D I O 



D I O 



and pUiccd iinJcr the protcctioii of a ganlop. 

 IVaiiiO ami glasses. Wlicn llic plants have a lew 

 ini-lres growth, llifv should be removed into sc- 

 ])araic ]H)ts of a small size, and put in the grecn- 

 Ji()n>e for protection during the winter. 



The (ir>t kind arc well adajtled lo the large 

 clomps iwd i)()rders of pleasure-grounds, w here 

 thi V aflord nuiell variety and etl'eet. 



The latter sort arc vcrv ornamental in the 

 ♦'rcen-honse, from tlic Ien2;th of time thev con- 

 tiinie in flower. 



I")10N/1iA, a genus comprising a plant of 

 the low herhaeeoiis ]Hrennial exotic kind. 



It hclonus to the class and order Decandria 

 j\]<>>H'iS>inia, and ranks in the natural order of 



'I'he characters arc ; that thecalyxis a (ive-l.-av- 

 cJ pcrianthiuni, upriirhl; leaflets oblong, acute, 

 permanent : the corolla lias live petals, sessile, 

 oblonsr, obtuse, concave : the stamina consist of 

 ten lilanicnfs, subulate, shorter: anthers round- 

 ish, p.illen tricoccous: the pislillum is a roundish 

 <lepresse<l germ, ercnate : style (iliform, shorter 

 than the lilanicnts : stiema spreading, fringed on 

 the ed'ic : the periearpmm is a one-celled, gib- 

 bous capsule : the seeds are very niany,subovalc, 

 very small, affixed to the base of the capsule. 



The species is : i). inwycipitla, \'enus's I'^l v-Trap. 



The root is squanious, sending forth hut few- 

 fibres, like those of some bulbs, and perennial : 

 the stalk about six inches high, round, smooth, 

 without leaves, ending in a spike of flowers : the 

 leaves are manv, iiiclining to bend downwards, 

 and placed in a circular order, jointed, succulent ; 

 the lower joint, which is a kind of stalk, is flat, 

 loiigish,two-cdged,andinclinin2 to heart-shaped: 

 the upiicr joint consists of two lobes, each semi- 

 oval ; the margins furnished with stiff hairs like 

 the cvc-lashes, embracing or locking into each 

 other when thev close: this thev do when thev 

 are irritated within ; the upper surface of these 

 lobes is covered with small red glands, appearing, 

 when hiffhlv magnilitd, like the fruit of the Ar- 

 butus compressed : among the glands, about the 

 middle of each lobe, are three very small erect 

 spines ; when the lobes inclose any substance, 

 thev never open asrain while it continues there ; 

 if it can be shovcil out so as not to strain the 

 lobes, thev expand agaitt, but if force be used 

 to open them, so strong has nature I'ormed the 

 spriiiir of their fibres, that one of the lobe^ ge- 

 uerallv snaps ofT rather than yield : the flowers 

 arc nulk-whitc, on peduncles. It is a native of 

 Carolina; tlo.\ering in .(uly. 



( 'iilliirr. — This is increased by sowine the seed 

 obtained from its native situation, in poTs of light 

 moist mould, which should be pkmged ni a 

 moderate hot-bed; and when the plants have 



aojuired some growth, ihev should be removed 

 into separate small deep pots filled wiih bog 

 earth, due water and shade being given till they 

 become well rooted. 



The plants afterwards require to be pl.ieed in 

 a frame or irrcen-lmuse, so as lo be proleeteil 

 from the full sun tluriiiL' the summer heat, and 

 ha\e a free air, with proper waieiings; but in 

 the beginning of autumn placed in the green- 

 house, so as to be <ruai<ied from the effects of 

 frost, being verv tnoderatelv watered. 



These plants are oi the Sensitive kind, aflortl- 

 ing variety amonir other of theexotie gieen-house 

 sort. 



DIOSMA, a ccnus comprising plants of the 

 low shrubby exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order I'ciilaiiilria 

 JMono^ijiiiit, and ranks in the natural order of 



The characters are: that the calvx isafuc-leav- 

 ed perianthiuin : leaflets ovate, acute, permanent : 

 the corolla has live petals, ovate, obtuse, sessile, 

 ereet-spreadiiig: nectaries (ive, ])laced on the 

 germ: the stamina consist of live subulate fila- 

 ments: anthers SLibovate, erect: the pistillum is 

 a germ crowned w ith the nectarv : slvlc simple, 

 length of the stamens : stigma obscure: the pe- 

 ricarpium consists of five capsules, ovatc-aeumi- 

 nate, compressed, conjoined iuwardlv at the 

 margin, distant at the tips, gapinir at the upper 

 suture: the seeds arc siiitarv, oblong, ovate- 

 depressed, aenminateat the point : anciastic aril, 

 gaping on one side, involving each seed. 



The species cultivated arc : 1 . D. opposi/if'u/in, 

 Opposite-leaved Diosnia; 2. D. Iiinuta, Ilairv- 

 leaved Diosma ; 3. D. riilra, Hed-tlowered 

 Diosma ; 4. D. irkohles, llcath-likc Sweet- 

 scented Diosma, 



The first rises to the heiaht of three feet : the 

 branches are verv long and slender, and are pro- 

 duced from the stem very irregularly: the leaves 

 arc placed cross-w ise in pairs, and are pointed ; 

 every evening thev close up U> the branches : the 

 flowers arc produced along the branches from bc- 

 iween the leave^; and in the evening, when they 

 are expanded, and the leaves closely embrace the 

 branches, the whole plant appears as if covered 

 with spikes of white flowers. As it continues a 

 long time in flower, it makes a fine appearance 

 when intermixed with otlierexotics in theopen air. 



The second S|)eeies forms a verv handsome 

 shrub, grow ing to the height of five or six feet : 

 the stalks are woodv, seucTmir out many slender 

 branches : the leaves come out alternatelv on 

 every side: the flowers are in small clu.-iers at 

 the ends of the slioots ; thev are white, and sue* 

 cteded by starrv .-ced-vessels, ha\ing five corncr.s, 

 like those of the Slarrv Anise ; each of lht.se 

 C X -2 



