DAP 



DAP 



toitraira, Silvery-leaved Daphne, orTartouraira; 

 4. D. cihonon, Trailing Daphne ; 5. D. odora, 

 Sweet-smelling Daphne. 



The first is a shrub, growing to the height 

 of from three or four to five or six feet, with a 

 strong woody stalk, putting out many woody 

 branches on every side, so as to form a regular 

 head. The leaves are smooth, about two inches 

 long, and three quarters of an inch broad in the 

 middle, placed without order. The flowers come 

 out very early in the spring, before the leaves, 

 in clusters all round the shoots of the former 

 year. The fruit is a superior berried drupe, first 

 green, then red, of an ovate-globular form ; 

 with a thin succulent pulp, and a crustaceous, 

 thin, brittle, black shining shell. It is a native 

 of Lapland, See. flowering in January, in mild 

 seasons. 



Martyn remarks, that there are two principal 

 varieties j one with a white flower, succeeded by 

 yeliow berries; the other with peach-coloured 

 flowers and red fruit: the latter has sometimes 

 flowers of a much deeper red: and that there is 

 also a variety with variegated leaves. 



The second species is a low evergreen shrub, 

 rising with several stalks to the height of two or 

 three feet, dividing at top into several branches. 

 The leaves come out irregularly on every side, 

 sit pretty close to the branches, are thick, smooth, 

 and of a lucid green. Among these, towards 

 the upper part of the stalks, come out the flowers 

 in small clusters; they are of a yellowish green 

 colour, and appear soon after Christmas if the 

 season be not very severe. Thev are succeeded 

 by oval berries, which are green till June, when 

 they ripen and turn black, soon after which they 

 fall off. It is a native of Britain, &c. 



The third species is a low shrubby plant, 

 which sends out several weak stalks from the 

 root, about a foot long, and spreading about 

 irregularly; these seldom become woody in Eng- 

 land, but are tough and stringv, covered with a 

 light bark: the leaves are small, very soft, white 

 and shining like satin, and sit pretty close to 

 the stalks : between these, white flowers come 

 out in thick clusters, commonly two or three. 

 together, very seldom solitary, bell-shaped, silky 

 on the outside, but yellowish within, imbricated 

 at the base with four or more ovate keeled 

 scales. It is a native of the South of France. 



The fourth species is a very humble shrub, 

 seldom more than one foot high : the stems are 

 branchi il j the leaves narrow tanceolate, placed 

 without order : the branches terminated by small 

 clusters of purple flowers, which stand erect: 

 the flowers emit a pleasant odour, and appear 

 early in the spring. It is a native of France, &c. 



It varies with white flowers. 



The fifth has the stem becoming shrubby, 

 dichotomous, smooth, naked, erect; the branches, 

 like the stem, from divaricate erect: the leaves 

 at the top of the last branchlets, approximating, 

 sessile, acute, quite entire, spreading, bent back 

 at the tip; deep green on the upper surface, with 

 a groove along the middle, paler underneath ; 

 unequal, thick, evergreen, an inch in length: 

 the flowers about eleven in number, of a purple 

 colour. It is a native of Japan, flowering here 

 from December to March. 



Culture. — These plants are capable of being 

 raised in different methods according to the 

 kinds. 



The first sort and varieties are best propagated 

 by sowing the seeds or berries, as soon as they 

 have become perfectly ripe, as about August, 

 on beds of light sandy earth, covering them in 

 to the depth of half an inch. When possible, 

 a south-easterly aspect should be chosen. And 

 to preserve the seeds in a perfect state, the shrubs 

 should be netted in the latter end of the sum- 

 mer, to prevent the attacks of the birds. 



The young plants generally appear in the fol- 

 lowing spring, when they should be kept clear 

 from weeds, and the largest ones removed when 

 too close together : they may remain in these 

 beds till the beginning of the second autumn, 

 when they should be removed, and set out in 

 nursery-rows, at the distance of a foot and half, 

 and ten or twelve inches in the rows, great care 

 being taken not to break or injure their roots. 

 After they have had two years' growth in these 

 situations, they are in a proper condition for 

 being planted out where they are to remain : 

 and as the plants flower very early in the spring, 

 the best time for removing them is in the early 

 part of the autumn. 



The plants grow to the greatest size, and 

 flower in the most full and perfect manner, 

 when the soils are of a dry quality : as in moist, 

 adhesive soils they are apt to become mossy. 



The second species may be increased by sow- 

 ing the seeds in the same manner as the above; 

 and also by cuttings and layers of the young 

 shoots: these should be planted out or laid 

 down in the beginning of the autumn, and in 

 the following autumn they will he well rooted : 

 the layers may be then taken off, and planted 

 where they are to remain, or put into nursery- 

 rows as above. The cuttings may likewise be 

 treated in the same way. 



The third and fourth sorts succeed best when 

 raised from seed procured from abroad, and 

 sown on a warm dry situation, in the early au- 

 tumn, in the places where the plants are to re- 

 main, as they do not bear transplanting well. 

 The ground should be as little as possible stir- 



