DAHLIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



DAHLIA 



through the then Marchioness of Bute; 

 and afterwards by Lady Holland in 

 1804. The plants, however, were lost, 

 and it was not till 1815 that the Dahlia 

 was again brought to England from 

 France. 



Fio. 116. Dahlia, tuberous roots. (J.) 



Before referring to the Garden 

 Dahlias, it may be as well to give 

 brief descriptions of the various 

 species. 



D. arborea (D. anemonceflora). This 

 species grows 9 to 15 ft. high, and 

 has large long-stalked leaves divided 

 twice-pinnately into oblong-elliptic, 

 pointed leaflets, the leaf -stalks form- 

 ing a kind of cushion at the base 

 round the stem. The soft lilac 

 flower-heads are about 4 ins. across, 

 having lilac or yellow tubular florets 

 in the centre. (Maund. Bot. 11,88; 

 Gard. Chron. 1883, xix. 80, f. 60.) 



This species is too tender for the 

 open air, except, perhaps, in the very 

 mildest parts of the Kingdom. It 



should therefore be grown in a cool 

 greenhouse. 



D. coccinea (D. bidentifolia ; Georg- 

 ina Cervantesii). A species 3 to 4 ft. 

 high, with roughish, pinnately divided 

 leaves, and flower-heads having scarlet 

 ray -florets, and yellow disc ones (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 762). 



This is one of the species from 

 which the modern Garden Dahlias 

 have been derived. 



D. excelsa. A tree-like species, 

 growing 15 ft. high and upwards, 

 having very thick stems, more or less 

 woody towards the base, and furnished 

 with twice-pinnately divided leaves, 

 about 2 ft. long and about 2 ft. 

 broad. The pale lilac-purple flower- 

 heads are only about 4 ins. across. 

 (Gartenfl. t. 861.) 



This species is best grown in a cool 

 greenhouse. 



D. gracilis. This species grows 4 to 

 5 ft. high, and is graceful and distinct 

 in habit, the smooth leaves being 

 twice-pinnately divided into oval 

 leaflets coarsely toothed on the 

 margins. The flower-heads are bright 

 orange-scarlet, appearing in summer 

 and autumn, and producing seeds 

 freely in the British Islands. There 

 are many varieties, varying in colour 

 from pale chrome-yellow to deep 

 crimson scarlet. 



D. imperialis. This remarkable 

 species attains a height of 10 to 12 

 ft., being furnished with large hand- 

 some leaves. The drooping bell- 

 shaped flower-heads appear about the 

 end of September and October in 

 large panicles, the ray-florets being 

 white tinted with lilac and streaked 

 with blood-red at the base. Owing 

 to the lateness of blossoming, the 

 flowers can only come to perfection in 

 a greenhouse, where they will often 

 ripen seeds freely. (Bot. Mag. t. 

 5183.) 



D. Juarez!. This species grows 3 



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