FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 67 



of Britain, while the variety hails from Chili, from whence 

 it was introduced in 1833. Damp, peaty soil. 



Enkianthus (Ericaceae), 



/ Enkianthus campanulatus. — Japan. This is the com- 

 monest species in cultivation, with elliptic and sharply- 

 toothed leaves, and clusters of drooping, greenish-white 

 flowers, which are, in some cases, freely produced, and 

 particularly when the shrub is planted in rather dampish, 

 light, peaty soil. There is a white-flowered species, also of 

 Japanese origin, named E. japonicus, and another with red 

 flowers called E. Himalaicus. E. cernuus, recently intro- 

 duced from Japan, has reddish drooping flowers. 



Ephedra (Gnetaceae). 



Ephedra nebeodensis (syn E. distachya), South-West 

 Europe, 1750, bears whitish flowers, which are succeeded 

 by scarlet berries. 



•< E. vulgaeis (syn Ephedra monostachya), from Siberia, 

 1772, is a half-hardy shrub of trailing habit, with incon- 

 'spicuous whitish flowers. The fact of its thriving in 

 very poor soil, or on rocky situations, is the only reason 

 why it is introduced here. 



Epigaea (Ericaceae). 



Epig^ia eepens. — Ground Laurel, or New England 

 Mayflower. Northern United States, 1736. This is, per- 

 haps, in so far as stature is concerned, hardly worthy of a 

 place in our list, yet it is such a pretty and useful shrub, 

 though rarely rising more than 6 inches from the ground, 

 that we cannot well pass it Over. For planting beneath 

 Pine or other trees, where it can spread about at will, this 



