DIBLEMMA 



291 



DICHROSTACHYS 



planting beans, &c., by this instrument, it is useful to 

 have it perforated with holes to receive an iron peg, at 

 two and three inches from the point, as the case may 

 require. It should be shod with iron ; for if this be 

 kept bright it will make holes into which the soil will 

 not crumble from the sides. The crumbling is induced 

 by the soil's adhesion to the dibble. For planting 

 potatoes, a dibble with a head three inches in diameter 

 at the point, eight inches long up to the foot-rest, and 

 with a handle four feet long, is to be preferred. For the 

 insertion of seed, a dibble that delivers the seed has been 

 invented by a Mr. Smith, and another by Dr. Newington ; 

 the last is the best. 



DIBLE MMA SAMARE NSEL See POLYPODIUM SAMA- 



RENSE. 



DIBRA CHION. See HOMALANTHUS. 

 DICENTRANTHE-RA. See ASYSTASIA. 



DICE'NTRA. (From di, duplication, and kentron, a 

 spur ; in reference to the two spurs of the petals. Nat. 

 ord. Papaveraceae, sub-order Fumarieaj.) 



D. spccta'bilis is the most brilliant hardy plant added 

 to our collections for many years, but furnishes the 

 most obvious example of the remarkable economy of the 

 sexual organs of its race. The flowers of Fumitories 

 never open, and their peculiar construction seems to 

 offer no means for the pollen to escape ; but, by a peculiar 

 contrivance connected with the parts, fecundation is 

 effectually and simply brought about. We have failed, 

 however, to effect the process artificially with D. specta- 

 bilis. This most beautiful plant was described by 

 Linnaeus from dried specimens, but was not seen alive 

 by any European until Mr. Fortune found it in gardens 

 in the north of China, and sent it, in 1846, to the London 

 Horticultural Society. It is a spring-flowering, deci- 

 duous, herbaceous plant, with large fleshy roots ; the 

 stalks and leaves rise to eighteen inches or two feet, and 

 look like a small-leafed tree-peony ; the flowers are pro- 

 duced on spikes from four to six inches long, and hang 

 down gracefully on one side. It requires rich, light soil, 

 and is readily increased by dividing the crown of the 

 roots early in spring, or by cuttings after the plant is in 

 growth. It will find its way, like the China Rose, into 

 every cottage-garden. All hardy herbaceous, and flower- 

 ing in J une ; the same culture is applicable to all the 

 species. 

 D. bracteo'sa (bracted). x. White. N. Amer. 1823. 



canade'nsis (Canadian), f. White. N. Amer. 1819. 

 " Bleeding Heart." 



ckrysa'niha (golden-flowered). 3. Bright yellow. 

 California. 1852. 



Cucullaria (monk's-hood). }. White. N. Amer. 

 1731. " Dutchman's Breeches." 



exi'mia (choice). i. Flesh. N. Amer. 1812. 



formo'sa (handsome), i. Flesh. N. Amer. 1796. 

 \chenalitzflo' ra ( 

 Siberia. 1826. 



lachenalicfflo' 'ra (Lachenalia-flowered) 



Amer. 1796. 

 i. Purple. 



paucifto'ra (few-flowered). California. 



sacca'ta (saccate). See D. FORMOSA. 



sca'ndens (climbing). Pink, white. Himalaya. 



., specie' sa (showy), i. Flesh. 1810. 



specta'bilis (remarkable). i$. Purple. Siberia, 1810 ; 



Japan. 1846. 



tenuifo'lia (fine-leaved). See D. LACHENALKEFLORA. 

 </M/tc/rt/o'/ta(Thalictrum-leaved). 3. Yellow, brown 



August. Himalaya. 1831. 



DICE'RMA. See DESMODIUM. 



DICELEA. (From dicha, bifarious ; in reference to 

 the two-ranked leaves. Nat. ord. Orchidaceae.) 



Stove, epiphytical Orchids. See ORCHIDS FOR CULTIVA- 

 TION. 



D. glau'ca (sea-green). Trop. Amer. 

 pi'cta (painted). Green, dotted purple. Trinidad. 



1870. 

 ,, vagina to. (sheathed). Mexico. 1885. 



DICHIXUS. (From dis, two. and cheilos, a lip ; in 

 reference to two divisions of the calyx being longer than 

 the rest. Nat. ord. Leguminous Plants [Leguminosae]. 

 I-inn i6-Monadelphia, 6-Decandria. Allied to Hypo- 

 calyptus.) 



