D A H 



D A H 



not mentioned in any work previous to the Para- 

 di<;i< Lond'm&nsis, where it is figured and de- 

 scribed by the name of Bidentifolia. Though 

 the parcels of seeds which came from Cavanilles 

 himself had the title of Crocata, the flowers 

 turned out yellow. 



It is not intended here to describe minutely 

 these plants; it is sufficient to say, that they 

 elevate themselves majestically like the Holy- 

 hock, and bear both axillary and terminal showy 

 flowers late in the autumn. 



Culture. — The first Dahlias introduced into 

 England were lost by taking too much care of 

 them. As they are natives of the hilly parts -of 

 Mexico, they will thrive in the open ground very 

 well, and accustom themselves in a very few 

 generations to ripen seeds here annually. By 

 giving the history of those plants which have 

 grown in the gardens of Holland-House, Ken- 

 sington, it is only meant to offer hints for their 

 culture, leaving the rest to future experience and 

 observation. 



On the 20th of May, 1801, the Right Ho- 

 nourable Lady Holland sent home from Spain a 

 parcel of seeds. Though so late in the season, 

 part of them were sown in pots, in a hot-bed, 

 and among these was the Da/i/ia Pinnata,' with 

 a wrong name on the parcel. When the plant 

 was about fourteen inches high, it was planted 

 in the open around and grew luxuriantly, pushing 

 up several stcms-to the height of seven and eight 

 feet. The Coccinea and Crncata, the seeds of 

 which aUo came up, but did not grow so full. 

 In the middle of September the first flowers ap- 

 peared, bv which the plant was known to be the 

 Pinnala of Cavanilles, and it was figured by Mr. 

 Andrews the same year. The seeds did not ripen, 

 and the roots were taken up on the approach 

 of a sharp frost, and placed in the green-house in 

 a pot for the winter. 



In the spring of 1805 all the parcels of seed 

 sentfrptn abroad were sown, and many Dahlias 

 came up among them, which at the time of 

 flowering showed four distinct species or varie- 

 ties. It seems that Cavanilles, and the French 

 botanists after him, mean to make as many spe- 

 cies as there are different coloured Dahlias; but 

 the learned Mr. Salisbury, one of the Vice Presi- 

 dents last year of the Limiean Society, considers 

 them all simply as varieties of only two distinct 

 Species, and has in the Paradisus Londinensis 

 named them, not according to their colour, but 

 after the differences of their leaves, being inclined 

 to believe that they will in time vary like the 

 China Aster ami Marygold. 



And, in fact, with regard to the Dahlia Pin- 

 vala, now commonly called Purpurea, we have 

 great .reason to confirm, that botanist's suspicion, 



having seen nine different varieties of it, either in 

 the colour or multiplication of the petals. The 

 flower, in its natural state, has only eight ligu- 

 lated petals : a few had twelve. There was also one 

 plant with archdonble flowers, exceedingly pale j 

 another with archdonble flowers, exceeding deep 

 purple, exactly like that figured in the Annales 

 du Mus. but the flowers were so complicated to- 

 gether, and the autumn of 1805 so cold, they 

 never expanded. We must observe, that the 

 leaves of this plant were bipinnated, but whether 

 it is a real distinct species is not yet positively 

 ascertained. 



The Dahlia Rosea was last year (1805) the 

 most handsome, and ripened plenty of seeds. 

 The Purpurea ripened fewer and weaker seeds, 

 though they now (loth May, 1806) come up 

 freely; the plants, however, look weak. Of the 

 seeds of Coccinea and Crucala, no plants have yet 

 appeared, though to the eye they seemed as per- 

 fect as those imported from Spain. 



All the plants of 1S05, except one, were taken 

 up before Christmas, and planted in pots or large 

 pans; but though kept in a very cold green- 

 house, they began to push new shoots in the 

 middle of April, and will be planted in the open 

 ground without the help of any artificial heat. 

 Some rich mould round the roots is the only 

 culture they require. The plant left all the win- 

 ter out of doors was situated close to a south 

 wall ; and though it had no covering of any kind, 

 it is now pushing up new shoots. It is necessary 

 to add, that several plants of Dahlias have been 

 raised by cuttings, which are now in good 

 health, and which will probably flower and pro- 

 duce seeds next autumn. 



10th July, 1806. Above a hundred plants of 

 Dahlias are now growing in various parts of the 

 oardens at Holland-House in the highest luxu- 

 riance : among them are several of the yellow- 

 flowered Bidentifolia, raised from seeds saved 

 there last year, though the autumn proved so 

 unfavourable. One plant of the Purpurea of 

 Andrews's Bot. Repository is already showing 

 flowers. 



The true Rosea of Cavanilles, with doubly 

 pinnated leaves, is also growing most vigorous!}', 

 and one of its stems has been pinched to produce 

 lateral shoots for cuttings. A plant left in the 

 middle of one of the borders of the French gar- 

 den at HoUand-House by mistake, and exposed 

 to the severity of the winter, without any shel- 

 ter, is as strong and vigorous as any of the other 

 two-year old plants; so that there is not a doubt 

 that this magnificent genus will soon be a com- 

 mon ornament of the gardens in this island. 



In plate 19* is a representation of a plant, of 

 the Dahlia Pinnata or Pitrpurea. 



INDEX 



