EPIPHYLLUM 



the pots, so as to show tht-m .iff to lipttir ailvantage 

 when in flower. Pereskia (iculi •ft^( an.l /•. /.V'w aie tlu' 

 stock most commonly used for i,-rafi ini.' K|ii|iliylliniis 

 upon, though some gardeiuTs pr< Ii r trratiin^' iijk.u 

 Cereiis triangularis, taking clean, hualthy puit-s about 

 1 foot in length, first rooting them and establishing 

 them in pots, then grafting when actire growth of the 

 Epiphyllums commences in spring. It is said by 

 some gardeners that Epiphyllums do better and may be 

 brought into Hower earlier by grafting on Cereus tri- 

 angularis. Otlur species of Cereus may also be used 

 as stock jilants tor grafting upon, especially the upright- 

 growing species, as O. colubrinus. The system known 

 as we<ige-grafting is the best method. 



When grown upon their own roots, the soil best 

 suited to them is two-thirds fibrous loam and one-third 

 leaf-mold, with a fair proportion of silver sand and 

 pounded brick added to keep the soil porous, as they are 

 very impatient of too mtich moisture at the roots. The 

 pots or pans in which they are grown must also be well 

 drained. They require careful watering at all times, but 

 during the fall and early winter they should receive 

 only enough to keep them from shriveling. They are 

 best kejit in the greenhouse the whole year round, giv- 

 ing them an abundance of air during the summer to in- 

 sure well ripened growth. A temperature of 45-50° 

 during winter will be sufficient, tli.)ui.'l] a higher tem- 

 perature may be given after .Tanuar\- 1 if wanted in 

 flower earlier. I'.i.\v.u;ii .1. Canning. 



tmnoitum, Haw. Crab CArn s. Cukistmas Cactus. 

 Fig 7G5 Stems much br-mched ind hanging in large 

 bunchc from the tiees JJints obovate to oblong, with 

 strongly truncate apex 1^4-2 m long by about %-l in. 

 broad bright green margins coirsely serrate, with 1-3 

 large icute teeth on each ide the 2 upper ones form- 

 in^ niori rr le mturve 1 huns on either side of the 

 truiK iti n ire l-e* bearing a few short, yellowish or 

 dark Loli re Ibri ties or sometimes none : tls. horizontal, 

 grow mg from the truncated end of the j'ounger 

 ]omts strongly irregular 2X-3K in. long, in va- 

 rious shades of red fr fear shaped, red, about 

 %m in diam Braz B M 2o62. G.C. III. 19:9. 

 -Most of the forms in cultivation are 

 hybrids between this species and some 

 othei of the genus cr with Cereus. Fig. 

 7W> A common basket and rafter plant. 

 KusselUaniun Hook. Stems more 

 upright with pendent branches: joints 

 %-V- in long by ys-% in. broad, 

 oblong or elliptical to obovate, light 

 green margins crenate, with 2-4 

 areolfe on either side, bearing a few 

 ver\ short dark gray bristles : fls. from 

 the end of the youngest joints, red, 

 1^4-2% m long fr red, 4-angled or 

 narrow winged Braz. B.M. 3717. 



Gaertnen K Sch. (£. Eussel- 

 Udnum var Ghrineri, Reg.). 

 EiSTER Cactus. Stems of more 

 ujiright habit with drooping 

 blanches joints long-oblong or 

 elliptical to obovate, %-2H in. 

 long by J'o-l in. broad, dark 

 green margins crenate.with 

 ; ^-.^^_^ about 5 areolae on either 

 _^ side bearing 6-12 rather 

 stiff long yellow or brown 

 bristles and are especially 

 spicuous on the trun- 

 cated apex, where they form 

 considerable beard : fls. 

 ] f 1 tm the apex of the young- 



4 ) e t 1 mts, 2M-3 in. long, 



l' 111 t led: fr. red. Braz. 



B M 01 

 Fi it ilhirnauedneyri.'SoMl- 



1 t-PljU cactus sp. 



