DIGITALIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. dodecatheon. 



553 



Dielytra. See Dicentra. 



Diervilla. See Weigela. 



DIGITALIS {Foxglove).— T'a^ most 

 important plant of this genus is our native 

 Foxglove, and the handsomest of the 

 several species in cultivation. The best 

 of the exotics is D. grandiflora, a tall 

 slender plant, bearing large bell-shaped 

 yellow blossoms in long racemes. The 

 other kinds are D. ferruginea, aurea, 

 eriostachys, fulva, laevigata, lanata, lutea, 

 ochroleuca, parviflora, Thapsi, tomentosa, 

 but these are suited mainly for botanical 

 collections. 



D. purpurea {Foxglove). — Wild Fox- 

 gloves seldom differ in colour, but culti- 

 vated ones assume a variety of colours, 

 including white, cream, rose, red, deep 

 red, and other shades. The charm of 

 these varieties, however, lies in their pretty 

 throat-markings- -spots and blotchings of 

 deep purple and maroon, which make 

 large flowers resemble those of a Gloxinia ; 

 hence the name gloxinieeflora is applied to 

 some finely-spotted kinds. The garden 

 plants make grand border flowers ; they 

 are more robust than the wild plant, and 

 have stouter stems and larger flowers. 

 If associated with other tall plants, they 

 look well as a background to mixed 

 borders ; and the improved varieties have 

 a fine effect in the wild garden if planted 

 or sown in bold masses. They are good, 

 too, among Rhododendrons, where these 

 bushes are not too thick, and they charm- 

 ingly break the masses of foliage. The 

 seed is small, and is best sown in pans or 

 boxes, under glass, early in May. When 

 the young plants are well up they should 

 be placed out of doors to get thoroughly 

 hardened before being finally planted out. 

 In shrubbery borders varied clumps of 

 several plants produce a finer effect than 

 when set singly. The Foxglove fre- 

 quently blooms two years in succession ; 

 but it is always well to sow a little seed 

 annually ; and if there be any to spare, 

 it may be scattered in woods or copses 

 where it is desired to establish the plants. 

 Those who do not require seed should 

 cut out the centre spike as soon as it gets 

 shabby, and the side shoots will be con- 

 siderably benefited, especially if a good 

 supply of water be given in dry weather. 

 In a good variety a side shoot will supply 

 an abundance of seed. — D. 



The species are : — D. ambigua, W. Asia. 

 atlantica, Algeria, ciliata, Caucas. cochin- 

 chineitsis, Cochinch. dnbia, Balearics. erio- 

 siachya. ferruginea, S. Europe. Fontanesii. 

 gloxinioides. laciniata, Spain. Icvvigata, 

 Danube and Greece, lanata, do. leiuophcsa, 

 Greece. longibracteata, Austria. lutea, S. 



Europe, lutescens, France, mariana, Spain. 

 minor, Spain, nervosa, Persia, obscura, Spain^ 

 orientalis. As. Min. parviflora, S. Europe.. 

 pwpurascens, Europe, purpurea, do. sibi- 

 rica, Siberia. Thapsi, Spain, viridiftora,. 

 Greece. 



DIGRAPHIS {Ribbon 6^ra^j-).— Grasses, 

 of which the Ribbon Grass (D.arundinacea 

 variegata) is the most familiar. Being 

 hardy and perennial, it is valuable for good' 

 effect in the flower garden. It should be 

 treated liberally, and renewed by young 

 plants every other year. If it be not 

 desired in the flower garden proper, a 

 few tufts by a back shrubbery will suffice. 

 It grows anywhere. 



Dimorphanthus. See Aralia. 



DIMORPHOTHECA (C.?;J6' Marigold). 

 — A hardy annual from the Cape, i8 in. to 

 2 ft.high ; the flowers of D. pluvialis are 

 white and purplish-violet beneath, expand- 

 ing in fine weather. Plants from spring- 

 sown seed flower from July to September. 

 Itisabold free annual thriving in any good 

 soil and an effective ground plant with the 

 larger flower-garden subjects ; alone, how- 

 ever, it is well worth growing. Compositee^ 



DIOTIS {Sea Cotton-weed).— D. mari- 

 tiina is a dwarf cottony herb suitable for 

 the rock-garden, and sometimes employed 

 in the flower-garden as an edging plant. 

 It is apt to grow rather straggling, and 

 to prevent this it is kept neatly pegged' 

 down and cut in well. It should have 

 deep sandy soil. Increased by cuttings, 

 as it seldoms seeds in gardens. Native 

 of our southern shores. 



DIPHYLLEIA CYMOSA.— A per- 

 ennial of the Barberry family, about i foot 

 high, having large umbrella-like leaves in 

 pairs. It flowers white, in loose clusters 

 in summer, and succeeded by bluish-black 

 berries. N. America, on the borders of 

 rivulets and on mountains, thriving in 

 peat borders and fringes of beds of 

 American plants in moist soil. 



Diplopappus. See Aster. 



DIPSACUS ( y>^ii-£'/).— Coarse-growing 

 plants, annual or biennial, striking in form, 

 in woods and hedgerows, where their fine 

 foliage and habit have a good effect. 

 There are three native species, D. 

 Fullonum, pilosus, and sylvestris ; the 

 boldest kind is D. laciniatus, a European 

 species growing 5 to 8 ft. high, with large 

 deeply-cut foliage. The seed may be 

 sown in woody places and by freshly 

 broken hedge-banks, where the plants 

 will often perpetuate themselves. 



DODECATHEON {American Coioslip). 

 — Beautiful plants, of the Primrose family, 

 perennials from N. America, where they 

 are called Shooting Stars. They are all 



