D A II 



D A II 



not mentioned in any work previous to tlie Para- 

 disiis Londinensh, where it is figured and de- 

 scribed by tlie name of BidrntifoVm. Though 

 the parcels of seeds which came from Cavanilfes 

 himself had the title of Crocata, the flowers 

 turned out yellow. 



It is not intended here to describe minutely 

 these plants; it is sufficient to say, that they 

 elevate themseh'es majestically like the Holy- 

 hock, and bear both axillary and terminal showy 

 flowers late in the autumn. 



Culture. — The first Dahlias introduced into 

 Kngland were lost bv takinc; loo much care of 

 them. As they are natives of the liillv parts of 

 Mexico, they will thrive in the open ground very 

 well, and accustom themselves in a very few 

 generations to ripen seeds here annually. By 

 giving the history of those plants which have 

 grown in the gardens of Holland-House, Ken- 

 sington, it is onlv meant to oficr hints for their 

 culture, leaving the rest to future experience and 

 observation. 



On the 20th of Mav, 180-J, the Right Ho- 

 nourable Lady Holland sent home from Spain a 

 parcel of seeds. Though so late in the season, 

 part of them were sown in pots in a hot-bed, 

 and among these was the Di/hliu Pinnnia, with 

 a wrong I'lame on the pari'el. When the plant 

 was abjul fourteen inches high, it was planted 

 in the open ground and grew luxuriantly, pushing 

 lip Several stems to the height of seven and eight 

 feet. The Coainea and Crocala, the seeds of 

 whic\i also came up, but did not grow so full. 

 In the middle of September the first flowers ap- 

 peared, by which the plant was known to be the 

 Piinialn of Cavanilles, and it was figured by Mr. 

 -Andrews the sanie.year. Tlie seeds did not ripen, 

 find the roots were taken up on the approach 

 of a sharp frost, and placed in the green-house in 

 a pot for the winter. 



■ In the spring of iS05 all the parcels of seed 

 scntfrom abroad were sov.'n, and many Dahlias 

 came np among them, which at the time of 

 flowering showed four distinct species or varie- 

 ties. It seems lliat Cavanilles, and the French 

 botanists after him, mean to make as many spe- 

 cies as there are different coloured Dalilias; but 

 the learned Mr. Salisluiry, one of the Vice Presi- 

 dents last year of theLinnean Society, considers 

 them all simply as varieties of only two distinct 

 species, and has in the Paradisus Lojidinensis 

 named them, not according to their colour, but 

 afurihe ditlerences of their leaves, being inclined 

 to believe that they will in tini.e vary like the 

 China Aster and Marygold. 



And, in fact, with regard to the Dult/ia Pin- 

 iiafa, now commonly called Piirpiaca, we have 

 jjrcat reason to confirm that botanist's suspicion. 



having seen nine difFereni varieties of it, cither in 

 the colour or multiplication of the petals. Tiiii 

 flower, in its natural state, has onlv eioht ligii- 

 latcd petals : a few had twelve. There was also one 

 plant with archdouble flowers, exceedingly pale : 

 another with archdouble flowers, exceeding deep 

 purple, exactly like that figured in the AnndJes- 

 du Mas. but the flowers were so complicated to- 

 gether, and the autumn of 1805 so cold, they 

 never expanded. We must observe, that the 

 leaves of this plant were bipinnated, .but whether 

 it is a real distinct species is not yet positively 

 ascertained. 



The Dahlia Rosea was last year (1805) the 

 most handsome, and ripened plenty of seeds. 

 The Purpurea ripened fewer and weaker seeds, 

 though they now (loih May, 1806) come up 

 freely; the plants, however, look weak. Of the 

 seeds of Coccinca and Crocata, no plants have vet 

 a]i])cared, though to the eve they seemed as per- 

 fect as those imported from Spain. 



All the plants of 1805, except one, were taken 

 up before Christmas, and planted in pots or lar^e 

 pans; but though kept in a very cold green- 

 house, they began to push new shoots in the 

 middle of April, and will be planted in the open 

 ground without the help of anv artificial heat. 

 Some rich mould round the roots is the onlv 

 culture they require. The plant left all the win- 

 ter out of doors was situated close to a south 

 wall ; and though it had no covering of any kind, 

 it is now pushing up new shoots. It is necessary 

 to add, that several plants of IDahlias have been 

 raised by cuttings, which are now in good 

 health, and which will probably flower and pro- 

 duce seeds next autumn. 



10th July, IS06. Above a hundred plants of 

 Dahlias are now growing m various parts of the 

 gardens at Holland-House in the highest luxu- 

 riance : among them are several of the yellow- 

 floweied Bidentifolia, riiised from seeds savetl 

 there last \ear, though the autunm proved so 

 unfavourable. One plant of the Purpurea of 

 Andrews's Bot, Repository is already showing 

 flowers. 



The true Roica of Cavanilles, with doubly 

 pinnated leaves, is also growing most vigorously, 

 and one of its stems has been pinched to produce 

 lateral shoots for cuttings. A plant left in the 

 middle of one of the borders of the French gar- 

 den at Holland-House bv mistake, and exposed 

 to the severiiy of the winter, without any shel- 

 ter, is as strong and vigorous as any of the other 

 two-year old plants; so that there is not a doubt 

 that this magnificent genus will soon be a com- 

 mon ornament of the gardens in this island. 



in plate -IS)* is a representation of a plant of 

 the Dahlia Plnnata or Purpurea. 



INDEX 



