'C 



DANDELION 



ter salad very like barbe de capucin. Roots dug in 



fall and dried are sold for medicinal purposes in drug 



stores under the name of Taraxacum. l H. B. 



Uts 



DAPHNE (Greek name of Laurus nohilis). Thy- 

 meladcew. Ornamental evergreen or deciduous shrubs, 

 with handsome foliage and sweet-scented, white, purple, 

 lilac or rarely greenish fls., which, in warmer climates, 

 often appear during the winter. Lvs. alternate, rarely 

 opposite, entire, short-petioled : fls. in clusters, short 

 racemes or umbels, apetalous, mostly fragrant; perianth 

 tubular cr campanulate, 4-lobed, corolla-like, usually 

 clothed with silky hairs outside ; stamens 8, included; 

 stigma capitate, sessile or nearly so : fr. a fleshy or 

 leathery 1-seeded drupe. About 40 species in Eu. and 

 Asia. Only D. Mezereum, with very early lilac, fra- 

 grant fls. and decorative scarlet fr., and some low ever- 

 green species, like D. Cneorum and D. Blagaijana, are 

 hardy north, while most of the evergreen species can be 

 recommended only for warmer climates D PoH/ica and 

 D. Laureola, with large evergreen lvs , are hardj as far 

 north as New York Daphnes thrn e best in a well 

 drained, light soil and m a partly shaded position, but 

 some, as D. Cneorum and D Bhiqininna which are ex 

 ceedingly pretty plants for rockeries, do better in sunny 

 situations. In the north, D odotu and its varieties are 

 often grown in pots for their sweet scented and hand 

 some fls. appearing during the wmtei A sandy com 

 post of peat and loam in equal proportions will suit them , 

 they require a good drainage and careful watering dur 

 ing the winter, and pots not larger than just necessary 

 should be given; they ma> also be planted out in a cool 

 greenhouse and trained as a wall plant D Genkua, 

 with abundant lilac fls before the lvs , is sometimes 

 forced. Prop, by seeds, sown after 

 fled, but germinating very slowly , also bj laj ers 

 down in spring and taken off the followmg j e 

 evergreen species may be increased by cuttings of m i 

 ture wood in fall under glass, and kept m a cool green 

 house during the wintei If gentle bottom heat can be 

 given in early spring it will be of advantage to the de- 

 velopment of the roots softwood cuttings taken from 

 forced plants may also be used D odoia is often 

 veneer-grafted on seedling st k f 7) run li mv.in 

 ter, or on roots of X) 1/ i /> ( i m 1 



probably its allies are re-iilil\ in i 1 in i iiiu I \ i 



moving the earth aiound tl i 1 ii t i ii „ I «ii tl 



branches and tilling with tint i iii[ t iliu t t tl 

 tops of the branches Next spun,;, if the compost i-. 

 carefully removed, a large numljtr ot little buds ei Ii 

 supplied with a white root, ai e found ihm,; the branchts, 

 they are easily detached and planted in pans or bo\t s 



In California, accordmg to Pranceschi, the species 

 most commonly grown is B odoia, the plants being 

 mostly imported from Japan Man\ plants are also sent 

 from Japan for eastern greenhouse culture A decoction 

 of the bark of D. Me:eniim is sold m drug stores under 

 the name of Mezereum It is stimulant and diuretic It 

 is also known as Olive bpurge Alfred Rehder 



Although hardy Daphnes are generally recommended 

 to be planted in partial shade, they invariably succeed 

 in open, sunny places, and even in dry spots when the 

 start is made with strong, well-rooted plants. They 

 grow very freely in a light, open, well drained soil, en- 

 riched with thoroughly decayed manure. An annual top- 

 dressing of the same material is of great benefit to the 

 plants, young or old. 



For propagation by cuttings, half-ripened wood is 

 best. Layers should not be separated until early in the 

 following spring, and it is advisable to shade the young 

 plants in their new quarters for a few weeks until the 

 roots have taken hold in the ground and growth has 

 started. Cuttings should not be subjected to a very 

 strong bottom heat before a good callus has formed, as 

 they are slow to emit roots, and free growth can not be 

 erpected until the young plants attain the age of 2 

 years. The commonest of the hardy kinds is £>. Cneo- 

 rum ; but D. Blagayana, which is still very rare in 

 America, is a charming species, worthy of greater popu- 

 larity. Grafts of this species are likely to die without 



apparent cause. D. Neapolitana needs a sheltered 

 position. J. B. Keller. 



Alphabetical list of species described below : D. au- 

 tumnalis, 1; Blagayana, 5; buxifolia, 7; Cneorum, 4; 

 collina, 6; Daxiphini, 8; Delphini, 8; Fioniana, 7; For- 

 tiniei,3; Genkwa, 3; Houtteana, 3; hybrida, 8; Indica, 

 9; Japonica,9; Jenkira, 3; Laureola, 10; Mazeli, 9; 

 Mezereum, 1, 2; odora, 9; odorata, 9; oleoides, 7; Pon- 

 tica, 10; sericea, 6; Van Houttei, 2. 



A. Jyvs. deciditoits : fls. axillary along the branches of 

 the previous year, appearing before the lvs. 



1. Mezdreum, Linn. Erectshrub, with stout branches, 

 to 4 ft. : lvs. alternate, cuneate, oblong or oblanceolate, 

 glabrous, grayish beneath, 1-3 in. long: fls. usually 3, 

 sessile, silky outside, fragrant, lilac-purple, appearing 

 much before the lvs.: fr. roundish ovoid, scarlet. Feb.— 

 Apr. Eu. to Altai and Caucasus. Gn. 29:550. -Var. 



676. The Dandelion. 



