DIOSCOREA CAUCASICA. 
most tantalising to hear of are D. oreodoxa, yellow ; D. heterochroa, 
golden, in dense grey cushions, and from altitudes so high as to leave 
no fear of its temper; D. tapetodes, yellow, and as close as the closest 
A. helvetica ; D. Michauzxi, a specially tight hard dome of grey velvet ; 
D. ianthina, most beautiful indeed in its form of tight silky-grey 
cushions of violet blossoms ; D. bryoeides, of the same habit and colour, 
but clothed in glistering crystalline glands instead of silky hairs ; 
D. aretioeides, with the habit and foliage rather of a narrow-leaved 
Eritrichium nanum, with long-tubed stars of yellow; D. hissarica, 
hanging out of the cliffs in huge tight masses, with toothed leaves, 
and citron-coloured blossoms of nearly an inch across, distinct from all 
the rest in its general amplitude. These, then, among some twenty 
species, will suffice to feed our vain ambitions yet awhile; if ever 
acquired, they should have the care and cherishing deployed upon 
their cousins the Aretian Androsaces, in similar conditions, but even 
warmer, dryer, and more sheltered corners. 
Dioscorea caucasica is a climbing Yam, a rampant sprawling 
Liane of 2 yards and more; D. pyrenaica, on the contrary, is a neat 
wee thing, extremely rare and of interesting history. But it is more 
properly Borderea pyrenaica, and, as such, will be found treated in 
the note to Androsace hirtella. 
Diotis maritima, a white and intensely woolly-fluffy Ever- 
lasting, branched and with soft bunched heads; but, though a rare 
native of English sea-shores, it is essentially a Southern and Medi- 
terranean species, and too soft and enwoolled to be really hardy in a 
damp inland garden, unless in fullest sun and an especially dry 
stony hot place. 
Diphylleia cymosa, a tall and ample Berberid, for a shady 
place in woodland, about 8 inches high, with umbrella-shaped leafage 
gashed and lobed; then topped by a shower of small white flowers 
in May and June, succeeded by blue berries. 
Disporon Hookeri, a dingy American liliaceous species of small 
merit, with rough oval leaves and spikes of greeny flowers. See 
Appendix for D. pullum. 
Dodartia crientalis grows in the salty fields of Northern 
Caucasus, a pretty little Scrophulariad, with erect stems from an almost 
leafless and rush-like stock, carrying some three to seven five-lobed 
flowers of purple in a terminal raceme in summer. 
Dodécatheon, the Shooting Stars, or Flowers of the Twelve 
Gods (whoever these may have been), are all American Primulads for 
the decoration of deep moist ground, where they make tufts of large 
rather lax oval pale-green leaves, from which shoot stalwart naked 
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