482 



DIDYMOSPERMA 



DIEFFENBACHIA 



and has lately been referred to Wallichia, which see. 

 While young, at least, the Didymospermas enjoy a warm 

 house and moist atmosphere with shading from full sun- 

 shine, though we are told that one species, D. oblongi- 

 folla (or Wallichia), is frequently found in Sikkim at 

 an elevation of 3,000 feet above the sea. Prop, usually 

 by seeds; occasionally by suckers, which are kept rather 

 close for a time after their removal from the parent 

 P lant - JARED G. SMITH and W. H. TAPLIN. 



DIEFFENBACHIA (Dieffenbach, a German botanist). 

 Aroldece. Low, shrubby perennials: stems rather thick, 

 inclined or creeping at the base, then erect, with a leafy 

 top : petioles half cylindrical, sheathed to above the mid- 

 dle, long, cylindrical at the apex ; blade oblong, with a 

 thick midrib at the base; veins very numerous, the first 

 and second parallel, ascending, curving upwards at their 

 ends : peduncle shorter than the Ivs. Differs from 

 Aglaonema in floral characters. Central and South 

 America. Perhaps a dozen species. Engler (in DC. 

 Monogr. Phaner. vol. 2) recognizes 6 species, with many 

 varieties. Dieffenbachias are popular hothouse plants, 

 being grown for their handsome and striking foliage. 



For Dieffenbachias, similar rooting material to that 

 mentioned for Anthuriums, combined with a high and 

 moist atmosphere, will produce a very healthy and 

 luxuriant growth of foliage, especially after the plants 

 have made their first few leaves in ordinary light pot- 

 ting soil. Unless it be the very large-leaved kinds, like 

 triumphans, nobilis and Baiimanni, three or four plants 

 may be placed together in large pots, keeping the balls 

 near the surf ace in potting. Jenmani, Shuttleworthiana , 

 Leopoldii and eburnea are all well suited for mass- 

 ing together in large pots. When above a certain 

 height, varying in different species, the plants come to 

 have fewer leaves, and those that remain are small; 

 they should then be topped, retaining a considerable 

 piece of the stem, and placed in the sand bed, where 

 they will throw out thick roots in a week or two. 

 The remaining part of the stems should then be cut 

 up into pieces 2 or 3 inches long, dried for a day or 

 so, and then put into boxes of sand, where, if kept warm 



picta, Schott. Blade oblong, or oblong-elliptical, or 

 oblong-lanceolate, 2%-4 times longer than wide, rounded 

 or acute at the base, gradually narrowing to the long 

 acuminate cuspidate apex, green, with numerous irregu- 

 lar oblong or linear spots between the veins ; veins 15-20 

 on each side, ascending. L.B.C. 7: 608. 



709. Dieffenbachia Seguine, var. nobilis. 



708. Dieffenbachia picta, var. Bausei. 



and only slightly moist, every piece will send out a 

 shoot, and from the base of this shoot roots will be pro- 

 duced. These can be potted up as soon as roots have 

 formed. 



Var. Bausei, Engl. (J9. #awsei,Regel). Fig.708. Blade 

 nearly or completely yellowish green, with obscurely 

 green-spotted margins and scattered white spots. I.H. 

 26:338. 



Var. Shuttleworthiana, Engl. (D. Shuttleworthiana, 

 Bull). Blade pale green along the midrib. 



Seguine, Schott. Lvs. green, with white, more or less 

 confluent stripes and spots, oblong or ovate oblong, 

 rounded or slightly cordate or subacute at the base, nar- 

 rowed toward the apex, short cuspidate; primary veins 

 9-15, the lower spreading, the upper remote and as- 

 cending. Lowe 14 (as var. maculata). W. Indies. 

 Called "Dumb Plant " because those who chew it some- 

 times lose the power of speech for several days. 



Var. Barraquiniana, Engl. (D. Barraquiniana ,Versch. 

 & Lem. C.giganlea, Versch.). Petioles and midribs al- 

 most entirely white; blade with scattered white spots. 

 I.H. 11:387; 13:470,471. 



Var. n6bilis, Engl. (D. ndbile, Hort. ) . Fig. 709. Blade 

 elliptical, acute, dull green with dirty green spots. 

 Brazil. 



Var. liturata, Engl. (D. Leopoldii, Bull. D. Wallisi, 

 Lind.). Blade dark green, with a rather broad, yellowish 

 green, ragged-margined stripe along the midrib; spathe 

 glaucous. I.H. 17: 11. S.H.I, p. 455. 



Var. irrorata, Engl. (D. irrorata, Schott. D. Bau- 

 manni, Hort.). Lvs. large and bright green, blotched 

 and sprinkled with white. Brazil. 



The above are the recognized type species. The fol- 

 lowing are in the Amer. trade. Probably some or all of 

 them belong to the foregoing species: 



Chelsoni, Bull. Lvs. deep, satiny green, the middle 

 gray-feathered, and the blade also blotched yellow-green. 

 Colombia. 



C6rsii, Hort. See D. Parlatorei. 



eburnea, Hort. Compact : Ivs. light green, freely 

 spotted with white, the stems reddish and white-ribbed. 

 Brazil. 



illustris, Hort. See D. late-maculata. 



imperator, Hort. Lvs. 16-18 in. in length, 5-6 in. wide, 

 olive-green, fantastically blotched, marbled and spotted 

 with pale yellow and white. Colombia. 



insignis, Hort. Lvs. dark green, with irregular, 

 angular blotches of pale yellowish green, 6 or more in. 

 wide. Colombia. 



