DRACENA. Greenhouse and 
wood and smaller glossy leaves. Its 
beautiful rose-coloured flowers, which are 
produced freely, are well set off by the 
yellow throat. We have had a plant of 
this variety with 150 bunches of bloom 
upon it at once. 
D. Houtteana. A distinct, pale-coloured 
kind, with medium-sized flowers produced 
freely. 
D. hybrida. Amongst all the species 
and varieties in cultivation this stands 
unequalled for the brilliant colour of its 
flowers, which are of the most glowing 
shade of crimson, large in size, and stout 
in texture. The plant has a robust ap- 
pearance, with stout handsome foliage, and 
blooms freely. 
D. insignis. A fine variety, with deep 
rosy-crimson flowers of great substance. 
The leaves are large, and set off the plant 
to advantage. 
D. magnifica. Is somewhat like the 
species D. crassinoda, but the flowers some- 
times come handsomely marbled with white. 
D. profusa. A free-growing, very free- 
flowering kind ; the individual blooms very 
large ; carmine in colour. 
D. Regina. A medium grower, with 
blush-coloured flowers when first opened, 
becoming paler as they get older, but deeper 
coloured in the throat; a free-blooming 
variety. 
D. splendens. One of the oldest, but 
still a very fine kind. The flowers are 
white, suffused with pink, very beautiful, 
and borne in large bunches. It is a strong 
grower, with large bold foliage. From the 
Organ Mountains. 
D. Williamsii. This is an improvement 
upon D. splendens, the ground colour, as 
in that variety, being pale blush, with the 
addition of a deep pink throat, which 
much enhances its beauty. It blooms 
freely, and is one of the most chaste flowers 
that we have. 
Insects. — All the most troublesome 
insects which prey upon cultivated plants 
are partial to Dipladenias; mealy bug, 
scale, and thrips all infest them, and re- 
quire to be kept under by diligent atten- 
oe and frequent washing with insecti- 
cide. 
DIPTERACANTHUS. 
This is one of the numerous genera 
which the natural Order Acanthacez in- 
cludes ; it contains a few species worth 
growing. Like most of their allies they 
are easily grown, requiring the same treat- 
ment as advised for Justicias, which see. 
D. affinis. A scarlet-flowered species, 
which blooms in winter. It comes from 
Brazil. 
Stove Plants. 151 
D. Herbstwi. This kind bears handsome 
crimson and purple flowers, produced in 
autumn. From Brazil. 
D. spectabilis. Has blue and purple 
flowers, and is a winter bloomer. Intro- 
duced from Peru. 
DISANDRA PROSTRATA. 
A greenhouse trailing plant that bears 
small yellow flowers, produced in the sum- 
mer. Itisoccasionally met with asaclimber. 
It can be struck from cuttings in spring 
in the usual way, in moderate warmth, and 
grown on in the ordinary manner until 
large enough to plant out or to occupy a 
moderate-sized pot; train the shoots on 
the space to be occupied. <A native of 
Madeira. 
Insects.—Insects do not trouble this 
plant much, except red spider, which can - 
be kept down by syringing regularly 
through the growing season. 
DORYANTHES. 
The known species belonging to this 
genus of greenhouse Amaryllidaceous 
plants are few in number. They have a 
noble appearance when in flower; their 
bloom-stems springing from a tuft of re- 
curved leaves have a decidedly distinct 
appearance. They can be increased by 
suckers, which are produced from the base 
of the old plants, like those of the hardy 
Yuccas. They require to be taken off, 
potted, and grown on under general green- 
house treatment in the matter of warmth, 
moisture, and air, such as found to answer 
for other things coming from the same 
country. 
D. eacelsa. In its native habitation 
this species is said to make flower-stems 
20 feet high ; the flowers are produced in 
large heads on the tops of the stems ; they 
are crimson in colour, and are furnished 
with bracts of the same hue, which much 
enhances the effect. It comes from New 
South Wales. 
D. Palmerti. A newer species than the 
last-named, and superior to it as a de- 
corative plant. The flowers are produced 
in the form of a pyramidal, erect, branch- 
ing spike, half a yard high by a foot 
through. The individual flowers are red 
with a light centre, almost approaching 
white. It comes from Queensland. 
} DRACANA. 
(Stove.) 
Among the stove species and varieties of 
Draczena are to be found some of the most 
