CASSELL'S POPULAH GARDENING. 



flowers, &c. &c. The name comes from echinttSj 

 " a hedgehog," and refers to their dense covering of 

 spines. These plants are all erect, leafless, cylin- 

 drical, and fleshy, more or less ribbed, and fluted; 

 and upon the edges of these ribs, the spines are ar- 

 ranged in little crowns or rosettes. 



The Toothpick Cactus of the Mexicans {Echinocaettts 

 Visnaga) attains an enormous size. A specimen in- 

 troduced to Kew Gardens some years ago stood nine 

 feet high, measured as much round, was densely 

 armed with very large spines, and weighed upwards 

 of a ton ; but it soon died, and must have been of a 

 great age, as they are slow growers. 



The species of these genera are all natives of 

 Mexico, and various parts of South America, where 

 they inhabit hot, dry, sandy, barren places, conse- 

 quently they do not need much water even in the 

 summer season, and in winter none should be given. 

 They have mostly large and showy flowers, which are 

 freely produced, the principal colours being rose, 

 yellow, and white; but in some species these are 

 rather short-lived. Pot in sandy loam, adding 

 about equal parts of old mortar and brick rubbish, 

 and fuUy expose to sun and light both winter and 

 summer. The following will be a good selection : — 



one foot. Naturally these plants grow in stony, 

 sterile ground, which is a sufficient indication that 

 they require good drainage. Soil and treatment the 

 same as for Cycas. 



ECHINO CACTUS. 



Cummingi. 



elect racanthus. 



hexsedropliorus. 



hystriacaatlias. 



longitramatus. 



multlflorus. 



obvaHatuB. 



Pfersdorfi. 



platyceros. 



scopa. 



Simpsonii, 



Staioesi. 



Yisnaga. 



ECHINOPSIS. 



Bridgesi 



Becaisneaua. 



Eyriesi. 



Forbesi. 



formosa, 



Linki. 



multiplex. 



omatus. 



pectiniferus. 



Pentlandii. 



Schelhasi. 



texaua. 



Zuccariuiana. 



Eneholirion.— A small genus of Bromeliads, re- 

 quiring the same treatment as ^chima^ which see. 



E. coraUinuin— a somewhat 

 small - growing plant ; 

 leaves arranged in a rosu- 

 late manner, recurved, 

 daxk green on the upper 

 side, dull purple and 

 glaucous heneath. Scape 

 erect, flowers yellow and 



freen, bracts CTimson, 

 lunmer months. 



E. Saundersii.— An elegant 

 vase-like plant ; leaves re- 

 curved.silvery-grey above, 

 green beneatii, profusely 

 freckled, and spited with 

 reddish - crimson. Scape 

 erect, flowers and bracts 

 rich yellow. Summer 

 months. Both are from 

 Brazil 



Encephalartos. — A genus of Cycadace^^ all 

 natives of South Africa, mostly near the borders of 

 CafEraria, one species being called Caffre Bread, from 

 the natives scooping out the soft upper part of the 

 stem, which they roast and eat, and from this custom 

 the name is derived ; thus, enkephalos, " edible," and 

 artos, "bread." Some of the species form veiy tall 

 and stout stems ; under* cultivation, the stems grow 

 but slowly, taking fifteen or sixteen years to make 



E. Alteustelnii— stem stout, 

 leaves some six feet long, 

 petioles very thick at the 

 base, leaflets thick and 

 coriaceons in texture, ob- 

 long, tapering to a point, 

 ELud armed all round with 

 spines. 



E. brachyphyllus — stem 

 stout, leaves spreading, 

 petioles clothed with leaf- 

 lets nearly to the base, 

 leaflets smooth, saving the 

 terminal spine, the whole 

 plant very glaucous. 



E. caffra— stem very stoat, 

 attaining a height of ten 

 to fifteen feet, or more, 

 tesselated with the scoxs 

 of fallen leaves ; leaves 

 pinnate, some four feet 

 long, recurved at the 

 points, leaflets very thick, 

 nearly six inches long, and 

 one broad, at times armed 

 with spines on the edges, 

 at other times smooth, 

 deep green; seeds roasted 

 and eaten as above ; the 

 soft interior of the stem is 

 also cut out, buried in the 

 earth for a month or two, 

 takeii out, made into 

 CEikes, and baked in the 

 flre. Majestic, South 

 Africa. 



E. Ghellinckii— a very hand- 

 some &pe(nes, sometimes 

 named Gracilis j stems 

 scarred with the bases of 

 fallen leaves, and also 

 famished with a brown 

 woolly tomentum, which 

 likewise covers the erect 

 spreading, pinnate leaves, 

 leaflets, and petioles. 

 E. Hildebrandii — this fine 

 species is of remarkably 



bold growth; leaves pin- 

 nate, the petioles clothed 

 to the base with reduced 

 leaflets, which take the 

 form of spines ; leaflets 

 lanceolate, deep green, 

 profusely armed at the 

 apex and on the edges 

 with spines. 

 E. horridus — stem stout, 

 leaves pinnate, suddenly 

 recurved at the top ; leaf- 

 lets a deep bluish-green, 

 very thick and hard, some 

 four inches long, armed at 

 the point with a lon^, 

 sharp spine. 

 E. horridus trispinus — 

 similar to the preceding, 

 but having two sharp 

 spines on the lower e^e 

 of the leaflets, which are 

 deep bluish^green. 

 E. lanuginosus — stem stoat, 

 the pinnate leaves about 

 six feet long, recurved ; 

 lea^ets lanceolate, with a 

 somewhat rounded base, 

 deep green, whole phmt 

 spineless. 

 E. pungens —a bold-growing 

 plant with a stout stem, 

 leaves pinnate, some six 

 feet long ; leaflets sessile, 

 oblong -lanceolate, taper^ 

 ' ing to a sharp point, thick 

 and hard, deep heavy 

 green. South Africa. 

 E. villosus — thiH is a hand- 

 some and distinct plant; 

 leaves pinnate, about four 

 feet long ; the petioles 

 densely tomentose ; leal- 

 lets upwards of six inches 

 long and one broad, bright 

 green, the apex and mar- 

 gins armed with numerous 

 spines. South Africa. 



Epiphylltim.— A small group of the order Cac- 

 taee^, possessing great beauty, and as the majority 

 flower during late autumn and the dull days of 

 winter, they are doubly valuable. In a state of 

 nature Epiphyllums are epiphytes, and thrive well in 

 hanging baskets under cultivation. They also suc- 

 ceed as pot plants, struck from cuttings, but are seen 

 to the greatest advantage when grafted to form 

 pyramids or standards, or to creep up rafters and 

 pillars. The best stock for this is the Feriskea aculeata, 

 but they form more handsome specimens when 

 grafted upon Cereus speciosissimus. There are but two 

 species in cultivation, but from these a great number 

 of varieties have been obtained, the chief differences 

 arising from the size and colours of the flowers. Pot 

 in turfy loam and sand, drain weU, and water care- 

 fully. 



\S^!f?^'''"~*^® ^* I issuing from the ends of 

 Ss^^ng^lnf^V^? ^h^se^^r^ ^^^^4 



of each otik thf^o';^?^ | ,^o^^, ^| x>&„St 



