AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



483 



Dipaee corUtnwd. 



in heads, surrounded by an involucre; calyx limb supe- 



rior, cup-shaped, entire, lobed, or ciliate. membranous, 



sometimes surrounded by a separate involucel : corolla 



funnel-shaped or cylindric, often curved; lobes four or 



fire, obtuse, imbricate in bud ; stamens four, inserted on 



the corolla tube. Leaves opposite or rarely verticillate, 



exstipulate. There are five known genera, including 



Cephalaria, Dipsaevt, and Scabiota, and about 125 species. 



DIPSACUS (the Greek name used by Dioscorides, 



from dipsao, to thirst; probably in consequence of the 



connate leaves holding water). Teazel. OBD. Diptacea. 



Erect, pilose, or prickly, hardy biennial herbs. Flower- 



heads terminal, oblong-ovate or roundish. Leaves oppo- 



site, usually connate at the base, toothed or jagged. 



These singular plants are beet suited for the wild garden, 



or rough parts of the flower border. They thrive in 



almost any ordinary garden soil, and may be easily raised 



from seed. There are about twelve species, the under- 



mentioned being only those that are worth growing. 



D. Fnllonnm (fuller's). Fuller's Teazel. A.-heod* whitish, with 



pale purple anthers ; leaves of inrolncre spreading, shorter 



than the ovoid heads. July. L connate at the base, oblong- 



lanceolate, serrated ; upper ones entire. Stem prickly, k. 4ft. to 



6ft The specific name of the plant is derived from the toot that 



its beads are used by the fuller in dressing doth. This is 



believed by some to be but a cultivated variety of D. wiwrfri*. 



D. laciniatus (cnt-leaved). 0,-headt, corollas whitish ; anthers 

 reddish; leaves of involucre slightly erect, stiffish, usually shorter 

 than the ovoid head. July. 1 i iiiail'ii il lln linn . ill ...... 1 Ijjin 1 



and the lobes sinuately toothed ; downy beneath. Stem' pnckly. 

 A. 3ft. to 5ft Europe and Siberia, 168i 



D. sylTestrls (wood). Common Teazel. A. -head* pale lilac ; 

 leaves of involucre inflexed, weak, longer than the ovate-oblong 

 heads of flowers. July. L connate at the base, ovate-lanceolate, 

 acuminated, toothed. Stem prickly, k. 6ft Europe (Britain). 



DIPTEKAC AK THUS. This genus is now referred 

 to Ruellia (which see). 



DIPTEH.OCAHPIL33. An order of resin-bearing 

 trees, all the species of which are found in the tropics of 

 the Old World. Flowers often sweet-scented, disposed in 

 axillary panicles. Leaves alternate, involute; stipules 

 convolute. There are a dozen genera, perhaps the best 

 known being Dipterocarp** and Dryobalanopt. 



DIPTEROUS. Having, two wing-like processes. 



DIPTEBTX (from dit, double, and pteryx, a wing; 

 in reference to the two upper lobes of the calyx, which 

 appear like two wings). Tonquin Bean. STH. Baryotma. 

 OBD. Leguminous. A genus of about eight species of 

 stove evergreen trees. Flowers violet or rose, disposed in 

 terminal panicles. Leaves opposite or alternate, abruptly 

 pinnate. They thrive in rich, rough, loamy soiL Cuttings 

 will strike if inserted in sand, and a hand glass placed 

 over them, in a moist heat. None are of any importance, 

 except from an economic standpoint ; they are useless as 

 garden plants. 



"war JsssSL *. BB& 



alternate; petioka margined. *- 60ft Guia 

 of this teeVawtto^Bgaror Tonquin Beans, 

 giving a grateful scent to snuff. 



DiaCA (from dirle, a fountain ; referring to the plant 

 growing in moist places). OBD. Thymelea. A genus 

 of a couple of species of hardy, deciduous, branchy shrubs, 

 with the habit of miniature trees. Both are natives of 

 Vorth America, and the one in cultivation thrives well in 

 a moist peaty sofl. Increased readily by imported seeds, 

 or by layers. 

 D TJalustris (marshX* Leather-wood, f. yellowish, terminal, 



prSSSEthe S5* vZE-L^^^SEk^g?**' 



pttegreen, villoos beneath. A. 2ft. to 5ft 1750. (B. B, 292.) 

 DISA (derivation unknown: probably a native name). 

 OBD. Orchids*. A genus of about fifty species of 

 restrial Orchids, natives of tropical and South Africa, 

 and the Mascarene Island*. All are very pretty and 



uiana, 1799. The seeds 

 Beans, well know, as 



interesting, but the number worth cultivating is somewhat 

 limited. Of these, the best is D. yrandijlon, sometimes 

 known as the Flower of the Gods. Its culture, though 

 considered by many to be difficult, is comparatively easy, 

 where proper means and site are employed. With regard 

 to its native surroundings, it should be borne in mind 

 that the streams, Ac., upon or near the margins of which 

 it grows, are water gorges during some portion of the 

 winter months, and occasionally very dry in the summer. 

 The plants should be kept quite cool in winter, but 

 not allowed to become too dry at any time. By the end 

 of February, more water should be given ; and from April 

 until the flower-spikes are formed, too great a quantity 

 cannot well be applied. D. granditora is one of the most 

 beautiful of cool Orchids, succeeding in an admixture of 

 peat and sphagnum. The plants should be somewhat 

 elevated in potting. Careful ventilation, avoiding draughts, 

 is essential 



With regard to the best method of raising D. yrandifora 

 from seed, the Bev. F. Tymons, of Dublin, says: "The 

 seed should be sown as soon as it is ripe ; but if that does 

 not happen till late in the autumn, it would be safer to 

 postpone the sowing until the following September, or the 

 last week of August. There are two methods of sowing 

 the seed, each of which has its advocates. One of them 

 consists in sowing on living sphagnum, in a pot or pan. 

 The moss must always be kept moist, which may be 

 effected by constant and gentle dewings, as the danger of 

 regular watering, as ordinarily understood, is that the 

 seed would be washed down too deeply. The other plan 

 is to sow on a sod of turf .... or hard peat .... I 

 mean the peat as prepared for fuel. Let it be well soaked 

 in water, and the seed sown thickly on its upper surface. 

 Cover all with a bell glass, and place it in a cool, damp, 

 and shady place. The turf must never become dry, but 

 the spraying of water must be of the gentlest description. 

 A good plan for watering very fine seed is to dip a stiff- 

 haired brush in water, and to draw the hand briskly 

 against it, at such a distance as that only the finest dew 

 reaches the seed. When the seedlings appear, they must 

 have more air. As soon as they can be handled, they 

 should be pricked off into small pans, or into pots, not 

 less than 4in. in diameter. The compost for the seedlings, 

 for the first two years, should be somewhat similar to that 

 for mature plants, only that the peat should be con- 

 siderably finer for an inch or, two on the surface, and a 

 much larger proportion of silver sand is necessary. The 

 after-treatment, as regards ventilation, situation, and 

 water, is similar to that for established plants." The 

 same writer warns " persons whose stock is limited to a 

 plant or two, not to be too anxious for seed. One pod 

 on a healthy plant is quite sufficient, as seeding retards 

 the autumn growth and recovery, after the labour of 

 flowering." 



^odSXdy* large ; spikes 4in. to 6in. long, many-flc 

 dissimilar ; petals small, oblong, decnrved and I 

 broad auricle at the base ; lip small, spathulate, 



marked with red spots, thenpi 

 with red, leafy to the summit 



