175 
ERYTHIIINA CRIST A-GALLI. 
(cock's-comb coral tree.) 
ORHER. 
DECANDRIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
LEGUMINOS^. 
Generic Character. — Calyx tabular, two-lipped. Vexillum very long, lanceolate. Legume two- 
valved, many seeded. 
Specific Character. — A shrub from twelve to fifteen feet high. Leaves slightly notched, in threes, 
midrib prickly on the underside. Leaf-stalks long, reddish brown, prickly and glandular. Flowers 
in threes, axillary, very showy. Calyx denticulate, orange brown. Vexillum bright scarlet, broad, 
reflexed, striated. Keel shorter than the vexillum, crimson. 
This beautiful plant is a native of Brazil, from whence it was introduced in 
1.771 ; in its native country it is said to grow to a tree forty feet, or more, high, 
but in Britain it seldom exceeds eight feet, being little more than herbaceous. This 
and the E. laurifoUa require the same kind of treatment, both flowering finely in 
the stove, and also on a warm border out of doors. 
The compost is made of one part fresh maiden loam from the top spit of a 
pasture field, one part of heath mould (sandy peat), and one part of horse-dung well 
rotted and pulverized. The above should be well incorporated, and chopped very 
small, and also be well exposed during frost in winter. 
As soon as the plants have done growing, which will be by the latter end of 
August, cut them down and set them in a cool greenhouse ; keep them quite dry 
till about the end of November, then pot in fresh soil^ suiting the size of the pot to 
the size of the plants; they never require one larger than a 16. When potted, 
water, and set them in a house where the heat is about 60 degrees. 
In the spring, that is, about the beginning of March, they will flower in perfec- 
tion. In May, when they are again out of flower, take the plants and cut them 
down as before, to five or six eyes, according to the strength of the stems ; re-pot 
them, and place them in the stove until they have taken root, and made shoots from 
nine to twelve inches, when they must be removed to a house, of the temperature 
CLASS. 
DIADELPHIA. 