Greenhouse evergreen. Cuttings of young shoots 



getting firm at the base, in sand, under a bell-glass ; 

 sandy peat. Summer temp., 55 to 80 ; winter, 40 

 to 48. 



D. lebeckioi'des (Lebeckia-like). 2j. White, yellow. 

 April. Cape of Good Hope. 1826. 



DICHOPOGON. (From dicha, without, and pogon, a 

 beard ; literally, beardless, in reference to the glabrous 

 stamens. Nat. ord. Liliaceae.) 



Greenhouse bulbs. Offsets. Fibrous loam and sand. 

 D. sieberia'nus (Sieberian). 2. White. July. Australia. 



1822. 

 stri'ctus (upright), ij. Purple. Heliotrope scented. 



June. Australia. 

 ,, undula'tus (waved). See D. STRICTUS. 



DICHO PSB. (Derivation uncertain. Nat. ord. Sapo- 

 taceae.) 



Stove evergreen tree. Seeds ; cuttings in sand in a 

 close case with bottom-heat. Fibrous loam and peat, 

 with a good dash of sand. 

 D. Gu'tta (Gutta). Malaya. 1847. 

 ,, oblongifo'lia (oblong-leaved). Malacca. 



DICHORISA'NDRA. (From dis, twice, choriso, to 

 part, and aner. an anther ; referring to the anthers being 

 two-celled. Nat. ord. Spiderworts [Commelinaceae]. 

 Linn. 6-Hexandria, i-Monogynia. Allied to Campelia.) 

 D. thyrsiflo'ra is the handsomest plant of this order, 

 and one of the best stove plants in cultivation, for winter 

 or late autumnal flowering. We have seen it, under 

 liberal treatment, rise to ten feet, branched all round, 

 and every branch ending in a long spike or thyrse of 

 densely-set, sky-blue flowers. When the flowers begin 

 to expand, it may be removed to a warm conservatory, 

 where it will last in bloom from six weeks to two months. 

 Stove herbaceous perennials, from Brazil. Division of 

 the plant, when growth is commencing ; seeds sown in 

 a hotbed in spring ; peat and loam, with sand and leaf- 

 mould. Summer temp., 60 to 80 ; winter, 45 to 55. 

 D. acau'lis (stemless). Violet-blue. Leaves intense 



green with silvery white lines. Brazil. 1894. 

 a'lbo-margina'ta (white-edged). Brazil. 1868. 

 ,, angustifo'lia (narrow-leaved). Leaves with transverse 



white streaks. Ecuador. 1892. 



,, aublietia'na (Aublietian). i. June. S. Amer. 1818. 

 ,, di'scolor (two-coloured). September. 1848. 

 ,, gra'cilis (slender). i$. Blue. August. 

 leucophlha'lmos (white-eyed). Blue and white. June. 



Brazil. 

 mosa'ica (mosaic). Leaves banded with purple. 



Peru. 1867. 

 ., ,. giganttfa (giant). Leaves 9 in. long. 5 in. wide. 



1892. 



ovalifo'lia (oval-leaved). Purple. May. 1846. 

 oxype'tala (sharp-petaled). 2. Red. August. 1810. 

 ,, pi'cta (painted-leaved). . Blue. September. 1830. 

 pube'rula (downy). 3. Blue. August. 1823. 

 pube'scens (downy). Blue and white. Brazil. 

 taniSnsis (Taenian). Leaves striped with white. 

 .. Saunde'rsii (Saunders'). 2. White, violet. July. 



Brazil. 1873. 



Siebe'ri (Sieber's). Gardens. 

 thyrsiflo'ra (thyrse-flowered). 4. Blue. August. 



1822. 



,, unda'ta (waved). Leaves waved, striped with silvery- 

 grey. Peru. 1879. 

 ,, vitta'ia (striped). Leaves striped. 



DICHO'SMA. See AGATHOSMA. 



DI'CHROA. (From di, two, and chroos, colour ; the 

 flowers are blue and purple. Nat. ord. Saxifragaceae.) 



Greenhouse evergreen shrubs. Cuttings in sand under 

 a bell-glass. Loam, peat, and sand. 

 D. febri'fuga (febrifugal). 4. Pale purple and blue. 

 Berries blue. Himalaya ; Malaya ; China. 1829. 



DICHRO'STACHYS. (Derived from dichra, two-form, 

 and stachys, a spike. Nat. ord. Leguminosae.) 



Stove shrub. Seeds. Fibrous loam, peat, and sand. 

 D. platyca'rpa (broad-fruited). Spikes partly rose and 

 partly yellow. Angola. 1866. 



