116 



CASSELL'S POPULAK GARDENING. 



pruned at the same time, but immediately the 

 flowers are past should be taken in hand, so that no 

 time be lost in getting the next season's flowering- 

 wood started. 



Epacris require an abundant supply of water, but 

 they cannot endure it to stagnate about their roots. 

 Therefore, drain the pots weU, and never aUow 

 the plants to suffer for want of water. 



The following enumeration of species and of 

 varieties will afford the 

 means for a good selection 

 for all decorative purposes. 



Section I. — Erect 

 Growers. 



Alba odoratissima, white, 



sweet-scented. 

 Butterfly, white and rose. 

 Campanulata, deep blush. 

 Campanulata alba, pure white. 

 Carmiuata, bright red. 

 Densiflora, blush. 

 Elegans, pale rose. 

 Exquisita, bright pink, large. 

 Fireball, bright scarlet, tipped 



with rose. 

 Hyacinthiflora, soft pink, 



dense spikes. 

 Hyacinthiflora candidissima, 



pure white, large, very dense 



spikes. 



Hyacinthiflora carminata, 

 bright pink. 



Impressa coccinea, rich crim- 

 son. 



Iijgramii, bright red, tipped 



with pink. 

 Lady Alice Peel, salmon. 

 Lady Panmure, white and 



rose. 



Mont Blanc, pure white, tubes 

 stained with lemon inside. 



Nivalis compacta, snow- 

 white. 



Picturata, deep pink. 



Pulchella major, pure white, 

 sweet-scented. 



Sunset, brilliant x-ed and pink. 



The Bride, pure white. 



Tricolor, bright red, pink, and 

 rose. 



Vesuvius, brilliant crimson. 

 Vicountess Hill, scarlet. 



Section II. — Lax Growers. 



Epaceis nivalis 



Devoniana, rich bright 



scarlet. 

 Eclipse, brilliant crimson, 



tipped with white, large. 

 Grandiflora rubra, bright 



red and white. 



Miniata, deep scarlet and 

 white. 



M. splendens, fiery-red and 



white, very large. 

 Onosmseflora, white. 

 0. plena, white, double. 



Epigynium. — A small genus of Indian Yaccinue. 

 For treatment, see Ceratostema. They are mostly 

 epiphytal in their native habitats. 



E. acuminatum, an elegant compact shrub, with 

 alternate lanceolate leaves, tapering to a sharp point 

 and toothed at the edges ; deep green above, paler 

 below and tinged with a shade of dull purple; 

 flowers in dense drooping corymbs from the branches, 



forming long racemes of deep red flowers, which 

 are very effective. Summer months. Northern 

 India; 3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation. 



E. leucobotrys. This beautiful plant in a state 

 of nature is frequently found epiphytal upon the 

 branches of the large forest trees. It is a much- 

 branched evergreen shrub, the leaves being clustered 

 on the points of aU the shoots. The leaves are 

 oblong, bluntly toothed, and bright green ; racemes 

 long and drooping, bearing 

 a quantity of tubular green- 

 ish-white flowers. These 

 are succeeded by pui'e 

 wax}^- white berries, which 

 render it very ornamental. 

 Summer months. Northern 

 India. 



Erica. — This beautiful 

 family of plants, familiar 

 to every lover of flowers 

 by the name of Heaths, is 

 exclusively confined to the 

 Old World ; seme few are 

 natives of Europe, but the 

 head- quarters of the genus 

 is on the moimtains of 

 South Africa about the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



Although the genus is a 

 large one, none of its mem- 

 beis have any economic 

 properties ; cattle do not 

 care for them as fodder, 

 although cows sometimes 

 wiU browse on the young 

 shoots, but this, it is said, 

 causes the milk to assume 

 a reddish colour as if 

 stained with blood ; with 

 grouse, however, the buds 

 and young shoots of our native species are great 

 favourites ; hares and rabbits also browse on them, 

 and the bee-keeper fully imderstands that the flowers 

 yield an abundance of honey. , 



The majority of known species were introduced 

 to this country in the reign of George III., and to 

 Mr. Francis Masson, a celebrated botanical collector, 

 we are indebted for not only so many Cape Heaths, 

 but a vast quantity of other plants from that region. 



The striking beauty of the waxy tubular flowers 

 of Ericas soon installed them first favourites in the 

 horticultural world, and an immense number of new 

 varieties have been obtained in English gardens, the 

 majority of which far sm-pass the Cape species in 

 beautv. 



