D R A 



D R A 



In ihe fourth the root is perennial. The stems 

 about two feet high, with two smooth liucar 

 leaves at each joint, about an inch lone:, and 

 one-eighth of an inch broad, with a deep furrow 

 along "the middle : at each joint, at the other 

 sides of the stem, come out two or three ver)' 

 narrow small leaves of the same shape. The 

 flowers are in spikes, of a fine blue colour. It 

 is a native of Norway, flowering in June, 



The fifth is an annual plant, rising wiih 

 branching stalks a foot and half high, with 

 oblong leaves, deeply serrate on their edges. The 

 flowers come out in whorls round the stalks at 

 every joint ; are blue, and appear in July, con- 

 linuing to the middle of August. It has a 

 strong balsamic odour, which to some is very 

 agreeable. It is a native of Moldavia. 



Culture. — These plants arc raited in ditTercnt 

 methods, according to the kinds. 



The first sort is licst propagated by parting the 

 roots and planting them out in moist, sheltered, 

 shady situations, either in the autumn or s])ring. 



In the second kind the plants are best raised 

 by sowing the seeds in pots of good mould in 

 the autumn, protecting them by means of a 

 frame and glasses during the winter. When the 

 plants have some growth they may be remo\ed 

 into separate pots," and placed in the open air 

 during the summer, but brought under the 

 shelter of a green-house or garden-frame in the 

 winter; the fatter is probably the better practice. 



They may likewise be increased by planting 

 cuttings of the young shoots in a warm shady 

 spot during the summer. These, when they 

 have formed good roots, should be removed into 

 pots, to be protected under glasses during the 

 \\ inter. 



Thev require a pretty full exposure to the air 

 when ihe weather is suitable, being sufficiently 

 hardy to ftand the open air in mild winters. 



The third and fourth species may be raised by 

 fowine the seeds in the early spring months, in 

 a bed of earth in an open exposure, or in pots. 

 When the plants have attained sufficient growth 

 they should be removed into a spot of fresh light 

 earth, and planted out six inches apart, proper 

 shade and water being given, till they become 

 rooted, or into separate pots. If the pots be 

 plunged in a moderate hot-bed it will greatly 

 forward them. 



They must be kept free from weeds till the 

 autumn, in the first situation, wh<n they should 

 be taken up with good balls to their roots, and 

 be planted out in the borders or other parts, 

 where they are to remain. They may also be in- 

 ,creased by planting cuttings of the branches in 

 tuaimer, in a shady spot, or in large pots, giving 



them shade and water, and afterwards removing 

 them into other pots. 



The lifih species must be raised annually by 

 sowing the seeds in patches, in the places wlicre 

 the plants are to remain, in the sprmg. W hen 

 the plants apj>car, they should be properly thin- 

 ned, and kept perfectly free from weeds. 



All the sorts, except the second, may be em- 

 ployed for ornament in the beds or borders of 

 gardens and pleasure-grounds ; some of them 

 aftording a fine smell, as well as pretty effect in 

 their f.owers. They should be raised alma.-t 

 annually, in order to keep good plants. 



The second kind is chietly introduced among 

 {jreen-house collections, both for variety and ihv 

 frairrant balsamic smell which it atl'ords. 



DKACONTIUM, a genus containing a plant 

 of the climbing, evergreen, exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Gijnaiidna 

 Polyaiidiia, and ranks in tlie natural ordei* of 

 Piperiuc. 



The characters are: that the c dyx is a spathe, 

 boat-form, leathery, one-valved, very large: spa- 

 dix extremelv simple, cylindric, very short, coat- 

 ed on all sides with fructifications disposed into 

 a head, of each of which the pcrianthium proper 

 none, unless the corolla be so called : corolla 

 proper five-petalled, concave : petals ovate, ob- 

 tuse, somewhat equal, coloured : the stamina 

 consist of seven filaments, linear, depressed, up- 

 right, equal, longer than the corollet : anthers 

 four-cornered, twin, oblong, obtuse, upright : 

 the pistillum is a somewhat ovate germ : style 

 columnar, straight, length of the stamens : 

 stigma obscure, three-sided : the pericarpium in 

 each ^ roundish berry : the seeds very many. 



The species cultivated is D. peilusum, Fer- 

 forate-leaved Dragon. 



It has slender jointed <;talks, which put out 

 roots at every joint, that fasten to the trunks of 

 trees, walls, or any support which is near them, 

 and thereby rise to the height of twenty-five or 

 thirty feet : the leaves arc placed alternately, 

 standing upon long foot-sialks; arc four or 

 five inches Ions, and two and a half broad, 

 ha\nng several oblong holes in each, so that at 

 first thev appear as if eaten by insects : the 

 flowers are produced at the top of the sialk, 

 which always swells to a larger size in that part 

 than in any other-; are covered with an oblong 

 spatha (or hood) of a whitish green colour, 

 which opens longitudinally on one side, and 

 shows the spadix closely covered with flowers, 

 of a pale yellow, inclining to white. It is a 

 native of the West Indies. 



Culture. — This j)lant is readily increased by 

 planting cuilingi of the young branches in pot« 

 2 V 



