D I O 



D I O 



and placed under the protection of a garden 

 frame and glasses. When the plants have a few 

 inches growth, they should be removed into se- 

 parate pots of a small size, and put in the green- 

 house for protection during the winter. 



The first kind are well adapted to the large 

 clumps and borders of pleasure-grounds, where 

 they afford much variety and effect. 



The latter sort are very ornamental in the 

 green-house, from the length of time they con- 

 tinue in flower: 



DION^EA, a genus comprising a plant of 

 the low herbaceous perennial exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Gruinates. 



The characters are : that thecalyxis a five-Lav- 

 ed perianthium, upright; leaflets oblong, acute, 

 permanent: the corolla has five petals, sessile, 

 oblong, obtuse, concave : the stamina consist of 

 ten filaments, subulate, shorter : anthers round- 

 ish, pollen tricoccous : the pistillum is a roundish 

 depressed germ, crenate : style filiform, shorter 

 than the filaments : stigma spreading, fringed on 

 the edge : the pericarpium is a one-celled, gib- 

 bous capsule : the seeds are very many, subovate, 

 very small, affixed to the base of the capsule. 

 The species is: D.muscipula,Vznvks's Fly-Trap. 

 The root is squamous, sending forth but few 

 fibres, like those of some bulbs, and perennial : 

 the stalk about six inches high, round, smooth, 

 without leaves, ending in a spike of flowers : the 

 leaves are many, inclining to bend downwards, 

 and placed in a circular order, jointed, succulent; 

 the lower joint, which is a kind of stalk, is flat, 

 longish, two-edged, and inclining to heart-shaped: 

 the upper joint consists of two lobes, each semi- 

 oval ; the margins furnished with stiff hairs like 

 the eye-lashes, embracing or locking into each 

 other when they close : this they do when they 

 are irritated within ; the upper surface of these 

 lobes is covered with small red glands, appearing, 

 when highly magnified, like the fruit of the Ar- 

 butus compressed : among the glands, about the 

 middle of each lobe, are three very small erect 

 spines ; when the lobes inclose any substance, 

 they never open again while it continues there ; 

 if it can be shoved out so as not to strain the 

 lobes, they expand again, but if force be used 

 to open them, so strong has nature formed the 

 spring of their fibres, that one of the lobes ge- 

 nerally snaps off rather than yield : the flowers 

 are milk-white, on peduncles. It is a native of 

 Carolina; flowering in J"ly. 



Culture. — This is increased by sowing the seed 

 obtained from its native situation, in pots of light 

 moist mould, which should be plunged in a 

 moderate hot-bed; and when the plants have 



acquired some growth, they should be removed 

 into separate small deep pots filled with bog 

 earth, due water and shade being given till they 

 become well rooted. 



The plants afterwards require to be placed in 

 a frame or green-house, so as to be protected 

 from the full sun during the summer heat, and 

 have a free air, with proper waterings; but in 

 the beginning of autumn placed in the green- 

 house, so as to be guarded from the effects of 

 frost, being very moderately watered. 



These plants are of the Sensitive kind, afford- 

 ing variety among other of the exotic green-house 

 sort. 



DIOSMA, a genus comprising plants of the 

 low shrubby exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Ventandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Aggregates. 



Thecharacters are: that the calyx is afive-leav- 

 ed perianthium : leaflets ovate, acute, permanent : 

 the corolla has five petals, ovate, obtuse, sessile, 

 erect-spreading: nectaries five, placed on the 

 germ: the stamina consist of five subulate fila- 

 ments: anthers subovate, erect: the pistillum is 

 a germ crowned with the nectary : style simple, 

 length of the stamens : stigma obscure: the pe- 

 ricarpium consists of five capsules, ovate-acumi- 

 nate, compressed, conjoined inwardly at the 

 margin, distant at the tips, gaping at the upper 

 suture: the seeds are solitary, oblong, ovate- 

 depressed, acuminate at the point: anelastic aril, 

 gaping on one side, involving each seed. 



The species cultivated are : I . D. oppostt{folia, 

 Opposite-leaved Diosma; 2. D. hirsi/ta, Hairy- 

 leaved Diosma ; 3. D. rubra, Red-flowered 

 Diosma; 4. D. ericoides, Heath-like Sweet- 

 scented Diosma. 



The first rises to the height of three feet: the 

 branches are very long and slender, and are pro- 

 duced from the stem very irregularly : the leaves 

 are placed cross-wise in pairs, and are pointed ; 

 every evening they close up to the branches : the 

 flowers are produced along the branches from he- 

 tweenthe leaves; and in the evening, when they 

 are expanded, and the leaves closely embrace the 

 branches, the whole plant appears as if covered 

 with spikes of white flowers. As it continues a 

 long time in flower, it makes a fine appearance 

 when intermixed with other exotics in the open air. 



The second species forms a very handsome 

 shrub, growing to the height of five or six feet : 

 the stalks are woody, sending out many slender 

 branches : the leaves come out alternately on 

 every side: the flowers are in small clusters at 

 the ends of the shoots ; they are white, and suc- 

 ceeded by starry seed-vessels, having five corners, 

 like those of the Starrv Anise ; each of these 

 2X2 



