D I G 



D I G 



It belongs to the cla?s and order Dldipnamia 

 dngiospermia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Lurnhe. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted perianth ium: divisions roundish, sharp, 

 permanent ; the superior longer than the rest : the 

 corolla one-pc-talled, bell-form: tube large, ex- 

 panding, bellied downwards ; cylindric and close 

 at the base : border small, four-cleft : upper di- 

 vision more expanding, eniarginate; inferior di- 

 vision larger : the stamina consist of four subu- 

 late filaments, inserted into the base of the co- 

 rolla, bent downwards, of which two are longer: 

 anthers two-parted, acuminate on one side : the 

 pistillum is an acuminate germ : style simple, 

 in the situation of the stamens : stigma sharp: 

 the pericarpium is an ovate capsule, length of the 

 calyx, acuminate, two-celled, two-valved, valves 

 bursting in two directions (partition double 

 from the inflex edges of the valves) : the seeds 

 very many and small (subprismatic.) 



The species cultivated are: 1. D. purpurea, 

 Common Purple Fox Glove; 2. D. thapsi, 

 Spanish Fox Glove ; 3. D. lulea, Small Yellow 

 Fox Glove ; 4. D. ambigua, Greater Yellow 

 Fox Glove; 5. D. ferruginea, Iron-coloured 

 Fox Glove ; 6. D. Camriensis, Shrubby Canary 

 Fox Glove; 7. D. Sceptrum, Shrubby Madeira 

 Fox Glove. 



The first has a biennial root : the stem is from 

 three to six feet high, simple, upright, leafy, 

 round, and pubescent : the leaves alternate, 

 ovate-acute, serrate, veiny, wrinkled, underneath 

 whitish with pubescence, gradually lessening to 

 both ends ; petioles short, and winged : the flowers 

 in a lontr, spike, nodding, imbricate, all directed 

 the same way; of a purple colour. Itis a native 

 of Britain, &c. flowering from June to August. 



The second species is perennial, but it seldom 

 rises much above a foot and half in height, has 

 much the appearance of the first : the leaves are 

 tomentose, veined, serrate ,• the lower lanceolate- 

 ovate, ten inches long and three broad, the upper 

 broad-lanceolate, all decurrent and having the 

 tlccnrreut sides reflex : the bunch or spike of 

 (lowers is the same, but smaller. It is a native 

 of Spain, flowering from June to August. 



The third is perennial, has very long obtuse 

 leaves near the root; the stalk is small, and rises 

 from two to three feet high ; the lower part of 

 it has smooth leaves growing close together, 

 about three inches long and one inch broad, end- 

 ing in obtuse points : the upper part of the stalk 

 for ten inches in length has small yellow flowers, 

 closely ranged on one side of it, having a few 

 very small acute leaves placed between them, 

 situated on the opposite side of the stalk. It is 



a native of France, &.c. flowering in July and 

 the following month. 



The fourth species has long smooth -veined 

 leaves at bottom : the stalk is strong, two feet 

 and a half high : the leaves five inches long, one 

 inch and a half broad, ending in acute points, 

 having many longitudinal veins, and being slight- 

 ly serrate : the upper part of the stalk is adorned 

 with large yellow flowers, nearly of the same 

 size with those of the first sort ; the brim hav- 

 ing acute points, and the upper lip being entire. 

 It is a native of Germany ; flowering at the 

 same time with the third sort. 



The fifth is perennial, having a strict stem, 

 from three to even six feet high, branched at 

 bottom : the leaves are sessile, lanceolate, even, 

 marked with lines, quite entire: the flowers in 

 an upright long spike or raceme from each of 

 the upright axils, with small leaves between. 

 They have the colour of rusty iron. It is a na- 

 tive of Italy, &c. flowering in June. 



The sixth species has a shrubby stalk, four 

 and sometimes five or six feet high, dividing 

 into several branches : the leaves are lanceolate, 

 rough, near five inches long, and two broad in 

 the middle, gradually decreasing to both ends, 

 having a few short serratures on their edges, 

 placed alternately on the branches, each of which 

 is terminated by a loose spike of flowers, near a 

 foot in length, of an orange-colour intermixed 

 with yellow. It is a native of the Canary Islands. 



In the seventh, the branches are rough with 

 hairs : the leaves approximating, near a foot in 

 length, sessile, gradually dilated from the base 

 into an oblong form, serrate in the middle, acu- 

 minate, smooth on the upper surface, rough with 

 hairs and whitish on the lower: the peduncle 

 terminating the branch, solitary, round, upright, 

 a hand or more in length, porous on the in- 

 side, ending in an ovate spike with the flowers 

 hanging down : the braetes before the. flowers 

 open from a coma. It is a handsome plant, and 

 a native of Madeira ; flowering in July and the 

 following month. 



Culture. — These plants may be increased, either 

 by seeds or off-sets from the roots ; the former 

 is, however, in common the best method. 



The seed for the herbaceous kinds should be 

 sown, either in the autumn where the plants are 

 to remain, or in the spring, in a bed or other 

 place; and when the plants have attained a few 

 inches growth, they should be removed either 

 to the places where they are to flower, or into 

 another bed to remain, to be finally planted out 

 in the beginning of the uatumn. 



In the shrubby sorts it should be sown in 

 pots of good mould in the early autumn, 

 3 



