DEN 



D I A 



after they appear, is that of tliinning ihein in a 

 proper nianiur, acrordiiig to circumstances, and 

 kecpint; ihcui tree from weeds. And in the peren- 

 nial si>rts removing the stems in tlic autumn. 



Th're plants aflbrd much ornament and va- 

 riety in liie diflercnJ conipartmcnts of pleasure- 

 grounds, and tliev succeed m most soils aiui situ- 

 ations, beuig of hardy growth. 



DfclNTAHIA, a genus affording plants of the 

 hcrbaceouj Howcry hardy perennial kind. Tooth 

 Violet. 



It belongs to the class and order Tttradijnam'ia 

 Siiujuosa, and ranks in the natural order of Si- 

 iiguosce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a four- 

 ieaved perianth : leaflets ovate-oblong, converg- 

 ing from parallel, obtuse, deciduous : the corolla 

 is four-petalled cruciform : petals roundish, ob- 

 tuse, scarce eniarginatc, llat, ending in claws the 

 Icniith of the calyx : the stamina consist of s-ix 

 subulate liiaments, length of the calyx, of which 

 two are shorter : anthers cordate-oblong, erect : 

 the pistiilum is an oblong germ, length of the 

 Stamens: style very short, thick: ftigma obtuse, 

 emarginate : the pcricarpium is a longcoKunnar 

 silique, two-celled, two-valved, bursting open 

 elastically with the valves rolled back : dissepi- 

 ment a little longer than the valves : the seeds 

 are many, and somewhat ovate. 



The species chiefly cultivated are : }. I), pen- 

 taphijUtt, Five-leaved Dentaria, or Tooth-wort ; 

 2. i). Lnliy'era, Bulbiferous Dentaria, or Co- 

 ral-wort. 



Other species may be cultivated. 



The first rises with a strong stalk a foot and 

 half high, with a leaf at each joint, composed 

 of five lobes, four inches long, and near two 

 broad in the widest part, ending in acute points, 

 and deeply serrate; they are smooth, and stand 

 on long footstalks; the flowers grow in loose 

 spikes at the top of the stalks, are small, and of a 

 blush colour. It is a native of Switzerland, &c. 



The second species has a [>erennial root : the 

 stem is simple, a foot in height; the lower 

 leaves have iha-c pairs of leaflets, and an odd 

 one which is continent with the pair below it; 

 they arc bluntly lanceolate and serrate; the 

 leaves above these have f]vt leaflets, and the 

 upper leaves are tritid or simple, acutely lance- 

 olate, serrate : the flowers are in clusters on the 

 tops of the stalks, and flcRh-coloured or purple. 

 The scaly bulbs in the axils of the upper leaves, 

 falling off, take root, and projiagate new plants ; 

 KO that it rarely produces seed. It is a native <jf 

 Sweden, flowering in April and May. 



Culture. — The ])ropagation in ihe.-e plants is 

 effected by sowing the seeds in a liglit sandy soil 

 where the situation is shaded, either in llie au- 



tumn as boon as ihcy arc perfectly ripened, or in 

 tlie early sjiring. The former is ilic belter season 

 wlierc tlie soils aie sufficiently drv. Thi-y are 

 also capable of being increased by parting the 

 roots, and planting them out, where there js t 

 due degree of moisture and shade, in the au- 

 liuiin or sprinii; and in the latter sort thev 

 may l)e raised "by planting the bulbs produced 

 on the sides of tlie stems. 



The only culture the plants stand in need of 

 afterwards is that ol' keeping them clean trom 

 weeds, and in the lirst method removing such 

 jdants as mav be loo much crowded, to proper 

 situations in the spring. They mostly flower 

 and produce seeds in the second year's growth . 



These plants arc well adapted to the borders 

 and other parts of shady walks and other similar 

 compartments, where they grow well, and have 

 an ornamenial eflect. 



DIANTHL'S, a genus furnishing plants of the 

 herbaceous flowery ornamental kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Dcinndriti 

 Digi/nia, and ranks in the natural order of G/- 

 ryoplvjUei. 



Tlie characters arc: that the calyx is a cylin- 

 dric pcrianthium, tubular, stria'.ed, pcrm.menl, 

 five-toothed at the mouth, surrounded at the 

 base with four scales, of which the two oppo- 

 site are lower: the corolla has five petals, claws 

 lensrth of the calvx, narrow, inserted into the 

 receptacle: border flat; the plaits outwardly 

 wider, obtuse, crcnate: the stamina consist nf 

 ten subulate filaments, length of the calyx, with 

 spreading tips : anthers oval-obiong, compressed, 

 incumbent : the pistiilum is an oval germ: styles 

 two, subulate, longer than the stamens: stigmas 

 bent back, acuminate: the pericarpium is a 

 cylindric capsule, covered, one-celled, gaping 

 open at top four w ays : the seeds a great many, 

 compressed, roundish: receptacle free, four-cor- 

 nerfd, shorter by half than the pericarpium. 



The sp(^cies chiefly cultivated in the garden 

 are: 1. D. /ar/'w/Hf, Sweet William, or Bearded 

 Pink ; 2. D. carj/op/n/l/u'!, Clove Pink, or Clove 

 Gillifiowcr; 3. D. </e//oi^es, Common or Madder 

 Pmk; 4. D. plumarius, Feathered Pink; 5. D. 

 ctesius, Grav -leaved or Mountain Pink; 6. D. 

 Chinensis, China Pink; 7- D. siiprrhis, Superb 

 Pink. 



The first has a perennial fusiform root: the 

 stems are upright, jointed, smooth, a foot and 

 half high, branched : the leaves, soft, veined, 

 connate, from half an inch to almost an inch 

 broad in the widest part, bright green; thr 

 bundles of flowers compact, umbelled, and ses- 

 sile. These are of difl'ercnt colours, ii» different 

 varieties. It is a native of Gi'rmany. 



The principal v;aicties arc : &x Br<;ai-lcavr<f^ 

 9 U 



