometimes 

 climbing, the green branches resembling much those of 



EPIDEXDRUM 



Equisetum, bearing minute, scale-like, sheathing lvs. in 

 distant pairs or whorls : fls. inconspicuous, but fr. in 

 some species decorative, berry-like and scarlet. They 

 are but rarely grown, and most of them are tender: half 

 hardy North are £. distuchya, foliafa, yei-adoisis, 

 trifu'rca. They can be used for covering dry. sandy 

 banks or rocky slopes, and are prop, by seeds or by 

 suckers and layers. About 30 species from S. Europe, 

 N. Africa. Asia and in extra trop. Amc-r. Fls. din- 

 idi.iis.in small anunr^, fnrniiiii' n -md'v r-d'iii.-l. d i.-iil- 



Latest monograph by O. Stapf, in Denkschr. Akad. 

 Wissensch., Wien, Vol. 56 (1889), (in German and 



Latin! . 



bright or bluish green : lvs. Vs"!-!** in- i 

 clustered, ovate: stamlnate-ovate fls.wii 

 late2-fld.: fr. berry-like. W. Asia.— £ 



connate, about H in. louB : ameiits solitary ; pistillate 1-tUi 

 fr. dry, the roundish bracts \nth transparent marKins. Ai 

 zona to Colorado. Alpreh REnnER. 



EPIDfiNDRUM (»/'"" ''■" . .'iii.iM.., 1.. 1 - . nndi; 



column, the blade spreading and usually di-cply hihed: 



poUinia 4, 2 in each anther cell, separated. Nearly 500 



species discovered and described from central America. 



Epidciidrnms are noted as the rankest weeds amongst 



liii iiliid nil"-. The remarkable success in the rais- 

 i !. 1.1 ■ it in the genus itself, or with the 

 : I '1 :iiid Ln?lia, has opened a wide field for 

 I i Ii . 1.1 iii-i. iipidendnim seedlings grow freely; the 

 iiiii.- r,-.|uu.d lu bring them to the flowering stage is 

 little compared with other orchids, ami it is imt n i|ncs- 

 tinn of a short time till the blood c.f ili.. I'.idil. ii.lniins 

 will be infused into the weaker but in. .it ;;..i ;;<"US 

 tbiwers of cenera more difficult to grow. It is also the 

 loir.: -I I 111 and the grace of the racemes of the Epiclendra, 

 ;i, ..M 1! ir- till- odor of some of their species, whith the 

 li.l.ii.ji-i will try to blend with the largeness of short- 

 si, niiiu .1 iloworsi of Cattleyas for instance. Wetherefore 

 give liolow a list of the species but rarely found under 

 cultivation, but the value of which will call for and 

 justify large importations of their kind before long. 

 Geokoe Hansen. 

 It is s.'ar.Tly ]...ssil.l,. to api.lv any one rule for the 

 cultivation of tins ^^l.l.•l\ dn.r-ini iiihl large genus, 



which imdil.l... ni.nn Imn.] n-.l- . . t v:i n;i 1 .1. ■ individtlals 



geographic. ilh' disi rilmt. .1 all ..\rr tn.idcal America. 

 For convenience they are treated under their several 

 separate sections. 



Section 7.— Barkeria embraces several deciduous, 

 small-growing spiidcs which generally deteriorate 

 sooner or In or nn.l. r . lUivation. They succeed best in 

 small li.i-l ... . ,1 from the roof in rough, loose 

 material.- ' ; .at fiber, with a small quantity 



of live. Ili. Ill moss added to la-tain niois- 



tiib plant.s have matured growth they should be removed 

 to a rather sunny location and be' syringed overhead 

 often enough to keep them in sound condition until they 

 start new action. While resting during winter the tem- 



