492 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Dracontium continued. 



tapering upwards, with wavy bands or blotches of a purplish 

 colour, mottled with white. 1869. SYNS. D. elatum (G. C. 1870, 

 344) and Amorphophallus nivomis. (Ref. B. 282.) 



D. Carder! (Carder's).* 1. tripartite ; divisions often twice dicho- 

 tomous, with oblong segments and an irregularly-winged rachis ; 

 petiole tall, erect, slightly asperous near the base, of a dull flesh- 

 colour, and freely banded with irregular blotchy rings of an 

 nmber-brown hue, the flesh-colour predominating, h. 3ft An- 

 tioquia, 1877. (B. M. 6523.) 



D. elatum (tall). A synonym of D. asperum. 



D. gigas (giant). JL, spathe bluish-brown outside, brownish- 

 red within, about 2ft long, supported on a scape 3ft. long. I. 

 solitary, broad, trichotomously divided, supra-decompound, nearly 

 4ft. long; ultimate divisions confluently pinnatifid ; petiole yellow, 

 beautif ully barred and striped with purple, h. 10ft. Nicaragua, 

 1869. SYN. Godwinia gigas. (B. M. 6048.) 



D. polyphyllum (many-leaved), fl. , inflorescence appearing after 

 the entire decay of the foliage ; spathe upon first opening emitting 

 an abominable totor. The plant figured in B. R. 700 flowered 

 in December, t supra-decompound, pedate. A. 2ft India, 1759. 

 A very singular species. (B. R. 700.) 



DRACOFHYLLUM (from drakon, a dragon, and 

 phyllon, a leaf; in reference to the leaves resembling 

 those of Draccena Draco). Including Sphenotoma. OBD. 

 EpacrideoB. A genns of about twenty-five species of 

 greenhouse shrubs or small trees, of which eleven are from 

 New Zealand, five from New Caledonia, and the rest from 

 extra-tropical Australia. Spikes or racemes terminal, 

 simple, or compound. Leaves imbricate, cucullate at the 

 base, and half-sheathing. For culture, see Andersonia. 

 D. capitatnm (round-headed).* /. pure white, in terminal heads, 

 very delicate ; bracts two, at the base of the calyx ; corolla salver- 

 shaped ; limb of five spreading, very obtuse segments ; mouth 

 contracted. Summer. 1. ensiform-lanceolate, pungent, dark 

 green, tipped with red and somewhat spreading on the stem ; 

 paler-coloured, smaller, and close-pressed upon the branches. 

 h. 1ft. to 14ft West Australia. A very pretty plant (B. M. 

 3624.) 



D. gracile (slender).* fl. snow-white, collected in terminal, ovate, 

 compact heads, sweet-scented, especially in the evening ; calyx 

 two-bracted, sessile, green, five-leaved ; corolla saucer-shaped ; 

 limb five-cleft; peduncles clothed with closely -adpressed, erect, 

 sheathing leaves or bracts. June. I. lanceolate, recurved, sheath- 

 ing the stem at their base, mucronulate and sub-pungent, collected 

 at the extremities of the sterile branches into green globular 

 heads. Branches straggling. West Australia, 1826. A handsome, 

 but low, straggling shrub. (B. M. 2678.) 



D. secundum (side-flowering). fl. white ; corolla tubularly funnel- 

 shaped. April, h. 1ft. to 2ft. New South Wales, 1823. (B. M. 

 3264.) 



DRACOPIS. This genus is now included under 

 Rndbeckia (which see). 



DRACUNCTJLUS (diminutive of draco, from drakon, 

 a dragon; the petioles, &c., being marked like the skin of a 

 snake). OBD. Aroidece (Aracece). A genus of two or three 

 species, nearly allied to Arum, from which it principally 

 differs in the upper portion of the spathe being flat and 

 not convolute. Leaves pedately divided. Stems spotted. 

 Rhizomes tuberous. The species most commonly met 

 with in gardens is D. vulgaris (often called Dragon), 

 already described in this work as Arum Dracunculus 

 (which see). The other two, which are much less fre- 

 quently seen, are D. canariensis and D. creticus. 



DRAGON. See Dracontium and Dracunculus. 



