DAPHN1PHYLLUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DATURA. 



517 



fragrant white flowers. It blooms in 

 spring for several weeks, and is of easy 

 culture, thriving in the rock-garden in well- 

 drained spots surrounded by stones for 

 its wiry roots to ramble among. It is 

 hardy, and in open spots thrives in any 

 good soil ; increased by layers pegged 

 down in spring and separated from the 

 plants as soon as roots are emitted. 

 Another Daphne is the Japanese D. 

 Genkwa, introduced about twenty years 

 ago, but still uncommon. In spring, 

 before the leaves appear, it bears freely 

 large lilac fragrant flowers. D. Fortunei, 

 from China, is similar to it. The foregoing 

 are the best hardy Daphnes ; others in 

 cultivation are : D. alpina, a dwarf 

 deciduous shrub, about 2 ft. high, with 

 clusters of fragrant white flowers ; D. 

 collina, from South Europe, a dwarf 

 evergreen form, 2 or 3 ft. high, bearing 

 clusters of fragrant pink blossoms during 

 the first half of the year ; D. neapolitana, 

 from Italy, similar to this, and probably 

 only a variety of it ; D. altaica, with neat 

 growth, like that of D. Mezereum, has 

 white scentless flowers ; D. pontica and 

 Laureola are good Evergreens, although 

 not remarkable for blossom ; while the 

 pretty D. odora and its variety Mazeli are 

 scarcely hardy enough for open-air culture. 

 Such a beautiful family deserves the best 

 attention. The following is a list of the 

 species, to which some beautiful things, it 

 is hoped, will be added from the often little- 

 known lands some of the species inhabit 



Species. D. alpina, S. Europe and Himalayas 

 altaica, Siberia, aurea, Orient. Blagayana, Car 

 niolia. cannabina, Himal. cancasica, Caucas. Cham 

 pioni, China. Cneonun, S. Europe, decandra, Java 

 Genkwa, China, glotnerata, Caucasus, gnidioides 

 Asia Minor. Gnidium, S. Europe, involncrata, India 

 jasminea, Greece, jezoensis, Japan. Kuisiana, Japan 

 Laureola, Europe. linearifolia, Syria. Mazeli 

 Japan. Mezereutn, Europe and N. Asia, odora 



tapan. oleoides, S. Eur. Asia Minor. pendula 

 urma. petreea, Tyrol, pontica, Asia Minor, pseudo 

 inezerenm, Japan. Rodriguezi, Minora. Roumea, 

 China, sericea, S. Eur. and Asia Minor. Sophia 

 Asia, striata, S. Europe, tangutica, China, tenui 

 flora, Ins. Timor, triftora, China. 



DAPHNIPHYLLUM. - Evergreen 

 shrubs of fine effect of foliage and little 

 beauty of flower. D. Glaucesceits grows 

 well in the home counties so far as tried, 

 especially at Lydhurst in Sussex, the leaves 

 over 6in. long, and glaucous underneath, 

 the flowers small, in the autumn ; but the 

 habit is so fine wherever evergreens are 

 cared for that this will be worth growing at 

 least in the southern and warmer counties. 

 The other species known is D. josoe?ises. 

 It is a much dwarfer plant, and is an under 

 shrub in the forests of Yezo. These plants 

 seem to be hardy enough in the Southern 

 districts of Britain, but may require a little 

 care to establish. Rich as we are in ever- 



green plants in Britain, these are distinct 

 enough to take a good place. 



DARLINGTONIA (Californian 

 Pitcher-plant}. A most singular plant, 

 resembling the Sarracenias, but very dis- 

 tinct : the leaves of D. calif ornica rise to a 

 height of 2 ft. or more, are hollow, and 

 form a curiously shaped hood, from which 

 hang two ribbon-like appendages, the 

 hood often a crimson-red, and the flowers 

 are almost as curious. This remarkable 

 plant is found to grow in our climate if 

 care be taken with it ; and it would be 

 difficult to name a more interesting plant 

 for a sheltered bog garden. It is less 

 trouble out-of-doors than under glass ; 

 indeed, it only requires a moderately wet 

 bog in a light spongy soil of fibrous peat 

 and chopped Sphagnum Moss. A place 

 should be selected by the side of a stream, 

 in an artificial bog or in any moist place, 

 and the plants should be fully exposed 

 to direct sunlight, but sheltered from the 

 cold winds of early spring when they are 

 throwing up their young leaves. They 

 require frequent watering in dry seasons, 

 unless they are in a naturally wet spot. 

 When they become large they develop 

 side shoots, which, if taken off and potted, 

 soon make good plants. The plant is 

 also raised from seed, but this requires 

 several years. 



DATISCA. D. cannabina is a tall and 

 graceful herbaceous perennial from 4 to 7 

 ft. high, the long stems clothed with large 

 pinnate leaves, yellowish-green flowers 

 appearing towards the end of summer. 

 The male plant is very strong and grace- 

 ful in habit : the female remains green 

 much longer than the male ; when it is 

 laden with fruit, each shoot droops grace- 

 fully, and the plant should be included in 

 any selection of hardy plants of good form. 

 Seed will be found the best way to increase 

 it, and would secure plants of both sexes. 

 The border is not its place ; it is, above 

 most other plants, suited for the grassy 

 margin of an irregular shrubbery, and 

 will be all the more effective if planted 

 on a grassy slope, where its deep-seeking 

 roots will soon defy the most protracted 

 drought. 



DATURA (Thorn Apple}. Plants of 

 the Nightshade family, including several 

 handsome garden plants that well deserve 

 cultivation. Being natives of Mexico and 

 similar countries, none are hardy, but 

 owing to rapid growth some succeed well 

 if treated as half-hardy annuals, and make 

 effective plants in a short season. The 

 best are : D. ceratocaula, from 2 to 3 ft. 

 high, with large, scented, trumpet-like 

 flowers, often 6 in. in length, and 4 or 5 in. 



