&!)e CrsaSurg at 2Sntang. 



460 



and Are linear petals; ovary two-celled, 

 with solitary ovules. [J. T. S.] 



EKEMURUS. A genus of Liliacece 

 closely allied to Asphodelus, but differing 

 by having the filaments not dilated at the 

 base and the seeds smooth. They are herbs 

 from the Caucasus, Siberia, and Asia Minor, 

 with fasciculate roots, linear radical leaves, 

 and a naked scape terminating in an elon- 

 gated raceme' of yellow or white flowers 

 with narrow spreading perianth segments, 

 and exserted stamens. [J. T. S.] 



EREMUS. A ripe carpel separating from 

 its neighbours, and standing apart. 



ERGOT. An affection of the seeds of 

 different grasses in which the seed becomes 

 black and elongated, so as to resemble in 

 form a cock's spur, whence it derives its 

 name. In an early stage the Ergot is par- 

 tially covered with a thin crust producing 

 abundant conidia. These conidia appear 

 sometimes to grow like yeast globules, so 

 as to assume the form of an Oidium .whence 

 the fungus has received the name of Okliu m 

 abortifaciens. It is at least supposed that 

 the grains of the conidia and of the Oidium 

 are identical. If the Ergot, however, is kept 

 moist, either by excluding the outward air, 

 or by sowing it in damp soil, different spe- 

 cies of Cordiceps invariably appear, which 

 are supposed to be the perfect state of the 

 fungus. Ergot is a destructive disease 

 amongst corn, but especially in rye ; but it 

 derives its greatest notoriety from its pe- 

 culiar properties in producing contraction 

 of the uterus, properties of which the 

 surgeon avails himself for the expulsion of 

 the foetus and preventing hemorrhage. 

 It is moreover combined with chloroform 

 with a view to produce contraction with- 

 out pain. Ergot is a valuable remedy in 

 | the hands of the regular practitioner, but 

 a most formidable one in those of the 

 quack, by whom it is often given to produce 

 abortion. In this case a second quality 

 comes into play, namely, that of causing 

 dangerous gangrene, which it does where it 

 forms a considerable portion in bread-corn, 

 or is taken medicinally for a continuance. 

 Instances are on record where the most 

 frightful gangrene has ensued from its 

 use, sometimes affecting a whole district. 

 Ergot is often extremely abundant in our 

 pastures, and causes sheep and cows to slip 

 their young. No doubt many cases of gan- 

 grene* in our flocks and herds are attribut- 

 able to its prevalence. [M. J. B.] 



ERGOT DE COQ. (Fr.) Crataegus Crus- 

 galli. 



ERIA A genus of epiphytal orchids 

 peculiar to India and the adjacent islands, 

 and numbering about seventy species. 

 Some are minute stemless herbs, consisting 

 of a small pseudobulb with a solitary leaf 

 and flower ; others have creeping wiry 

 stems furnished at intervals with flattish 

 pseudobulbs and short spikes or racemes 

 of small white or greenish flowers ; whilst 

 not a few have erect or drooping terete 

 steins, with lance-shaped often plaited 



leaves, and axillary or terminal racemes or 

 panicles. None of the species are remark- 

 able for their beauty, though many have 

 fragrant flowers. The genus is nearly re- 

 lated to DendroMum, but has eight instead 

 of four pollen masses. It takes its name 

 from the Greek erion, wool, the flowers of 

 many of the species being clad with soft 

 white down. The lip is usually trilobed, 

 with a crested disc, and jointed to the much 

 produced base of the column [A. A. B.] 



ERIACHNE. A genus of grasses belong- 

 ing to the tribe Avenece. The inflorescence 

 of the species i&panicled, the spikelets two- 

 flowered, sessile or stalked, and hermaphro- 

 dite ; glumes two, membranaceous, about 

 equal to the short awns ; stamens three ; 

 ovary smooth. There are twenty- three 

 species described in Steudel's Synopsis, 

 which are nearly all natives of the southern 

 hemisphere, South Africa, and New Hol- 

 land, where some of them are valuable as 

 pasture grasses. [D. M.] 



ERIANTHERA. A genus of Acantha- 

 cece, containing two species, natives of 

 India. They are low undershrubs, with 

 few leaves, and flowers without bracts, on 

 one or two-flowered axillary peduncles 

 the calyx equally five-parted, and the 

 corolla two-lipped, with the broad upper 

 lip bifid, and the lower trifid. [W. C] 



ERIANTHUS. A genus of grasses be- 

 longing to the tribe Andropogonece, scarcely 

 differing from Saccharum, under which the 

 species are included by Steudel. [D. M.j 



ERICACEAE. (Heathworts). A natural 

 order of corollifloral dicotyledons, typical 

 of Lindley's erical alliance among hypo- 

 gynous Exogens. Shrubs or undershrubs, 

 with evergreen, rigid, entire, whorled or 

 opposite, exstipulate leaves ; calyx inferior, 

 four to five-cleft ; corolla four to five-cleft ; 

 stamens eight to ten or twice those num- 

 bers, hypogynous ; anthers two-ceiled,with 

 appendages, opening by pores. Ovary 

 surrounded by a disk or scales. Fruit 

 capsular, rarely berried ; seeds numerous, 

 albuminous. There are two sections of the 

 order: — 1. Ericece, fruit opening loculici- 

 dally, rarely septicidally; buds naked; 2. 

 lihudodendrece, fruit capsular, septicidal ; 

 buds scaly, resembling cones. 



The genus Leiophyllum is remarkable on 



account of its having a polypetalous corolla. 



The common heath (Calluna) is separated 



from the heaths {Erica) by its capsules 



having a septicidal and not a loculicidal 



dehiscence. The genus Erica reaches its 



maximum at the Cape of Good Hope. Some 



of the heathworts are astringent, others 



have edible fruit, and others, such as 



species of Rhododendron, Kalmia, and 



' Ledum, are poisonous. Arbutus Unedo is the 



; strawberry tree, common near the Lakes of 



j Killarney. Rhododendron arboreum, and 



! other species, in India, sometimes attain 



a height of forty feet ; some species grow 



at the elevation of 16,000 to 18,000 feet in 



the Himalayas. Rhododendron hirsutum and 



ferrugineum grow on the Alps and Py- 



i renees at an elevation of 4,000 to 6,000 



