OEOBUS 



LABURNUM AND BROOM ORDER ebytheina 351 



violet-red flowers are borne on the racemes 

 which are freely proiluced. 



Culture Sc. as above. This graceful 

 species is remarkable for the blackish tint 

 of the foliage when drying off. 



O. pannonicus. — A native of South 

 Europe, 1 ft. high. Leaves with 2-3 pairs 

 of Unear, mucronate leaflets. Flowers in 

 May, varying from white and cream 

 tinged with rose to purple and white and 

 yellow, many on a stalk. The variety 

 varius has rose standards, and yellowish 

 wings and keel, and angular stems. 



Culture &c. as above. 



O. variegatus. — A native of S. Europe, 

 with flexuous stems 1 ft. high. Leaves 

 with 2-3 pairs of ovate lance-shaped 

 pointed leaflets. Flowers in early 

 summer, beautifully variegated, the stan- 

 dard fine rose, veined and netted with 

 purple-crimson, the wings being tipped 

 with blue. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



O. vernus. — A beautifal Central and 

 S. European perennial, l-l^^ ft. high. 

 Leaves with 2-3 pairs of shining, ovate 

 pointed leaflets, and semi-sagittate sti- 

 pules. Flowers in spring, purple and blue, 

 with red veins, the keel tinged with green, 

 freely produced on one-sided nodding 

 stalks. There is a white-flowered variety 

 (alhus) and also a double-flowered form of 

 the coloured type. 



Culture £r. as above. 



ERYTHRINA (Cokal Tree). — A 

 genus with about 25 species of trees or 

 shrubs, often thick and prickly. Leaves 

 pirmately 3-foholate ; stipules small. 

 Flowers usually bright scarlet, in terminal 

 racemes. Standard petal larger and 

 longer than wings or keel. Calyx spathe- 

 like, truncate, 5-toothed. Stamens 10, 

 upper one usually free. Pod stalked, 

 linear, falcate, flattened or round. 



E. Crista-galli. — This is a beautiful 

 Brazilian shrub 6-8 ft. high, with ovate, 

 rather glaucous leaves, leathery leaflets, 

 and prickly, glandular stalks. Flowers in 

 early summer, deep briUiaut scarlet, in 

 large trusses at the ends of the branches, 

 often 12-20 in a raceme. There are several 

 varieties, all useful for decorating the 

 garden during the summer months if too 

 tender to stand the winter. 



Cultwre and Propagation. — This 

 species will grow against a warm south 

 wall for many years if the rootstock is 



protected from frost by ashes, litter &c., 

 and every spring it will send up its thick 

 shoots. It should be grown in, rich loamy 

 soil, and during active growth should 

 have plenty of water. In winter, how- 

 ever, it must be kept dry. 



Another and very general method of 

 cultivation is to treat the Coral Tree ex- 

 actly in the same way as Dahlias. The 

 thick rootstocks are lifted as soon as frost 

 appears and are wintered in dry sheds or 

 cellars free from frost, after the old stems 

 have been out down to within a few inches 

 of the base. About February or March 

 they are placed in a warm greenhouse or 

 hotbed, slightly covered with soil and 

 gently watered from time to time. This 

 treatment induces the development of 

 strong young stems, and as many as 40 

 or 50 will be produced on a good strong 

 and healthy old rootstock. The plants 

 may be potted up and grown on under 

 glass till the end of Mayor June, until the 

 weather is favourable enough for outdoor 

 planting. Grown in large bold groups on 

 the grass, as is done in the London parks, 

 is a very effective method of displaying 

 the striliing and brilliant beauty of the 

 Coral Tree. 



The plants may be increased by cut- 

 tings in spring in the same way as Dahlias. 

 When the young shoots have grown 3-6 

 in. long in the warm greenhouse they may 

 be detached at the very base with a sharp 

 knife, and inserted singly in light sandy 

 soil in small pots. If kept close and 

 shaded and fairly moist for a short time 

 the cuttings soon root, and may afterwards 

 be potted on and hardened off for outdoor 

 planting like the older plants. It may be 

 added that frequent waterings with liquid 

 manure during the growing season will be 

 of great advantage to the plants, and a 

 good mulching of well-rotted cow manure 

 on top of the beds will also be highly 

 beneficial. The other species of Erythrina 

 require indoor treatment, although E. 

 herbacea, with bright scarlet flowers, may 

 be treated almost in the same way as E. 

 Crista-galli. 



APIOS (GrEOUND Nut). — A genus 

 with 3 species of climbing perennials, 

 having pinnate 3-7-foliolate leaves, and 

 small stipules. Flowers axillary in pani- 

 cles or clusters at the ends of the branches. 

 Standard petal reflexed, ovate or roundish, 

 longer than the obliquely ovate wings ; 

 keel elongated, much incurved, involute, 

 or spirally twisted. Stamens 10, upper 