DRAGON'S BLOOD. The Dragon's Blood of com- 

 merce is a resin used in medicine as a colouring agent, 

 and in plasters and tooth-powders. It is furnished by 

 Calamus Draco, and is imported into this country from 

 Eastern Sumatra, Southern Borneo, &c. The resin covers 

 the scales of the fruit with a thin coat, and is obtained by 

 shaking the fruits or beating them in a sack, then melting 

 in the sun or in boiling water, and afterwards moulding into 

 lumps, balls, or sticks. The name Dragon's Blood is also 

 given to resins yielded by Dracaena Draco in the Canary 

 Islands, by Dracaena cinnabarina in Socotra, and also by 

 Pterocarpus Draco. 



DRAGON'S HEAD. See Dracoceplialum. 

 DRAGON-TREE See Dracaena Draco. 



DRAINING. Efficient Drainage is one of the most 

 important points in connection with the cultivation of 

 garden crops. No plant will succeed in an undrained 

 soil, which soon becomes sour and water-logged, either 

 in a pot or elsewhere. Placing crocks or other porous 

 material in pots, in such a manner as to allow of the free 

 passage of superfluous water from the plants, for a con- 

 siderable time, if necessary, cannot be too carefully prac- 

 tised. In Draining the whole or any part of a garden, 

 a few important conditions will have to be considered. 

 First, it should be known whether there is an accumula- 

 tion of land water near enough the surface to cause 

 injury, or if it is the surface water only that will need 

 to be conducted away. This will depend a great deal on 

 the tenacity of the soil. Land, somewhat light on the 

 surface, with a gravelly sub-soil, will generally be suffi- 

 ciently porous underneath to allow all such water to pass 

 away naturally without Drains, excepting those required 

 for the walks. Heavy soils, with a sub-soil of clay, 

 require an efficient system of Drainage to render them fit 

 for the cultivation of fruit-trees or any garden crops. 

 Water collecting underneath the surface is the greatest 

 evil. If this be removed, the surface water will naturally 

 follow, and must, of necessity, be succeeded each time by 

 fresh air. A main Drain, large enough to receive and 

 conduct the water from all the branches along its course, 

 should be first inserted. A means of outlet lower than any 

 part of the land to be Drained, is necessary, and the main 

 should proceed in a tolerably straight line from the highest 

 point to this, with an equal gradient throughout. The 

 branches may be arranged at right angles, at distances 

 of 15ft. to 20ft. apart, according to the quantity of water 

 that accumulates, or the nature of the soil. Pipes 3in., 

 or even 2in., in diameter, will generally be large enough ; 

 their position should be fixed beforehand, and sockets 

 inserted in the main for their reception. Tools specially 

 employed for Draining are the best, being made long and 

 narrow, to admit of digging trenches deep without being 

 wide. A main Drain-pipe, Gin. in diameter, will conduct 

 away a large quantity of water, and this, with its outlet, 

 should be sufficiently deep to allow a fall for all the 

 branches connected. The requisite depth for Drains 

 varies with different soils, 3ft. to 4ft. from the surface 

 being that generally adopted. Glazed and common pipes 

 are both largely used. The former are the most expensive, 

 but are very strong, and best suited for mains. These 

 should be fitted together closely, and, if laid near trees, 

 the joints cemented, to prevent roots from entering 

 and eventually choking them. Draining, to be effective 

 in its results, must be systematically carried out, and 

 each pipe inserted firmly in its proper position. A cover- 

 ing of stones, broken bricks, or similar material, placed 

 over them before filling in the soil, will greatly assist the 

 percolation of water. Some persons prefer laying the 

 main and branches at the same time, thus finishing all 

 as they proceed. This is immaterial, if all the levels 

 have been previously properly obtained. It is, however, 

 safest to insert the main Drain first, as a failure in its 

 action will cause the whole to be useless. In either 

 case, the work should hfi commenced at the highest point 

 from the outlet, afterwards proceeding with a regular 

 fall towards it. An ordinary spirit level, fixed in a long 

 straight-edge, will indicate at once the fall in that 

 distance, supposing the Drain is not too deep to admit 

 of the bubble being seen. Where the ground is nearly 

 flat, the spirit level is frequently used on each pipe; 

 and, on the other hand, where the incline is certain, 

 the fall may be easily seen by the eye. 



DRAK2EA (named in honour of Miss Drake, botanical 

 artist for the "Botanical Register "). OBD. Orchidece. 

 A genus comprising three species of extremely curious 

 Australian greenhouse terrestrial Orchids. D. elastica 

 bears a solitary flower, resembling an insect, suspended in 

 the air, and moving with every breeze ; the stalk sup- 



