142 



Greenhouse and Stuve Plants. 



DASYLIKION. 



with no length of foot-stalk, it is necessary 

 in catting them to take some little of the 

 wood with several of the leaves attached. 



Growths that are weakly are generally 

 devoid of the buds above-mentioned, and 

 if the flowers from them are cut with the 

 buds that are immediately at the base of 

 the flowers they rarely break freely, more 

 often not at all ; but when strong buds 

 such as pointed out exist, these will push 

 growth when the points of the shoots with 

 the blooms have been renivoed. It is thus 

 necessary to use discrimination in cutting 

 the floAvers of these Dapines, or it will in- 

 duce the bare, naked condition so often 

 seen. When it happens that a plant is 

 altogether weak it should not be cut at all. 

 The treatment in after years should be 

 similar to that which has been so far ad- 

 vised, with the exception that it is not 

 requisite to grow them in anything above 

 a greenhouse temperature. A 12 or 14 

 inch pot is big enough for them when they 

 arrive at a large size. When the pots 

 get full of roots the ydants should be well 

 sup])lied with manure-water during the 

 growing season. Where there is not the 

 convenience for giving them in their early 

 stages a little extra warmth, as above ad- 

 vised, they should not be potted before 

 the end of April ; and during the summer 

 ought to be kept as warm as circumstances 

 will permit, by closing the house early, 

 treating them in other respects as ad\dsed 

 under the quicker method of growth. 



The two varieties, D. indica alba and D. 

 indica rubra, difl'er but little in general ap- 

 pearance. The flowers of the latter are 

 higher coloured than those of the former. 



D. japonica variegata is also well worth 

 growing, both for its flowers and hand- 

 some variegated foliage. It succeeds under 

 similar treatment to the others. 



Insects. — These Daphnes are not much 

 troubled by insects, but sometimes the 

 young shoots are attacked by green- 

 fly, for which fumigate with tobacco; 

 thrips also will prey upon the leaves, and 

 the best remedy is to dip or syringe with 

 tobacco-water. If brown scale gets upon 

 them it must be removed with a sponge, 

 as any solution strong enough to kill it is 

 liable to injure the leaves. 



DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA. 



A most singular greenhouse plant, nearly 

 allied to the Sarracenias, and even moie 

 curious in the formation of its leaves, 

 which are hollow like those of Sarrace- 

 nias ; in appearance they are most like S. 

 variolaris, being hooded at the top like 

 that species, but its leaves attain a much 



larger size, being, in a well grown example, 

 as much as 18 or 20 inches high, and pro- 

 portionate in circumference. The white 

 and red variegation is very beautiful when 

 the cultivation is such as to bring out the 

 true character. 



The method of propagation is similar to 

 that advised for Sarracenias, which see. 

 Being a swamp plant, like the Sarracenias, 

 it must have an abundance of water while 

 making growth, and at no time must it be 

 dry at the root. It will not bear as much 

 warmth as even the coolest kinds of Sar- 

 racenia like ; a cold frame with the pots 

 plunged in some moisture-holding material, 

 and the lights tilted so as to admit abun- 

 dance of air, is what it likes ; or it ■will 

 succeed in an airy greenhouse without any 

 shade, as plenty of sun is needful to bring 

 out the full amount of colour in the pitchers. 

 It comes from California. 



DASYLIRION. 



These are very slow-growing evergreen 

 greenhouse Bromeliaceous plants, with a 

 singular but elegant habit of growth. They 

 form thick short trunks, like those of Cycas 

 revoluta, and kindred species ; the stems 

 are slowly developed, being formed as the 

 leaves, which are very persistent, die off. 

 The leaves of DasyUrions are long, narrow, 

 and bayonet-shaped, and armed with spines 

 along their whole length, erect at first, 

 but as they get older assuming an elegant 

 arched drooping position. The most singu- 

 lar matter connected with Dasylirions, is 

 that from the first of the leaves issuing 

 from the stem the extremities for an inch 

 or two are dead, the dead pai't as the leaves 

 get older splitting up into thin filaments 

 and reflexing, assuming the appearance of 

 a small brush, gi^dng the plants a most 

 distinct and singvdar aspect. They are 

 handsome decorative plants for a conserva- 

 tory, and equally useful for standing out 

 on a terrace or lawn in the summer time, 

 the hard texture of their leaves fitting 

 them well for exposure in the open air 

 in this way. They are increased by suckers 

 which are produced sparsely from the base 

 of the stem of old plants, or from a large 

 example that has bloomed, the flowering 

 usually having the eff'ect of causing the 

 production of suckers. These suckers 

 should be taken off when they have formed 

 several small leaves, say about 6 or 8 inches 

 long ; and the tufts of leaves, with a bit of 

 stem attached, should early in spring be 

 cut clean away from the old trunk, and 

 put singly in pots sufficiently large to hold 

 them, filled with half sand and sifted loam. 

 Stand them in a temperature of 60", shaded 



