1006 



DIDYMOSPERMA 



DIEFFENBACHIA 



ovary 2-3-celled: fr. ovoid or oblong, 2-3-, rarely 

 1-, seeded. 



Didymosperma is a genus of East Indian palms of 

 moderate growth, containing possibly eight species, 

 most of which are stemless or else forming but a short 

 trunk, the pinnate leaves rising from a mass of coarse 

 brownish fibers that surround the base of the plant. 

 The leaflets are of irregular shape, bearing some resem- 

 blance to those of Caryota, and the plants frequently 

 throw up suckers from the base. The members of this 

 genus are not very common in cultivation. The species 

 that is most frequently seen is the plant known to the 

 trade as D. caryotoides, an attractive warmhouse palm 

 that has also appeared under the synonym Harina 

 caryotoides, and has lately been referred to Wallichia, 

 which see. While young, at least, the didymospermas 

 enjoy a warm house and moist atmosphere with 

 shading from full sunshine, though one species, D. 

 oblongifolia (or Wallichia), is frequently found in 

 Sikkim at an elevation of 3,000 feet above the sea. 

 Propagated usually by seeds; occasionally by suckers, 

 which are kept rather close for a time after their 

 removal from the parent plant. See G.C. II. 24:362 

 for description of garden forms. 



porphyrocarpon, Wendl. & Drude (Wallichia por- 

 phyrocdrpa, Mart.). Sts. reedy, 3-6 ft.: Ivs. 5-8 ft. 

 long; Ifts. 9-15, about 6 in. long, distant, narrowly 

 oblong, long-cuneate, blunt, or sinuately 2-3-lobed, 

 truncate, denticulate, glaucous beneath. Java. 



nanum, Hook. A dwarf robust palm, 2-3 ft., covered 

 with rusty pubescence: Ivs. 1-2 ft. long, glabrous above, 

 glaucous beneath; Ifts. 1-3 pairs with an odd terminal 

 one, 7-10 in. long, 3-5 in. broad, wedge-shaped, 

 sharply toothed. Assam. B.M. 6836. One of the 

 smallest of all palms. 



D. Hookeridna, Becc. Resembles a Caryota, about 3 ft. high. 

 Malay Penins. Plant scarcely known in cult, in Amer. but per- 

 haps cult, in Eu. J ARED Q g MITH> 



N. TAYLOR-f 



DIEFFENBACHIA (J. F. Dieffenbach, a German 

 botanist, 1794-1847) Aracese. Popular hothouse plants, 

 grown for their handsome and striking foliage. 



Low, shrubby perennials: sts. rather thick, inclined 

 or creeping at the base, then erect, with a leafy top: 



1261. Dieffenbachia picta var. Bausei. 



petioles half-cylindrical, sheathed to above the middle, 

 long, cylindrical at the apex; blade oblong, with a thick 

 midrib at the base; veins very numerous, the first and 

 second parallel, ascending, curving upward at their 

 ends: peduncle shorter than the Ivs. Differs from 

 Aglaonema in floral characters. Cent, and S. Amer. 



Perhaps a dozen species. Engler (in Engler & Prantl, 

 1889) recognizes many species, with many varieties. 



For dieffenbachias, similar rooting material to that 

 mentioned for anthuriums, combined with a high and 

 moist atmosphere, will produce a very healthy and 

 luxuriant growth of foliage, especially after the plants 

 have made their first few leaves in ordinary light pot- 

 ting soil. Unless it be the very large-leaved kinds, like 

 D. triumphans, D. nobilis and D. Baumannii, three or 

 four plants may be placed together in large pots, keep- 

 ing the balls near the surface in potting. D. Jenmanii, 

 D. Shuttleworthiana, D. Leopoldii and D. eburnea are all 

 well suited for massing together in large pots. When 

 above a certain height, varying in different species, the 

 plants come to have fewer leaves, and those that remain 

 are small; they should then be topped, retaining a con- 

 siderable piece of the stem, and placed in the sand-bed, 

 where they will throw out thick roots in a week or two. 

 The remaining part of the stems should then be cut 

 up into pieces 2 or 3 inches long, dried for a day or 

 so, and then put into boxes of sand, when, if kept 

 warm and only slightly moist, every piece will send 

 out a shoot, and from the base of this shoot roots will 

 be produced. These can be potted up as soon as roots 

 have formed. (G. W. Oliver.) 



picta, Schott (D. brasiliensis, Veitch. D. Shuttle- 

 worthiana, Regel). Blade oblong, or oblong-elliptical, 

 or oblong-lanceolate, 2J^-4 times longer than wide, 

 rounded or acute at the base, gradually narrowing to 

 the long acuminate-cuspidate apex, green, with numer- 

 ous irregular oblong or linear spots between the veins; 

 veins 15-20 on each side, ascending. L.B.C. 7:608 

 (as, Caladium maculaturri) . J.H. III. 46 : 165 



Var. Bausei, Engler (D. Bausei, Regel). Fig. 1261. 

 Blade nearly or completely yellowish green, with 

 obscurely green-spotted margins and scattered white 

 spots. I.H. 26:338. 



Var. Shuttleworthiana, Engler (D. Shuttleworthiana, 

 Bull). Blade pale green along the midrib. 



Seguine, Schott. Lvs. green, with white, more or less 

 confluent stripes and spots, oblong or ovate-oblong, 

 rounded or slightly cordate or subacute at the base, 

 narrowed toward the apex, short cuspidate; primary 

 veins 9-15, the lower spreading, the upper remote and 

 ascending. Lowe 14 (as var. maculata). W. Indies. 

 Called "dumb plant" because those who chew it some- 

 times lose the power of speech for several days. 



Var. Baraquiniana, Engler (D. Baraquiniana, Versch. 

 & Lem. D. gigantea, yersch. D. \Verschaffeltii, Hort. 

 Petioles and also midribs almost entirely white; blade 

 with scattered white spots. I.H. 11:387; 13:470, 471. 

 G. 2:238. 



Var. n6bilis, Engler (D. ndbile, Hort.). Fig. 1262. 

 Blade elliptical, acute, dull green with dirty green spots. 

 Brazil. 



Var. liturata, Engler (D. liturata, Schott. D. variegata, 

 Hort. D. Leopoldii, Bull. D. Wdllisii, Lind.). Blade 

 dark green, with a rather broad, yellowish green, 

 ragged - margined stripe along the midrib: spathe 



laucous-green. Province Para, Brazil. I.H. 17:11. 

 .H. 1, p. 455. G.Z. 25, p. 250. 

 Var. irrorata, Engler (D. irrorata, Schott. D. Bau- 

 mannii, Hort.). Lvs. large and bright green, blotched 

 and sprinkled with white. Brazil. 



The above are the recognized two type species. The 

 following are or have been in the American trade. 

 Probably some or all of them belong to the foregoing 

 species: 



Chelsonii, Bull. Lvs. deep, satiny green, the middle 

 gray-feathered, and the blade also blotched yellow- 

 green. Colombia. 



eburnea, Hort. Compact: Ivs. light green, freely 

 spotted with white, the sts. reddish and white-ribbed. 

 Brazil. 



