452 D. CERCIDIFOLIUS. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DORCNICUM. 



introduced but mainly in botanic 

 gardens. The American Indians are 

 said to have used the bark for making 

 ropes, hence the name " Leather- wood.' ' 



DISANTHUS CERCIDIFOLIUS. A 



native of Japan, and a near relative of 

 the Witch Hazels. Like them, it is 

 remarkable for the curious twisted 

 petals of its weird-looking flowers. 

 The most attractive period of this 

 shrub is in the autumn, when the 

 leaves assume a rich red-purplish hue. 

 According to Professor Sargent, the 

 colour of the flowers is dark purple, 

 while the fruit resembles that of the 

 Witch Hazels. He also says : "In 

 the autumn colour of its leaves, 

 Disanthus is one of the most beautiful 

 shrubs I saw in Japan." 



DISCARIA (Wild Irishman) .Spiny 

 shrubs allied to Colletia and Ceanothus, 

 and only hardy in the open in the more 

 favoured parts of the south and south- 

 west, though thriving against walls 

 near London and farther north. D. 

 serratifolia from Chili is a loosely 

 branched shrub covered with stout 

 thorns an inch or more long and sharp 

 as a needle. The small bell-shaped 

 flowers are white, coming in pairs at 

 the base of the spines. The leaves 

 are very small. D. toumaton, from 

 New Zealand, bears thorns almost at 

 right angles with the stems, and the 

 tiny leaves are more numerous. The 

 flowers also, though much smaller, are 

 in larger clusters and pretty when 

 abundant as in a good season. Light 

 loamy soil and a sunny sheltered spot 

 are the best conditions. Increase by 

 seed or layers. 



DISTYLIUM. Two species of small 

 evergreen trees allied to the Witch 

 Hazel, and much used for hedges in 

 China and Japan. D. racemosum has 

 recently been introduced and is prob- 

 ably hardy, but still on its trial in 

 this country. The leaves are thick, 

 leathery, and narrowly - oblong in 

 shape, and in one kind prettily varie- 

 gated. The flowers are small and 

 devoid of petals, but described as 

 glowing like red fringed buttons all 

 along the stems in early spring. Seed. 



DODECATHEON (American Cow- 

 slip}. Beautiful plants of the Primrose 

 family ; perennials from N. America. 

 They are all hardy, requiring a cool 

 situation and light loamy soil, but in 

 some soils apt to perish. The nature 

 of the soil is, however, of small import- 

 ance, as they grow almost as freely in 



peat or leaf-mould as in loam ; situa- 

 tion is the principal point. In borders 

 where Primulas thrive, Dodecatheons 

 will soon establish themselves. The 

 best time for transplanting them is 

 early autumn or the beginning of 

 February, when the roots are becoming 

 active. All may be easily raised from 

 seed snow after ripening. 



D. INTEGRIFOLIUM. A lovely flower ; 

 the petals have a white base, and spring 

 from a yellow and dark orange cup, the 

 flowers deep rosy crimson, on stems from 

 4 to 6 inches high, in March. It is a native 

 of the Rocky Mountains, and a choice 

 plant for the rock garden, if planted in 

 sandy peat or sandy loam with leaf-mould. 

 Strong well-established plants produce 

 abundance of seed, which should be sown 

 soon after it is gathered. Careful division. 



D. JEFFREYI. A stout kind, more than 

 2 feet high in good soil, with larger and 

 thicker leaves than D. Meadia, reddish 

 midribs strong and conspicuous, and the 

 flower somewhat larger and darker. D. 

 Jeffreyi is a hardy and distinct plant, 

 thriving best in light, rich, and deep loam, 

 in a cool and sheltered spot, where its 

 great leaves are not broken by high winds. 



D. MEADIA (American Cowslip). A 

 graceful plant and a favourite among old 

 border flowers, its slender stems from 10 to 

 1 6 inches high, bearing umbels of elegantly 

 drooping flowers, the purplish petals 

 springing up vertically from the pointed 

 centre of the flowers, something like those 

 of the greenhouse Cyclamen. It loves a 

 rich light loam, and is one of the most 

 suitable plants for the rock garden, for 

 choice mixed borders, or for the fringes 

 of beds of American plants. 



DONDIA (D. Epipactis) is a singular 

 little herb, 3 to 6 inches high, having 

 small heads of greenish-yellow flowers 

 in spring, and suitable for the rock 

 garden, margins of borders, or banks ; 

 increased by division after flowering. 

 Carinthia and Carniola. 



DORONICUM (Leopard's Bane). 

 Showy plants of the order Composite, 

 of which half a dozen species are in 

 gardens, all of vigorous growth, flower- 

 ing in spring, and thrive in any soil ; 

 they are therefore excellent for rough 

 places, for naturalising, or for dry 

 banks, where little else will thrive. 

 All are readily increased by division 

 of the roots. They range in height 

 from 9 inches to 3 feet, and have large, 

 bright yellow Daisy-like flowers. The 

 best species are D. austriacum and 

 caucasicum. Other kinds are D. Clusi, 

 carpelanum, Columns, Pardalianches, 

 and plantagineum, all natives of 

 Europe. D. plantagineum var. excel- 



