166 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



genus of plants, many of which may prove of value for pasture* 

 Dr. Roxburgh already stated that it helps to form the most beautiful 

 turf in India, and that cattle are very fond of this herb. Colonel 

 Drury informs us, that it springs up on all soils and situations, 

 supplying the place of Trifolium and Medicago there. D. Canadense 

 (D.C.) is also an excellent fodder-herb [Rosenthal]. 



Desmodmm imcinatum, DeCandolle. 



" Chili-Clover." From North-Mexico to Chili and Uruguay. A 

 somewhat shrubby plant of easy dissemination ; valuable for forage 

 [Dr. W. Hillebrand]. 



Dicksonia Billardierii, F. v. Mueller.* (D. antarctica, La Billardiere; 

 Cibotium Billardierii, Kaulfuss.) 



South-Eastern Australia, New Zealand. This tree-fern is men- 

 tioned here, as it is the very best for distant transmission, and 

 endures some frost. It attains a height of 30 feet. A cyclus of 

 fronds appears in spring and often a second in autumn. Hardy in 

 the Island of Arran with D. squarrosa and Cyathea medullaris [Rev. 

 D. Landsborough]. This species above all others should be dis- 

 seminated in warmer extra-tropical countries, thus with us in West- 

 Australia. Important also as commercial plants among fern-trees are 

 Cyathea medullaris, of South-Eastern Australia and New Zealand ; 

 Cyathea dealbata, the Silvery Tree-fern and C. Smithii, from New 

 Zealand only; because when upgrown their shipment is not attended 

 with the same difficulty as that of the tall Alsophila Australis (whica 

 attains exceptionally 60 feet) and numerous other tree-ferns, about 

 200 species of which are now known. Those mentioned are among 

 the hardiest of this noble kind of plants. D. Billardieri, D. squarrosa 

 and Alsophila Colensoi extend to 46 30' S. in New Zealand according 

 to Mr. T. Waugh. Professor Kirk records from Stewart-Island in 

 latitude 47 20' Dicksonia squarrosa, Cyathea Smithii and C. medul- 

 laris. The latter attains occasionally a weight of three tons according 

 to Mr. Dall. The vestiture of their frond-stalks serves as a styptic. 

 Anthelmintic properties, which may exist in these and many other 

 ferns, have not yet been searched for. The fresh dust-like spores 

 should be scattered through moist forest-valleys, to insure new sup- 

 plies of these superb forms of vegetation for the next century. D. 

 Billardierii is nowhere antarctic. Frond-fragments, as not quickly 

 shrivelling, in extensive demand for marketable table-bouquets. For 

 covering tubs in which Ferntrees are planted Saxifraga sarmentosa 

 is well adapted. 



Digitalis purpurea, Dodoens. 



The Foxglove. Western Europe. A biennial and exceedingly 

 beautiful herb of great medicinal value, easily raised. In Norway it 

 grows to lat. 63 52' [Schuebeler]. Chemical principles: digitalin, 

 digitaletin and three peculiar acids [Wittstein]. Bees must be kept 



