360 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



one foot. Naturally those plants gi'ow in stony, 

 sterile ground, which is a sufficient indication that 

 they requii-e good drainage. Soil and treatment the 

 same as for Cijcas. 



E. coralliniim— a soinewliat 

 small - growing plant ; 

 leaves arranged in a rosu- 

 late nianner, recurved, 

 dark green on the tipper 

 side, dull purple and 

 glaucous beneath. Scape 

 erect, flowers yellow and 

 gi-een, bracts crimson. 

 Summer months. 



E. Saundersii. — An elegant 

 vase-like plant ; leaves re- 

 cnrved,silvei-y-grey above, 

 green beneath, profusely 

 freckled, and spotted with 

 reddish - crimson. Scape 

 erect, flowers and bracts 

 ricli yellow. Summer 

 months. Both are from 

 Brazil. 



E. Altensteinii— stem stout, 

 leaves some six feet long, 

 petioles very thick at the 

 base, leaflets thick and 

 coiiaceous in texture, ob- 

 long, tapering to a point, 

 and armed ail round witu 

 spines. 



E. brachyphyllus — stem 

 stout, leaves spreadiur, 

 petioles clot lied with leaf- 

 lets nearly to the ba^^e, 

 leafli'ts smooth, saving the 

 terminal spine, the whole 

 l)liiut very glaucous. 



E. cattra — stem very stout, 

 attaining a height of ten 

 to lifteen feet, or more, 

 tesselated with the scars 

 of fallen leaves ; leaves 

 pinnate, some four feet 

 long, recurved at the 

 points, leaflets very thick, 

 nearly six mches lufg, and 

 one broad, at times armed 

 ■with spines on the edges, 

 at other times smooth, 

 deep green ; seeds roasted 

 and eaten as above ; the 

 soft interior of the stem is 

 also cut out, burie i in the 

 earth for a month or two, 

 taken out, made into 

 cakes, nnd baked in the 

 fire. Majestic. South 

 Africa. 



E. Ghellinckii— a very hand- 

 some species, sometimes 

 namel' Gracilis ; stems 

 scarred with the bases of 

 fallen leaves, and also 

 furnished with a brown 

 woolly tomentum, which 

 likewise covers the erect 

 spreading, pinnate leaves, 

 leaflets, and petioles. 



E. Hildebraiidii — this flu- 

 species is of remarkably 



E. Eussellianum — the flat 

 branches are some two 

 inches long, and grow out 

 of each other, the flowers 



bold growth ; leaves pin- 

 nate, the petioles clothetL 

 to the base with reduce-i 

 leaflets, which take the 

 form of i- pines ; leaflets 

 lanceolate, deep green, 

 profusely armed ac the 

 apex and ou the edges 

 with spines. 



E. horridus — stem stout, 

 leaves pinnate, suddenly 

 recurved at the top ; leaf- 

 lets a deep bluish-green, 

 very thick and hard, some 

 four inclies loug, ai med at 

 the point with a long, 

 sharp s^sine. 



E. horridus tr ispinus — 

 similar to the preceding, 

 but having two sharp 

 spines ou the lower edge 

 of the leaflets, which are 

 deep bliiish-green. 



E. lauugiuosus— stem stout, 

 the pinnate leaves about 

 six leet long, recurved ; 

 leaflets lanceolate, with a 

 somewhat rounded base, 

 deep green, whole plant 

 spineless. 



E. pungens a bold-growing 

 plant with a stout stem, 

 leaves pinnate, some six 

 feet long ; leaflets sessile, 

 oblong- lanceolate, tapei'- 

 ing to a sliarp point, thick 

 and hard, deep heavy 

 green. South Africa. 



E. villosus— this is a hand- 

 some and distinct plant; 

 leaves pinnate, abovit four 

 feet long ; the petioles 

 densely tomentose : leaf- 

 lets upwai-ds of six inches 

 long and one broad, bright 

 gx-een, the npex and mar- 

 gins armed with niimerous 

 spines. South Africa. 



issuing from the ends of 

 the terminal branches. 

 These are large and 

 showy, the petals rolled 



Encephalartos. — A genus of Cycadacece, all 

 natives of South Africa, mostly near the borders of 

 Gaffraria, one species being called Caffre Bread, from 

 the natives scooping out the soft upper part of the 

 stem, which they roast and eat, and from this custom 

 the name is derived ; thus, cnJcejjlialos, " edible," and 

 artos, bread." Some of the species form very tall 

 and stout stems ; under cultivation, the stems grow 

 but slowly, taking fifteen or sixteen years to make 



flowers, &c. &c. The name comes from echimis, 

 "a hedgehog," and refers to their dense covering of 

 spines. These plants are all erect, leafless, cylin- 

 drical, and fleshy, more or less ribbed, and fluted; 

 and upon the edges of these ribs, the spines are ar- 

 ranged in little crowns or rosettes. 



The Toothpick Cactus of the Mexicans {Echinocactus 

 Vimaga) attains an enormous size. A specimen in- 

 troduced to Kew Gardens some years ago stood nine 

 feet high, measured as much round, was densely 

 armed with very large spines, and weighed upwards 

 of a ton ; but it soon died, and must have been of a 

 great age, as they are slow growers. 



The species of these genera arc all natives of 

 Mexico, and various parts of South America, where 

 they inhabit hot, dry, sandy, barren places, conse- 

 quently they do not need much water even in the 

 summer season, and in winter none should be given. 

 They have mostly large and showy flowers, which are 

 freely produced, the principal colours being rose, 

 yellow, and white ; but in some species these are 

 rather short-lived. Pot in sandy loam, adding 

 about equal parts of old mortar and brick rubbish, 

 and fully expose to sun and light both winter and 

 summer. The following will be a good selection : — 



Echinocactus. 



Cummingi. 



elect racauthus. 



hexsedrophor u s . 



hystriacanthus. 



longitramatus. 



multiflorus. 



obvallatus. 



Pfersdorfi. 



platyceros. 



scopa. 



Simpsonii. 



Staiuesi. 



Visuaga. 



ECHIXOI'SIS. 



Bridgesi. 



Decaisneana. 



Eyriesi. 



Forboi. 



formosa. 



Linki. 



multiplex, 



ornatus. 



pectiniferus. 



Pentlandii. 



Schelhasi. 



texana. 



Zuccariniana. 



Eneliolirion. — A small genus of Bromeliads, re- 

 quiring the same treatment as JEchmca, which see. 



Epiphyllum. — A small group of the order Cac- 

 taccce, possessing great beauty, and as the majority 

 flower during late autumn and the dull days of 

 winter, they are doubly valuable. In a state of 

 nature Epiphyllums are epiphytes, and thrive well in 

 hanging baskets under cultivation. They also suc- 

 ceed as pot plants, struck from cuttings, but are seen 

 to the greatest advantage when grafted to form 

 pyramids or standards, or to creep up rafters and 

 pillars. The best stock for this is the PerisJcea aciileata, 

 but they form more handsome specimens when 

 grafted upon Cereiis speciosissimiis. There are but two 

 species in cultivation, but from these a great number 

 of varieties have been obtained, the chief differences 

 arising from the size and colours of the flowers. Pot 

 in turfy loam and sand, dizain well, and water care- 

 fully. 