C H. Thompson. 

 EPIPHYTES or air plants grow on trees or other 

 plants without robbing them of food. Orchids are the 

 most famous examples among garden plants. Some or- 



EQUISETUM 



537 



Xr 



chids, however, grow in the soil, and others are true 

 parasites. Plants that live on decaying organic matter, 

 and haie lo t more or less of their leaf green are called 

 saproph^ tes Many 

 mosses are Epiphvtes 



EPlSCIA (Greek V 

 sliadtj the\ grow w il 1 ^ 

 in shad^ place ) 



erdc 



i\ U 



the 



best garden t iin t tin 

 genus IS the retin 1 m I 

 elegant basket j 1 nt / 

 cupreata with its rich 

 coppeiy colored softlj 

 hairy leaves shown in 

 Fig. 767 The genus has 

 perhaps 30 species all 

 tropical American. 

 Herbs with long, short 

 or no hairs : stem from 

 a creeping root, branched 

 or not : Ivs. opposite, 



fls. pedicelled, axillary, 

 solitary or clustered ; 

 corollas mostly scarlet, 

 rarely whitish or pur- 

 plish ; tube straight or 

 curved, more or less 

 spurred at the base; 

 limb oblique or nearly 

 equal; lobes 5, spreading, rounded. 



Episcia cupreata is one of tlo' standard bas- 

 ket plants, especially for the warmest green- 

 houses. It can also be used in pyramids and 

 mounds, as told under Fittouia. As it does not 

 require so close an atmosphere as the Fittonias, 

 it can be grown in some living rooms and per- 

 haps outdoors in sum 

 chief charms are the 

 soft hairiness of the leave-, the eupjiery hue, 

 which is often laid on like paint in two broad bands 

 skirting the midrib, and the rarer and perhaps finer 

 metallic bluish luster of which one occasionally gets a 

 glimpse in a finely grown specimen. Give very rich, 

 fibrous loam, and in summer partial shade. 



A. Fls. u-hite. 

 ChontaWnsiB, Hook. {Cyrtodelra ChontaUnsis, 

 Seem.). Stems stout, more or less ascending, dark red- 

 dish purple, 6-10 in. bin-: h-s, oi.i.ositp and irregu- 

 larly whorled, 3-4 in. f ■ - ' i'' ' .- it,., .•r.iiate, ob- 

 tuse, rounded at the b,: . iivix on both 

 sides of the midrib an.] . in li sunk veins, 

 margins recurved, gre-ii. iii:.iK.'l \. nb r.^ciilar purple 

 patches, which advance fr..m tlie margins between the 

 veins toward the midrib and are more or less oblong: 

 fls. in I's and 2's ; corolla tube with a sac at the base, 

 the limb oblique, 132-2 in. across, with small and regu- 

 lar but conspicuous and beautiful teeth. Chontales 

 region of Nicaragua. B.M. 5925. K.B. 22:241. F.S. 18: 

 1924. 



AA. Fls. scarlet. 



cupreilta, Hanst. (Acliimhies cupredta, B.oo)l.). Fig. 

 767. Stems slender, creeping, branched, rooting at the 

 joints, with a main branch rising erect a few inches, 

 which bears the fls. and the largest Ivs. : Ivs. copper- 

 colored above: fls. solitary, 9 lines wide, scarlet, with a 

 .rmall sac and denticulate limb. Nicaragua. B.M. 4312. 

 Var. Tiridiiolia, Hook., has green foliage and larger fls., 

 1 in. across. B.M. 5195. 



cocclnea, Benth. & Hook. (Cyrlodelra coccinea,'HoTt., 

 B. S. Williams). Lvs. dark metallic green, 3-4 in. long, 

 23^-3 in. wide. Free-flowering. 



Robert Shore and W. M. 



EQUISfiTUM contains the weed known as Horse-tails, 

 or Scouring-rushes. They are suitable for naturalizing 

 in waste and wettish places. They hold sandy banks. 

 The following have been advertised by dealers in native 



