136 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



E. 



EAG 



TTlagle Wood. An odoriferous wood containing 

 -Ld an abundance of resin and a fragrant essen- 

 tial oil. This is supposed to be the Aloes 

 wood of Scripture. See Aquilaria agallocha. 



Ea'rina. From earinos, the spring; the time 

 of their flowering. Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. , 



A genus of very rare Orchids. The stems 

 are terminated by dense oblong spikes of 

 white flowers, which are delightfully fragrant. 

 They were introduced from New Zealand in 

 1843. 



East Indian Rose Bay. See TaberncBmontana. 



Earth-nut, or Earth Chestnut. Bunium flex- 



uosum. 



Easter Flower. Mexican. Poinsettia pulcher- 



rima. 



Easter Giant. Polygonum bistortum. 

 Easter Lily. Lilium Harrisii and L. longiflorum. 



Ebena'ceae. A natural order of trees or shrubs, 

 not milky, with alternate leathery and entire 

 leaves. The flowers are hermaphrodite (per- 

 fect), or pistillate and staminate. The fruit 

 is a round or oval berry with albuminous 

 seeds. They are chiefly natives of the East 

 Indies, but are also found in tropical Africa, 

 at the Cape of Good Hope, in South America, 

 Brazil, Australia, northern Asia, and China. 

 The trees yield a hard and durable timber. 

 The heart-wood of different species of Diospy- 

 ros is'the Ebony of commerce, of which there 

 are many varieties. The Keg-fig of Japan is 

 edible fruit of Diospyros Kaki, and our com- 

 mon Persimmon is the fruit of Diospyros Vir- 

 giniana. There are five recognized genera 

 and about 250 species ; Diospyros, Royena, 

 Euclea, and Maba are examples. 



E'benus. A genus of Leguminosce, numbering 

 about eight species, natives of the high moun- 

 tainous regions of eastern Europe and Asia 

 Minor. They are elegant little shrubs, or 

 biennial plants, bearing their bright pink or 

 violet blossoms on dense spikes or round 

 heads in great profusion. They are easily 

 increased by seeds or division. 



Ebony-tree. See Diospyros. 

 Jamaica. Brya Ebenus. 

 Mountain. Bauhinia variegata. 

 Senegal. Dalbergia Melanoxylon. 



Eburneus. Of the color of ivory. 



Ecba'llium. Squirting Cucumber. From ekbalo, 

 to cast out ; because the seeds are violently 

 expelled from the ripe fruit. Nat. Ord. Cucur- 

 bitacece. 



The Squirting Cucumber is so called from the 

 remarkable way in which it squirts out its seeds 

 along with the semi-fluid contents of the fruit. 

 When the fruit is quite ripe a very slight touch 

 causes it to separate from its stem, and by 

 the violent elastic contraction of the pericarp, 

 or rind of the fruit, the whole of the contents 

 are ejected from the opening made by its 

 separation from the stem. It is a native of 

 the south of Europe, where the drug known 

 as Elaterium (a powerful cathartic) is procured 

 from it. Syn. Momordica Elaterium. 



ECH 



Eccremoca'rpus. From ekkremes, pendant, and 

 karpos, fruit ; position of seed-pods. Nat. Ord. 

 Bignoniacece. 



The best known species, E. scaber, is a half- 

 hardy climber, of exceedingly vigorous 

 growth, producing a great profusion of 

 orange-scarlet flowers, and ripening an 

 abundance of seed. If cut down to the root 

 in autumn, and covered with dead leaves, 

 straw, or anything to preserve it from the 

 frost during winter, it will shoot up again the 

 following spring. It may be propagated by 

 cuttings, but it ripens seed so freely that it is 

 most easily raised from them. They should 

 be sown in autumn, as soon as they are ripe, 

 on a slight hot-bed ; and the plants, which 

 should be kept in a frame or green-house, 

 should be shifted two or three times till they 

 are ready for planting out in April or May. 

 The species are natives of Peru. Introduced 

 in 1824. Syn. Calampelis. 



Echea'ndia. Named after Greg. Echeandia, 

 botanical professor at Saragossa. Nat. Ord. 

 Liliacece. 



A small genus of exceedingly rare, tender 

 herbaceous perennials, discovered near the 

 Eeal del Monte Mines, Mexico, by Mr. John 

 Rule, and sent by him to England in 1837. It 

 is allied to the Anthericum, which in habit of 

 growth it resembles. The flower spike grows 

 nearly three feet high, branching, and during 

 July and August it produces daily several 

 Asphodel-shaped flowers, of a bright orange- 

 yellow color. It is increased from seeds. 



Echeve'ria. In honor of M. Echeveri, author of 

 the splendid drawings of the Flora Mexican!. 

 Nat. Ord. Crassulacece. 



The Echeverias are succulent plants, all 

 more or less ornamental, particularly so when 

 in flower. Some are dwarf and herb-like in 

 their manner of growth, and others more or 

 less shrubby in their habit. They are all 

 free-growing plants, suitable for rockeries, 

 edgings, or massing ; where " carpet bedding" 

 is done the Echeverias are indispensable. 

 They require the protection of the green- 

 house during winter, and, like most other 

 succulents, to be carefully watered ; in fact, 

 the soil must never approach a soddened con- 

 dition. They must, however, be freely sup- 

 plied with water while in a growing condition. 

 The Echeverias are readily propagated by the 

 leaves, especially those produced along the 

 flower-stem, and by seeds. They are chiefly 

 natives of Mexico, and require a very open or 

 porous soil, consisting of loam and coarse 

 sand. Some of the more popular kinds are of 

 recent introduction. A number of the species 

 are now classed with Cotyledon. 



Echina'cea. Purple Cone-Flower. From echinos, 

 a hedge-hog; referring to the involucre, or 

 scaly covering of the flowers. Nat. Ord. Com- 

 posites. 



A small genus of coarse-growing, hardy her- 

 baceous perennials, bearing large purple or 

 reddish flowers, with a dark centre. They are 

 common south and west. 



