DANDELION 



ter salad very like Ixtr/x <l<' cit/mri it. knots ting in 

 fall and dried are sold for medicinal purposes in drug 

 stores under the name of Taraxacum. j^ jj g 



DANGLEBERRY or BLUE TANGLEBERRY. Gay- 



luxxnfin fnniilnxn . 



DAPHNE (Greek name of Laurus nobilis). Thy- 

 melo <)<'r. Ornamental evergreen or deciduous shrubs, 

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

 lilac or rarely greenish Us., 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. Blagayana, are 

 hardy north, while most of the evergreen species can be 

 recommended only for warmer climates. D. Pontica and 

 D. Laureola, with large evergreen Ivs., are hardy as far 

 north as New York. Daphnes thrive best in a well 

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

 some, as D. Cneorum and D. Blagayana, which are ex- 

 ceedingly pretty plants for rockeries, do better in sunny 

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

 often grown in pots for their sweet-scented and hand- 

 some fls. appearing during the winter. 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 may also be planted out in a cool 

 greenhouse and trained as a wall plant. D. Genku-a, 

 with abundant lilac fls. before the Ivs., is sometimes 

 forced. Prop, by seeds, sown after maturity or strati- 

 fied, but germinating very slowly ; also by layers put 

 down in spring and taken off the following year. The 

 evergreen species may be increased by cuttings of ma- 

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

 house during the winter. 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. odora is often 

 veneer-grafted on seedling stock of D. Lanreola in win- 

 ter, or on roots of D. Mezereum. D. Cneorum and 

 probably its allies are readily increased in spring by re- 

 moving the earth around the plant, pegging down the 

 branches and filling with fine compost almost to the 

 tops of the branches. Next spring, if the compost is 

 carefully removed, a large number of little buds, each 

 supplied with a white root, are found along the branches ; 

 they are easily detached and planted in pans or boxes. 



In California, according to Franceschi, the species 

 most commonly grown is D. odora, the plants being 

 mostly imported from Japan. Many plants are also sent 

 from Japan for eastern greenhouse culture. A decoction 

 of the bark of D. Mezereum is sold in drug stores under 

 the name of Mezereum. It is stimulant and diuretic. It 

 is also known as Olive Spurge. 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 

 expected until the young plants attain the age of 2 

 years. The commonest of the hardy kinds is D. 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 



DAPHNE 



455 



apparent cause. D. Neapolitana needs a sheltered 

 ' )ositi ""- J. B. KELLER. 



Alphabetical list of species described below : D. au- 

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

 cn/liiKt, C>; I)ani>hini, 8; Delphini, 8; Fioniana, 7: /'<- 

 tune <', 3; Genkwa, 3; Houtteana. .'!: hybrida. H: Indica, 

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

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

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



A. Lvs. deciduous : fin. axillary along the branches of 



the previous year, appearing before the Ivs. 

 1. Mezereum, Linn. Erect shrub, with stout branches, 

 to 4 ft. : Ivs. 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 Ivs. : fr. roundish ovoid, scarlet. Feb.- 

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



676. The Dandelion 



