464 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Dianthns continued. 



D. virgineus (virgin). Jl. red; petals crenated. Summer. I. 

 tufted, linear, stitf, serrulate. Stems generally one or few- 

 flowered, h. 6in. to 12in. South-western Europe, 1816. (B. M. 

 1740.) 



VARIETIES. Innumerable varieties are in cultivation of 

 three species belonging to this genus, namely, D. barbatus 

 (the Sweet William), D. Caryophyllus (the Carnation and 

 Clove Pink, see Fig. 647), and D. chinensis (the Chinese or 

 Indian Pink), a double form of which is shown in Fig. 648. 

 In garden literature, the generic name is generally only 

 applied to the last of these three, the others being well- 

 known under their popular garden names. Although a 

 biennial, D. chinensis may be successfully grown as an 

 annual, by sowing in pots or in the open ground, in March. 

 There are double and single forms, in a great variety of 

 colours, the flowers of the former being best adapted for 

 cutting ; while the latter are the most showy. D. c. 

 Heddewigii, and the numerous seedlings obtained from it, 

 represent an exceedingly useful class of dwarf plants for 

 mixed borders, or for pot culture, many of the flowers 

 being beautifully marked and fringed. Its double form 

 (see Fig. 649) is not so floriferons, but is distinct and use- 

 ful for cutting. D. c. plenissimus (see Fig. 650) is a 

 variety with very full double flowers, beautifully fringed. 



DIAPENSIA (meaning obscure). ORD. Diapensiaceae. 

 A genus of two species of small, tufted herbs. Flowers 

 white or purplish-rose, solitary, erect, pedunculate ; corolla 

 salver-shaped ; tube short, wide ; limb flat. Peduncles 

 scape-formed, one-flowered. Both these little gems are 

 usually considered difficult to cultivate; but they have 

 been found to succeed on fully exposed rockwork, in deep 

 sandy peat, kept well moistened during the warm season. 

 Increased by division. 

 D. barbulata. ,<W Pyxldanthera barbulata. 



FIG. 651. DIAPENSIA LAPPONICA. 



D. lapponlea (Lapland).* fl. pure white ; peduncles usually one- 

 flowered, erect. July. I. finear-spathulate, coriaceous, with 

 callous, sub-revolute edges, h. lin. to 2in. Norway, Lapland, 

 Arctic America, &c. See Fig. 651. (B. M. 1108.) 



DIAPENSIACE2E. A small order of prostrate sub- 

 shrubs, principally inhabiting the colder parts of Europe 

 and North America. Calyx persistent, five-parted; seg- 

 ments imbricated ; stamens five, free, adnate to, or alter- 

 nating with, the segments of tiie corolla. Leaves some- 

 times small, numerous, sessile, imbricated, narrow, and 

 entire; sometimes large, orbiculate, dentate. The order 

 includes the genera Diapensia, Galax, Pyxidanthera, and 

 Shortia, as well as two others which have not yet found 

 their way into cultivation. 



DIAPHANOUS. Transparent. 



DIASCIA (from diaskeo, to adorn ; in reference to the 

 pretty flowers). ORD. Scrophularineac. Very pretty green- 

 house annual herbs. In this genus, there are about a 

 score species, all natives of South Africa. Seeds may be 

 sown in a gentle heat, early in spring, and the seed- 

 lings transferred, like Lobelias and other bedding plants, 

 to the open, about June. 

 D. Barberte (Mrs. Barber's), fl. rosy-pink, double-spurred, dis- 



posed in terminal racemes. July. I. ovate, bluntly serrate, h. 



1ft. 1871. (B. M. 5953.) 



DIASTEMANTHE. A synonym of Stenotaplxrum. 



DIBBER, or DIBBLE. A useful instrument in 

 gardens, often made from a hard piece of wood, such as 

 an old spade handle, and principally employed for plant- 

 ing out seedlings, of small or medium size. Dibbers, 

 when used on a large scale, are usually cased with a 

 hollowed, tapering point of steel. In heavy soils, the 

 sides of the hole are liable to become polished with the 

 steel sheath, and the roots do not then penetrate them 

 freely. Light soils give when the Dibber is inserted, 



FIG. 652. 



consequently they are best suited for its use. Fig. 652 

 represents two forms of steel-cased Dibbers in general 

 use. One (a) is made from a piece of wood of the shape 

 represented, and is preferred by some to the other (b), 

 which may be prepared from a spade handle. 



DIBBLEMMA. See Polypodinm. 



DIBBLING. The process of planting with a Dibber. 

 Its chief advantages lie in economising the plants, and 

 rendering thinning almost unnecessary. Seedlings grow- 

 ing closely together should be dibbled out temporarily, 

 until sufficiently strong for placing in permanent quarters 

 by the same method. Dibbling has some disadvantages, 

 the roots often being placed straight down instead of 

 in the natural way in which they grow. It is, however, 

 an expeditious mode, much practised with fast-growing 



FIG. 653. METHOD OP DIBBLING. 



plants that soon form new roots. The process is shown 

 in the accompanying engravings (see Fig. 653), where a 



