136 PLANT NAMES AND SYNONYMS 



a. D. purpurea L. (D. tomentosa Link & Hoffm. ). Europe, cult, 

 in gardens and adv. in U. S. Purple Foxglove, Foxglove, 

 (originally Folk's-glove), Thimbles, Fairy-cap, Fairy-tingers, 

 Fairy-thimbles, Fairy-bells, Dog's-finger, Finger-flower, Ladies'- 

 glove, Lady-tingers, Ladies '-thimble. Pop-dock, Flap-dock, 

 Flop-dock, Lion"s-mouth, Eabbit's-flower, Cottagers, Throat- 

 wort, Scotch Mercury; Her. Fingerhut; Fr. Digitale (Codex), 

 Digitale Pourpree, Grande Digitale; Sp. Dedalera. Leaves; 

 Digitalis, U. S. P., Digitalis Folia, Br., Folia digitalis, P. G., 

 Herba digitalis; cardiac sedative, diuretic. 



678. Dl6CLEA, H. B. K. Dioclea. Papilionaceae. 



From Greek, "troublesome". Shrubs or climbers. About 

 25 species, mostly of tropical America, two in Asia; 1 in U. S. 



679. DIONAEA, Ellis. Venus' Flytrap. Sarraceniaceae. 



Dedicated to Dione of Greek mythology. Herb with sen- 

 sitive foliage. One species, found only in southern U. S. 



a. D. niuscipula Ellis (D. sensitiva Salisb. ). Pine barrens of N. 

 and S. Carolina. Venus' Flytrap; Ger. Venus die Fliegen- 

 fangerin; Fr. Attrappe-niouche. An insectivorous plant. 



680. DIOSCOREA, L. - Yam. - Dioscoreaceae. 



Named for ancient Greek naturalist Dioscorides. Twining 

 vines from thick rootstocks. About 160 species, mostly tropi- 

 cal; 1 in U. S. 



Among the species cultivated for their esculent fleshy root- 

 stocks are (a) D, aculeata L., India to Oceanica, the Kaawi 

 Yam; (b) D. alata L., India and South Sea Islands, the Uvi 

 Yam, White Negro Yam( weighing sometimes 100 pounds) ;(c) 

 1). glabra Roxb. (D. Batatas, Decaisne), India and China, 

 the Chinese Yam; (d) D. Japonica Thunb., Japan, where it 

 is much cultivated; (e) 1). sativa L., widely distributed; Com- 

 mon Y'^am, inferior to the above. 



f. D. Yillosa L. Ontario to Florida and west to Texas and Minne- 

 sota. Wild Yam, Colic-root, Rheumatism-root, Devil' s-bones. 

 Rhizome diaphoretic, expectorant, uterine tonic. [The con- 

 torted root-stocks known as False Wild Y''am, according to 

 King's Dispensatory (1899) are from D, villosa var. glabra]. 



681. DIOSPYKOS, L. Ebony, Date Plum. Ebenaceae. 

 From Greek, ' 'Zeus' wheat' ' , so named by Pliny. Trees or 



shrubs. About 160 species, especially of Asia; 2 in U. S. 



a. D. Ebenuin Koenig. Ceylon. Ebony. This species yields the 



best ebony, but the wood of many other species, in India, 

 Africa, Mauritius and Madagascar, is almost equally hard and 

 black. 



b. 1). Kaki L. f. China And Japan. Japanese Persimmon or 



Date Plum. The best native fruit of Japan. 



c. D. Lotus L. Eastern Asia. Common Date Plum, Lotus tree. 



Fruit edible but small. 



