DOR 



D R A 



Culture. — The propagation in these plants is 

 effected by sowing the seeds obtained from abroad 

 on a moderate hot-bed in the early spring. When 

 the plants have attained a sufficient growth they 

 should be removed into separate small pots Idled 

 with light loamy mould, and plunged into a 

 bark hot-bed, due shade being given till they 

 have stricken fresh root ; after which, air should 

 be admitted in proportion to the state of the 

 weather, and slight portions of water. As the 

 autumn approaches they should be placed in the 

 stove, where there is only a moderate heat, and 

 be sparingly supplied with water. 



In the more advanced growth of the plants 

 they may be placed abroad a few months in the 

 summer season, in such situations as are warm 

 and sheltered. 



These plants afford variety among other stove 

 plants, and were formerly supposed to he the 

 tea-tree by some. 



DOGBERRY-TREE. See Cornus. 



DOGWOOD. See Cornus. 



DORONICUM, a genus comprehending 

 plants of the hardy herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Syngenesia 

 Polygamia Superflua, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Composite? Dhcoideee. 



The characters are : that the calyx is common, 

 with leaflets lance-subulate,abouttwenty in num- 

 ber, equal, upright, of a double series, length ge- 

 nerally of the ray of the corolla: the corolla com- 

 pound rayed : corollules hermaphrodite tubular, 

 numerous, in the disk : females liguiate, of the 

 number of calycular leaves, in the ray. Proper 

 of the hermaphrodite funnel-form ; border five- 

 cleft, patulous: female ligulate, lanceolate, three- 

 toothed : the stamina in the hermaphrodites 

 have five capillary filament-, very short : anther 

 cylindric, tubular : the pistillum in the herma- 

 phrodites is an oblong germ : style filiform, 

 length of the stamens : stigma emarginate : in 

 the females, germ oblong: style filiform, length 

 of the hermaphrodite : stigmas two, reflex: there 

 is no pericarpium : caly:: slightly converging : 

 the seeds in the hermaphrodite solitary, obovate, 

 furrowed, a little compressed : down hairy: in 

 the females solitary, obovate, furrowed a little, 

 and compressed : down none : the receptacle is 

 naked and flat. 



The species are : 1 . D. pardalianchcs, Great 

 Leopard's Banc; 2. D.plantagineum, Plantain- 

 leaved Leopard's Bane ; 3. D. bellidiastrwn, 

 Daisy-leaved Leopard's Bane. 



The first has thick fleshy roots, divided into 

 many knots, sending out strong fleshy fibres, 

 which penetrate deep into the ground. The 

 root-leaves are heart-shaped, hairy, petiolcd : 

 among these arise the flower-stalks, which are 



channelled and hairy, near three feet high, put- 

 ting out one or two smaller stalks from the side; 

 these grow erect, and have one or two heart- 

 shaped leaves closely embracing the stalk ; this 

 and each branch is terminated by one large yel- 

 low flower. It is a native of France, &c. flower- 

 ing in May. 



In the second species the leaves are indented 

 on their edges towards their base; their upper 

 parts are entire. The stalks rise about two feel 

 high; each is terminated by a large yellow flower, 

 like that of the first sort : they have two or 

 three alternate, embracing leaves, not so hairy 

 as those of the first species. It is a native of 

 Germany, Sec. flowering at the same time with 

 the first. 



The third has also a perennial root. The 

 leaves are like those of the common daisy, but 

 longer, and not so broad. The flower grows on 

 a naked stalk near a foot long, and the root sel- 

 dom sends out more than one stalk. It is of a 

 white and yellow colour, and a native of the 

 Swiss Alps, flowering in April. 



Culture. — The methods of increasing these 

 plants are either by sowing the seeds, or plant- 

 ing offsets of their spreading roots, in the spring 

 or autumn, in shady spots of ground, either 

 where the plants are to remain, or, in the former 

 case, to be afterwards removed to them when 

 they have attained some inches growth. The 

 last sort is best increased by parting the roots, 

 and succeeds most perfectly when the soil is 

 moist and the situation shady. 



All the sorts are well suited to the large bor- 

 ders, clumps, and other parts of extensive plea- 

 sure-grounds. 



DRACvENA, a genus containing plants of 

 the herbaceous and tree-like kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Htxandria 

 Mouogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Sarmentacece. 



The characters are : that there is no calyx r 

 the corolla has six petals, oblong, somewhat up- 

 right, equal, cohering by the claws: the stamina 

 consist of six filaments, inserted into the claws, 

 subulate, thicker in the middle, membranace- 

 ous at the base, length scarcely of the corolla : 

 anthers oblong, incumbent : the pistillum is an. 

 ovate germ, six-striated: style filiform, length 

 of the stamens : stigma three-cleft, obtuse : the 

 pericarpium is an ovate berry, six-furrowed,, 

 three-celled : the seeds solitary,, ovate-oblong, 

 incurved at the tip. 



The species are : 1 . D. Draco, Dragon Tree ;. 

 2. D.ferrea, Purple Dracasna ; 3. D. cifij'- >lia } 

 Sword-leaved Dracaena; 4. D. marginal 'a, Aloe- 

 leaved Dracaena; 5. D. laicalis, Oval-leaved 

 Dracaena. 



