550 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



summer. Fibrous peat. Cuttings. D. Brearleyana is a 

 fine garden hybrid, free, the flowers rich-crimson. D. 

 amabilis, also a garden hybrid, has flowers of a purplish- 



Fig. 671.— Dipladenia atropurpurea. 



crimson colour. I), splendens, flowers delicate blush, with 

 a deep rose-coloured throat. 1). crassinoda, lovely rose- 

 tinted flowers. D.boliviensis, white, with 

 deep-yellow throat, very free; D. atro- 

 purpurea (fig. 671), short growth, small 

 leaves, flowers crimson-purple; D.cximea, 

 D. illustris, D. Sander 7, D. spl< ndens, and 



D. speciosa are other good sorts. 

 Dracaena. See p. 437. 

 Echites nutans. — A twiner, related 



to Dipladenia, with leaves of a pale pea- 

 green, the midrib and nerves veined with 

 transparent red. Peat. Cuttings. 



Episcea {Cyrtodeira). — A small genus 

 of herbaceous trailers with handsome 

 foliage and bright-red flowers. Will grow 

 in any shady moist corner. Useful also 

 for baskets. E. chontalcnsis, E. fulgida, 

 and E. maculata are the best. 



Eranthemum. — A useful genus of stove 

 Acanthads, flowering in winter. They 

 are easily managed, and free and pretty 

 in flower. Ordinary soil. Cuttings in 

 spring. The best are E. Andersoni, E. 

 cinnabar inum, E. igneum, and E. ner- 

 vosum [pul ehellu m). Several species are 

 grown for their variegated leaves, i.e. 



E. atropurpurcum, E. Cooper i, E. leuco- 

 neuron, E.maculatum, E. reticulatum, and 

 E. tricolor. 



Erythrina. — A large genus of tropical 

 shrubs and trees, with pinnate, deciduous 

 leaves, and large racemes of bright -scarlet 

 flowers. E. Humeana is worth a place 

 in large stoves. E. Parcelli and E. mar- 

 morata are grown for their variegated foliage. 



Eucharis. See p. 442. 



Euphorbia jacquinicefiora [fulgens) has long, slender. 



erect shoots, with elegant Willow-like foliage; flowers in- 

 tense scarlet, produced in clusters in the leaf-axils in 

 winter. E. splendens is a stout-growing, dense-habited 

 spiny plant that produces all the year round small bunches 

 of bright -scarlet flowers. 



Exacum zeylanicum is a shrubby Gentian, with stems 

 18 inches high, opposite ovate leaves, and terminal clusters 

 of large rich purple-blue flowers with yellow anthers. Peat 

 and leaf-soil. Cuttings or seeds. Prefers shade. 



Ficus.— The "India-Rubber", F. elastica, is well known 

 as a valuable decorative plant. A form of it called varie- 

 gata is freely variegated with cream-colour. F. nymphce- 

 folia has large green heart-shaped leaves. F. rcpens, F. 

 minima, F. radicans, both green and variegated, and F. 

 falcata are small self-clinging trailers, useful for covering 

 walls, &c. F. Canoni (Artocarpus) has bronzy - purple 

 leaves. Loam. Cuttings. 



Fittonia. — Pretty free-growing trailers. F. Pearcei 

 and F. Verschaffeltii have dark -green leaves with red 

 reticulations; F. argyroneura is green with white reticula- 

 tions. Suitable for a basket or vase. Peat. Cuttings. 



Gardenia. — Useful shrubs with deep shining green 

 leaves, and mostly creamy-white, highly fragrant flowers. 

 Peat. Cuttings. G. Jlorida and its varieties Fortunei 

 and radicans are well known. They may be had in 

 flower all the year by using a succession of plants. G. 

 Stanleyana (Randia maculata) (fig. 672) is of spreading 

 habit, with long-tubed white maroon-spotted flowers pro- 

 duced in May from the axils of the young leaves. 



Gesnera. — Tuberous-rooted summer-flowering plants, 

 of dwarf growth, the leaves as well as the flowers of some 

 kinds being remarkably handsome. They require the same 



Loam. 



Fig. 672.— Gardenia Stanleyana. 



treatment as Gloxinia. Cuttings or seeds. G. cardinalis 

 {macrantha) dwarf, large green leaves, bright -crimson 

 long-tubed flowers. G. Cooperii has flowers of an intense 



