HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



DOG 



purple, or white colors, and of an interesting 

 shape, somewhat resembling the Cyclamen, to 

 which plant it is allied. They are propagated 

 by seeds or division of the roots. 

 Dog's Tail Grass. One of the popular names of 



the E'eusine Indica. 



Dog's Tooth Violet. See Erythronium. 

 Dogwood. See Cornus. 



Dolichos. From dolichos, long ; referring to the 

 long, twining shoots. Linn. Diaddphia-Tetra- 

 gynia. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



Climbing annual and perennial plants from 

 the East and West Indies, generally with purple 

 or white flowers. The pods and seeds are eat- 

 able, and, in some cases, also the roots. D, Lab- 

 lab, the Egyptian Bean, is a beautiful species 

 with two varieties, one with dark purple flow- 

 ers, the other white. They grow in any situa- 

 tion, where an ornamental climber is required, 

 and may be treated as hardy annuals. This spe- 

 cies was introduced from Egypt in 1818. 

 Dondia. A synonym of Hacsjuetia, which see. 

 Doodia. Named after Samuel Doody, a London 

 apothecary and cryptogamic botanist. Linn. 

 Cryptogamia-Filices. Nat. Ord. PolypodiacetK. 



A genus of green-house herbaceous Ferns, 

 with the exception of D. Virginica, which will 

 grow in any moist situation, with partial shade, 

 being perfectly hardy. The species are small, 

 stiff, and rough-leaved, without great beauty. 

 The tender species are from Australia. Propa- 

 gated by division when at rest. 

 Doora. See Sorghum vulgare. 

 Dorema. From dorema, a gift or benefit. Linn. 

 Pentandria-Digynia. Nat. Ord. Apiacecu. 



A hardy herbaceous plant, growing on the 

 plains in the province of Irak, Persia. It fur- 

 nishes the drug known as Ammoniacum. The 

 plant abounds in a milky juice, which exudes 

 upon the slightest puncture being made, and 

 dries upon the stem in little rounded lumps, or 

 tears, as they are called. Propagated by seeds. 

 Doronicum. Leopard's Bane. Altered from 

 Deronogi, its Arabic name. Linn. Synyenesia-Su- 

 peifiua. Nat. Ord. Asteracece. 



A genus of showy herbaceous perennials, with 

 large, dark yellow flowers, that are produced 

 with the least possible care in early spring. 

 They make very effective border plants. They 

 are natives of Northern Europe. Propagated by 

 division of roots. Siberia furnishes one species, 

 D. altaicum, that has pure white flowers, and is 

 an ornamental plant that deserves a situation in 

 the border. Introduced in 1783. 

 Doryanthes. From dory, a spear, and anthe, a 

 flower ; the flower-stem shoots up from twelve 

 to twenty feet high, like the handle of a spear, 

 bearing flowers on the top. Linn. Hexandria- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. AmaryUidacece. 



D. excelsa, introduced in 1800, is a magnificent 

 Australian plant, and is what is termed an im- 

 perfect bulb. The flower-stalk has been known 

 to grow as high as thirty feet, crowned with a 

 head of bright scarlet flowers, that emerge from 

 crimson bracts. It does well in a green-house 

 temperature. D. Palmeri, recently introduced 

 from Queensland, is described as being a more 

 beautiful plant than the preceding. The flow- 

 ers form a pyramidal spike twelve to eighteen 

 inches high, and ten to twelve inches broad, the 

 flowers being red, with a center almost white. 

 Propagated by suckers. 



Doryopteris. From dory, a spear, and pter'is, a 

 fern; spear-leaved Fern, Linn. Oryptogan/ia-l-1- 

 iices. Nat. Ord. Polypodiceu\ 



DRA 



A genus of tropical herbaceous Ferns, allied 

 to Pteris. Some of the species were introduced 

 under the latter genus. They are common in 

 South America and the East and West Indies. 

 Propagated by spores. 



Douglasia. Named by Dr. Lindley in compli- 

 ment to David Douglas, whose zeal in collecting 

 seeds and plants, and whose untimely end have 

 richly earned for him a niche in the long gal- 

 lery of departed martyrs to science. "Mr. 

 Doughy? was born in Scone, Scotland, in 1798, 

 and killed in the Sandwich Islands, July 12th, 

 1834. Having been employed as a laborer in the 

 Glasgow Botanic Garden, his intelligence at- 

 tracted the notice of Sir William Hooker, who 

 procured for him an appointment as botanical 

 collector to the Horticultural Society of London. 

 In this capacity he traveled extensively in Amer- 

 ica. In 1824 he explored the Columbia River 

 and California, and in 1827 traversed the conti- 

 nent from Fort Vancouver to Hudson's Bay, 

 where he met Sir John Franklin, and returned 

 with him to England. He made a second visit 

 to the Columbia in 1829, and afterward went to 

 the Sandwich Islands. His death was caused 

 by falling into a pit made to entrap wild cattle, 

 where he wag killed and mutilated by an animal 

 previously entrapped. Through his agency 217 

 new species of plants were introduced into Eng- 

 land. He collected 800 specimens of the Cali- 

 fornia Flora. A gigantic species of Pine which 

 he discovered in California is named after him, 

 Pinus Douglasi." Linn. Pentandria-Monogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Primulacece. 



This is a very pretty hardy herbaceous plant, 

 with forked and closely-tufted stems, which are 

 covered with numerous short, stiff hairs. The 

 plant is evergreen, and, like many others from 

 high latitudes, will not bear sudden changes ; 

 consequently it needs protection in winter. 

 The flowers are small, of beautiful purple, borne 

 in small tufts. Propagated by seed. Introduced 

 in 1827. 



Dove-Flower. See Peristeria. 



Draba. From drabc, acrid ; referring to one of 

 the universal characters of its natural order. 

 Linn. Tetradynamia. Nat. Ord. Brassicacece. 



A genus of hardy rock or Alpine plants, con- 

 sisting of annuals, biennials, and herbaceous 

 perennials. They are very low plants, admira- 

 bly adapted for rock-work, as they are generally 

 found in a wild state in the fissures and crevices 

 of rocks and mountains. They have white or 

 yellow flowers, and should be grown with good 

 drainage and a sunny exposure. Propagated 

 by root division, or by seeds. First introduced 

 in 1731. 



Dracaena. From draJcaina, a female dragon ; the 

 thickened juice becomes a powder, like the 

 dragon's-blood. Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. LUiacece. 



Dracaenas rank among the most beautiful and 

 useful of the ornamental-foliaged and fine- 

 leaved plants. In a large or small state they are 

 alike elegant and attractive. They are deserved- 

 ly popular for the green-house or the sub-tropi- 

 cal garden, and for lawn decoration, large plants 

 of many of the species have no equal. The spe- 

 cies include the celebrated Dragon Tree (D. 

 Draco) at Orotavia, in the island of Teneriffe, 

 that was first noticed by Humboldt, who esti- 

 mated its age at 6,000 years. This tree was sev- 

 enty feet in height and seventy-nine feet in cir- 

 cumference at the base. D. termiiuilis, a native of 

 both the East and West Indies, is the best known 



