DAUBENTA 



THE BULB BOOK 



DICENTRA 



of Thorn Apple, all more or less 

 remarkable for their narcotic juices. 

 Some are annuals and some peren- 

 nials in character. 



D. meteloid.es (or D. Wrighti), the 

 only one we need mention in this 

 work, although frequently treated as 

 an annual from seeds, is really a 

 perennial plant, \vith blackish tuber- 

 culous roots, grey-green leaves, and 

 sweet-scented, long-tubed flowers of 

 a bluish-violet or whitish colour. It 

 is a native of California, and makes a 

 handsome bushy plant 2 to 3 ft. high. 

 "When grown in a greenhouse, it is 

 evergreen in character. If grown in 

 the open air, it requires the same 

 treatment as the Dahlias, the roots 

 being taken up and stored in dry 

 sand and soil. A rich loamy soil, 

 cither in pots or in the open air, is 

 the most suitable compost for the 

 plants. 



DAUBENYA (named after Dr 

 Dauheny, \d.tQ professor of botany at 

 Oxford University). Nat. Ord. 

 Liliacese. — This genus is unknown 

 outside botanic gardens. It is closely 

 related to Massonia, and contains 

 only three species of South African 

 bulbous plants, bearing dense and 

 compressed umbels of yellow, orange, 

 or scarlet tubular blossoms, having 

 six irregular segments. The only 

 species that have been in cultivation, 

 but now appear to be lost, are D. 

 am-ea, with yellow flowers (Bot. Beg. 

 t. 1813); and D. fidva, with dull 

 reddish -yellow flowers (Bot. Beg. 

 1839, t. 53). They require rich sandy 

 loam, and may be grown in pots or 

 pans in a greenhouse or frame, or 

 on a warm, sheltered south border 

 in the open air. 



DELPHINIUM {delphin, a dolphin ; 

 supposed resemblance of the spur 

 to a dolphin's head), Larkspur. 

 Xat. Ord. I\a,nunculaceaj. — There are 



195 



about forty species of Larkspur, the 

 following having tuberous or fleshy 

 root-stocks : — 



D. cardinals. — This Californian 

 plant, 3 to 4 ft. high, has long fleshy 

 roots, smooth and somewhat fleshy 

 deeply-lobed leaves, and spikes of 

 bright scarlet flowers with yellow 

 petals produced in August {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 4887). 



D. nudicaule.— This is also a native 

 of California. It has fleshy tuberous 

 roots, fleshy three- to five-lobed leaves 

 on stems 1 to 2 ft. high, and erect 

 spikes of orange-scarlet flowers from 

 May to August. {Bot. Mag. t. 5819.) 



These two bright-flowered Lark- 

 spurs are practically hardy in most 

 parts of the Kingdom, although it 

 would be wise to protect the root- 

 stocks in severe winters. They flourish 

 in good garden soil in sunny situa- 

 tions, and are easily increased by 

 division and from seeds. 



DICENTRA {dis, twice; centron, a 

 spur ; referring to the shape of the 

 flower). Nat. Ord. Fumariace^.— A 

 genus having several species of 

 ornamental hardy herbaceous plants, 

 some with thickened or tuberous 

 root-stocks. They are easily distin- 

 guished by their more or less arching 

 racemes of lyre-shaped flowers, having 

 two scale-like sepals, four connivent 

 saccate or spurred petals, and six 

 stamens in two distinct bundles. 

 The plants are also well known under 

 the old name of Dielytra, and also 

 popularly as the "Lyre Flower,'' 

 "Bleeding Heart," "Ladies' Locket," 

 " Chinaman's Breeches,' etc. 



D. .spectabilis. — This is the finest 

 member of the genus, native of 

 Siberia and Japan, 1 to 2 ft. high, 

 with gracefully cut leaves, and droop- 

 ing rosy-crimson flowers arranged in 

 horizontal racemes. There is also a 

 white-flowered variety. 



