HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



DEN 



room. They are natives of India, Australia, and 

 the Pacific Islands. 



Dendrochilum. From dendron, a tree, and cheilos, 

 a lip. Linn. Gynandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Orchidacece. 



A small genus of East Indian Orchids, chiefly 

 of little interest. One or two of the species are 

 highly esteemed by those who make a specialty of 

 Orchids. D. glumaceum is a very handsome spe- 

 cies, of neat habit, and produces graceful droop- 

 ing spikes of ivory-white flowers; the leaves, re- 

 sembling thoseof theLily of the Valley, gives the 

 plant a beautiful appearance when out of flower. 

 D. jUiforme is another graceful little plant, with 

 yellow flowers. This genus requires to be grown 

 in great heat, and the plants, when at rest, 

 should have an occasional watering, as the 

 pseudo-bulbs are quite small, and, if allowed to 

 shrivel, the plants would be lost. They are in- 

 creased by division. Introduced in 1836. 



Dennstaedia. Derivation of name not given. 

 Linn. Cryptogamia-FUices. Nat. Ord. Polypodi- 

 acecv. 



A genus of Ferns known here as Dicksonia, 

 which see. The name is also a synonym of 

 Sitolobium. 



Dentaria. Toothwort. Pepper-root. From dens, 

 a tooth; referring to the fanged roots. Linn. 

 Teiradynamia. Nat. Ord. Brassicacece. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials, sev- 

 eral of the species being common in most of the 

 States. The roots of D. diphi/tta have a pungent, 

 mustard-like taste, and are considerably used as 

 a salad, under the name of Pepper-root. The 

 plant is somewhat ornamental, of a dwarf habit, 

 producing short racemes of white or purplish 

 flowers. They are increased readily by divi- 

 sion. 



Desfontainia. In honor of M. Desfontaines, the 

 French botanist. Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Solanacece. 



The few species that compose this genus are 

 very handsome green-house evergreen shrubs, 

 found in Peru. They have thick leaves with 

 spiny margins, like those of the Holly. This is 

 one of the plants that perplexes the botanist, 

 as there is nothing in its external appearance 

 that would lead to a knowledge of its affinities. 

 It has been placed under three different classifi- 

 cations previous to the present one. D. spinosa, 

 the only described species, has large flowers 

 borne on terminal peduncles, scarlet, with a 

 yellow limb. The elegance of its foliage and the 

 brilliancy of its flowers make it a very desirable 

 green-house plant. It requires about the same 

 treatment as the Fuchsia. Introduced in 1850. 



Desmodium, Moving Plant, Tick-Trefoil. From 

 desmos, a band; alluding to the stamens being 

 joined. Linn. Diadelphia-Tetragynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Leguminosce. 



An extensive genus of hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials and green-house evergreen shrubs. Most 

 of the species are uninteresting plants, but a 

 few are very beautiful and remarkably interest- 

 ing. There are numerous species throughout the 

 United States, with purple flowers, produced in 

 slender racemes. Some are herbs, others shrubs, 

 but none of the native species are worthy of cul- 

 tivation. The most interesting of the species, 

 if not the most beautiful, is D. gymns, the Mov- 

 ing Plant, a native of India, but rarely seen un- 

 der cultivation. The singular, spontaneous 

 rotary motion of the leaflets of this pla>.t ren- 

 ders it an object of great interest. The leaves 

 are composed of three leaflets, the terminal one 



DIA 



being very large, and the laterals very small, 

 but these are almost constantly in motion. 

 They execute little jerks somewhat analogous to 

 the movements of the seconds of n watch. One 

 of the leaflets arises and the other descends at 

 the same time, and with a corresponding force. 

 When the first begins to descend the other be- 

 gins to rise. The large leaflet moves also, in- 

 clining itself first to the right, then to the left, 

 but by a continuous and very slow movement 

 when compared with that of the lateral leaflets. 

 This singular mechanism endures throughout 

 the life of the plant. It exercises itself day and 

 night, through drought and humidity. The 

 warmer and more humid the day, the more 

 lively are its movements. It is not unusual for 

 the leaflet to make sixty jerks in the minute; 

 they will not do this, however, under artificial 

 cultivation, except when the plant is subjected 

 to great heat. These movements occur spon- 

 taneously and without any apparent cause. 

 The same external cause that has such a won- 

 derful effect on the Catch-fly and the Sensitive 

 Plant, does not effect this in the least. None of 

 our native species has this strong peculiarity. 

 D. pendnl'ifloi-urn, a native of Japan, introduced 

 into the United States in 1865, is one of our best 

 hardy herbaceous plants. Its height is five to six 

 feet, and the color bright rosy carmine. Propa- 

 gated by seeds or cuttings. 



Deutzia. Named after J. Deutz, a sheriff of Am- 

 sterdam. Linn. Decandria-Trigynia. Nat. Ord. 

 PhUadelphacece. 



A genus of slender branched, graceful shrubs, 

 producing compound panicles of beautiful 

 white flowers. D. scabra, one of the more com- 

 mon species, takes its specific name from the 

 roughness of its leaves, which in its native 

 country, Japan, are used by the cabinet makers 

 in polishing the finer kinds of wood. D. graci- 

 lis is grown extensively for forcing into flower 

 in winter and early spring, for the cut flower 

 trade. All the species are perfectly hardy. 

 They are readily propagated by cuttings, divis- 

 ions, or layers. 



Devil in a Bush. See Nujella. 



Devil's Bit. A vulgar name for Chctmcvlirium. 



Devil's Trumpet. A popular name for Datura. 



Dew-Berry. See Rubus. 



Dianella. A diminutive of Diana, the sylvan 

 goddess; the first discovered species being found 

 in a grove. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Liliaccce. 



Lovely tuberous-rooted plants, chiefly from 

 New Holland. They should b3 grown in pots 

 of loam and peat, and if allowed a good situa- 

 tion in the green-house, will produce their 

 showy blue flowers in abundance. Propagated 

 by division or from seed. 



Dianthus. From dios, divine, and antiios, a 

 flower; in reference to the fragrance and the un- 

 rivaled neatness of the flowers. Linn. Decan- 

 dria-Digynia. Nat. Ord. Caryophyllacea;. 



Most of the species of this genus are highly 

 valued for the beauty and fragrance of the flow- 

 ers, which present a richer variety of tints of 

 scarlet, crimson, rose, orange, etc., than is to be 

 found, perhaps, in any other genus. The fr.i- 

 grance of some of them is peculiarly grateful, 

 and no plant in this respect surpasses the Carna- 

 tion D. caryophyUus, (Clove Pink and Carnation. ) 

 Seedlings stand the winter and spring without 

 difficulty, with a light covering of leaves and 

 evergreen boughs, and flower very well. Very 

 many will not be considered worth saving by 



