D R A 



D R A 



The first in its native situation rise? with a 

 thick trunk nearly equal in size the whole lengih ; 

 the inner part very piiiiyj ni^xt to this a circle 

 of stronff fil)res, and the outside soft; haiglit 

 twelve or fonrtei-n {l-l-I, nearly of the same dia- 

 jiietcr the whole length, which i> rarely more 

 than fiuht or ten inches ; circular marks or ringfi 

 are left the whole length, where the leaves liavc 

 fallen oft". The top^suslains a large head of 

 these, coming out singly all round it ; they are 

 shaped like those of the common Iris, hut are 

 much longer, being often four or five feet in 

 lenoth, and an inch and half broad at their base, 

 where they embrace the trunk, lessening gradu- 

 a!lv and terminating in a point : these leaves are 

 pliable, and hang down ; are entire, of a deep 

 green, smooth on both surlaccs. It is a native 

 of the East Indies, and called Dragon Tree, from 

 the insi)issated juice bccoining a red powder, 

 like the eastern Dragon's blood. 



The second species has a shrubby stem, al- 

 most simple, eight feet high, erect, round, with 

 close protuberant rings from the fallen leaves ; 

 these are quite entire, a foot and half in length, 

 erect, smooth, on stem-clasping pt-tioles, and of 

 it dusky-red colour. The flowers are of a red- 

 purple colour. It is a native of China, flower- 

 ing in March and the following month. 



The third has a perennial root, horizontal, 

 creepinsr, somewhat woody, odoriferous, and 

 tiimple.~The root-leaves are heaped, thick, stri- 

 ated, shining, reflex, sword-shaped, a foot long. 

 The scape Ihree feet high, leafv at bottom, 

 naked at top, round, slender, and deelining; the 

 flowers terminating, sub-umbelled, of a blue- 

 and-white colour. It is a native of the East 

 Indies. 



The fourth species has purple-coloured spi- 

 nous leaves, and the flowers in racemes. It is 

 a native of Newfoundland, Sec. llowering in 

 .lune. 



The fifth has the leaves elliptical, furrowed, 

 and pointed, with spreading flowers, it is a 

 native ftf New Zealand. 



Culture. — These plants may be increased by 

 sowing the seeds in pots filled with good rich 

 earth, either in the spring or autumn, plunging 

 them in the bark-bed of the stove. After the 

 plants have attained some growth they may be 

 removed into separate pots, and re-plungcd in 

 the hot-bed. 



The last species is the only one capable of 

 ^jcaring the open air in this climate ; all the 

 others requiring to be kept constantly in the 

 stove, where they should be moderately supplied 

 with water. 



'i'hey afford variety among stove collections, 

 tome of them l>cing plant* of singular growth. 



DRACOCEPHALUM, a genus comprehend- 

 inij; plants ol' the herbaceous, annual, and peren- 

 nial kind. 



IL belongs to the class and order Didynamia 

 Gvmno'ipervna, and ranks in the natural order 

 of Firticillatw. 



The characters, are : that the calyx is aone-leaf- 

 cd perianthiuin, tubular, permanent, very short: 

 the corolla onc-petalled, ringent : lube length of 

 the calyx: throat very large, oblong, iniiated, 

 ffaping, a little compressed on the back : lip sn- 

 perioi"straieht, arched, com])licated, obtuse: lip 

 inferior tliree-cleft; lateral divisions upright, as 

 it were the segments of the throat 5 the mterme- 

 diate one hanging down, small, prominent for- 

 wards at the'biiiie, roundish, eniarginate: the 

 stamina consist of four subulate filaments, hid 

 beneath the upper iip of the corolla, of which 

 two are a little shorter : anthers somewhat cor- 

 date : the pistillum is a four-parted germ : style 

 lilifomi, in the situation of the stamens : stigma 

 two-cleft, sharp, slender, reflex : there is no pe- 

 ricarpium : calyx cherishing the seeds in its 

 bottom : the seeds four, ovate-oblong, three- 

 sided. 



The species chiefly cultivated are : I. D. Vir- 

 ginianuvi,Y\rgm\-M\ Dragon's Head ; 2. D. Ca- 

 nariensc, Canary Dragon's Head, or Balm of 

 Gilead ; 3. D. yhistriacum, Austrian Dragon's 

 Head ; 4. D. Ruyschiana, Hyssop-leaved Dra- 

 gon's Head; 5. D. Moldavica, Moldavian Dra- 

 gon's Head, or Balm. 



There are other species that deserve cultivation. 

 The first is a perennial plant. It rises with an 

 upright stalk, near three feet high. The leaves 

 are about three inches long, and half an inch 

 broad, sessile; usually in pairs at each joint, 

 but sometimes there are three together. The 

 flowers are purple, in terminating spikes. It is 

 a native of North America, flowering from July 

 to September. 



The second species is also a perennial plant, 

 rising with several stalks to the height of three 

 feet or more, becoming woody at the lower part; 

 the leaves at each joint having three or five ob- 

 long, pointed, serrate leaflets. — The flowers come 

 out in short thick spikes on the top of the stalks; 

 they are of a pale blue colour. It is a native of 

 the Canary Islands, flowering at the same time 

 as the first. 



The third has likewise a perennial root. The 

 stalks are hairy, a foot and half high, sending 

 out several side-branches. The leaves are hairy, 

 linear, cut into three part?. The flowers termi- 

 nating in short w horkd spikes, with some very 

 narrow leaves (bractes) under each whorl. It is 

 a beautiful plant, growing naturallv in Au^tria, 

 he. 



