122 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



DEC 



Decompound, Decomposite. Having vari- 

 ous divisions or lamifieations ; a leaf is said 

 to be decompound when it is twice pinnated; 

 a panicle, when its branches are also panicled. 



Decmna'ria. From decuma, a tent; referring 

 to the ten valvate divisions of the calyx, and 

 the ten cells of the capsule or seed-pod. Nat. 

 Ord. SaxifragaceoR. 



A climbing shrub of the Southern States. 

 Allied to Philadelphus. The flowers are white, 

 sweet-scented, and arranged in corj-mbs. They 

 are well adapted for growing against walls, 

 thriving in almost any soil or situation. Prop- 

 agated by cuttings or from seed. 



Decumbent. Eeclining upon the earth and 

 rising again from it; applied to stems when 

 they recline upon the surface of the earth, but 

 have a tendency to rise again at the extrem- 

 ities. 



Decurrent. Where the limb of a leaf is pro- 

 longed down the stem on each side, below the 

 point of insertion, or where the midrib quits 

 it ; as though the leaf were partially united to 

 the stem by its midrib. Common in the 

 Thistles. 



Decussate. Arranged in pairs that alternately 

 cross each other ; when two right lines cross 

 each other at right angles they are said to be 

 decussate; leaves are often placed in this 

 position, as in Ixoraparvijlora, Phlox decussata, 

 etc. 



Deerberry. One of the popular names of Vac- 

 cinium stamineuin. 



Deer-Grass. See Rhexia. 



Deflexed. Bending gradually downwards 

 through the whole length. 



Deformation. An alteration in the usual form 

 of an organ, by accident or otherwise. 



Degeneration. Some peculiarity in the condi- 

 tion of an organ, induced by modification of 

 the circumstances under which its more usual 

 and healthy development is effected. 



Deherai'nia. Named after Pierre-Paul Deherain, 

 assistant naturalist of the Museum of the 

 Jardin des Plantes, Paris. Nat. Ord. Myrsin- 

 acece. 



D. smaragdina, the only species, is an inter- 

 esting wai'm green-house plant, remarkable 

 for its large green Primrose-like flowers dis- 

 posed in clusters below the leaves. It was 

 introduced from Mexico in 1876. Syn. Theo- 

 phrasta smaragdina. 



Dehiscent. Opening, gaping; an expression 

 applied to the mode in which the anthers or 

 the capsule burst open and discharge their 

 contents. 



Delphi'nium. Larkspur. From delphin, a dol- 

 phin ; in reference to the supposed resem- 

 blance in the nectary of the plant to the 

 imaginary figures of the dolphin. Nat. Ord. 

 RanunculacecB. 



Well-known annual, biennial, and perennial 

 plants, with curiously-cut leaves and splendid 

 flowers, which are either scarlet, purple, pink, 

 blue, or white, and never yellow. The Siberian 

 Larkspurs are remarkable for the metallic 

 luster of their flowers, the hue of which re- 

 sembles that of silver which has been tar- 

 nished by fire; and the Bee Larkspurs are 

 remarkable and interesting for the curious 

 manner in wliich the petals are folded up in 

 the center of the flower, so as to resemble a 



DEN 



bee, or a large blue-bottle fly. The Larkspurs 

 will grow in any soil or situation, but one 

 open to the sun suits them best. They are 

 improved by the addition of a good deal of 

 thoroughly-rotted manure to the soil in which 

 they grow. The seeds keep good a long time, 

 and those of the annual kinds do best sown in 

 autumn, as when sown in spring they are a 

 long time before they flower. The perennials 

 are propagated by division of the root, or by 

 seed, which is sown in March in the green- 

 house or hot-bed, and the plants pricked out 

 as soon as they show iheir second pair of 

 leaves, are carefully grown on until the first 

 of June, and then turned out into the flower- 

 garden ;they will flower finely during the au- 

 tumn months. See "Herbaceous plants." 



Deltoid. Of a triangular shape, like the Greek 



capital ^. 



Dendro'blum. From dendrmi, a tree, and bioa, 

 life ; referring to the way these air-plants 

 fasten on trees for support. Nat. Ord. Orchi- 

 dace^je. 



In this extensive genus we are presented 

 with some truly magnificent epiphytes, which 

 regarded either for their singular manner of 

 growing, graceful or grotesque habits, and 

 large, handsome, and richly-scented flowers, 

 are perhaps unsurpassed in the entire range 

 of vegetable forms. In a cultural sense they 

 may be divided into two sections, the pseudo- 

 bulbous class, and those with tall bulbous 

 stems. Many of the former are extremely 

 small compared with the splendid flowers 

 they produce, and from this circumstance, 

 are usually grown on blocks of wood or cork, 

 lest the young shoots should receive injury 

 from excessive moisture. Those belonging 

 to the other section are again divisible. The 

 upright growing species, such as D. nohile, 

 made the best appearance when cultivated in 

 pots, and trained into suitable forms by the 

 aid of stakes ; those of pendent trailing habits 

 should be grown in baskets suspended from 

 the roof of the house ; in either case the soil 

 should be composed of about equal parts of 

 fibrous peat and sphagnum, with a liberal ad- 

 dition of pieces of charcoal. The mixture 

 should be thoroughly incorporated without 

 breaking it fine, and an efficient drainage 

 must be secured, or the plants will not thrive. 

 The base of their stems should be elevated 

 two, three or four inches, according to the 

 size of the plant, above the top of the pot or 

 basket, as they are liable to much injury from 

 damp when making their new shoots. The 

 temperature of the house in which these 

 plants are grown is a consideration of the 

 first consequence to their successful culture ; 

 it requires to be assimilated, as nearly as cir- 

 cumstances will allow, to that of their native 

 positions, and may be described as of three dis- 

 tinct phases, a diy and warm season, in which 

 the plants produce their fiowers, to be suc- 

 ceeded by one still warmer, and in which an 

 abundance of moisture must be present, as it 

 is at this time that new growths are effected, 

 and this active season must be followed by one 

 suited to produce a state of repose in the 

 plants, by reducing the amount of heat con- 

 siderably, and restricting the supply of 

 moisture to the least possible quantity. This 

 season is that which corresponds with our 

 winters, and for convenience should be re- 



