484 



OIERVILLA 



DIGITALIS 



somewhat exserted. May, June. Jap., China. G.F. 

 9:405. Var. hortensis, Rehder (D. hortensis, Sieb. & 

 Zucc.). Lvs. nearly glabrous above, densely grayish 

 tomentose beneath : cymes usually rather long-pe- 

 riuncled: fls. white or carmine. S.Z. 29, 30. More tender 

 and slower-growing than the type. Offsprings of this 

 variety are the following: Var. gratissima. Fls. light 

 pink. Var. nivea. Pure white fls. Var. Looymansi 

 aftrea, with yellow Ivs. : of slow growth. 



6. floribiinda, Sieb. & Zucc. (D. multiflbra, Lemaire). 

 Shrub, to 8 ft.: Ivs. oblong-ovate or elliptic, acuminate, 

 serrate, sparingly pubescent above, more densely be- 

 neath: fls. 1-3, usually sessile, mostly crowded at the 

 end of short branchlets; corolla rather gradually nar- 

 rowing toward the base, brownish crimson in the bud, 

 changing to dark or bright crimson; lobes about 5 times 

 shorter than the tube ; style exserted. May, June. Jap. 

 S.Z. 32. I.H. 10:383. Vigorously growing shrub, with 

 rather small but abundant fls. Var. grandifldra, Hort. 

 ( W. arborescens, Hort.). Fls. rather large, brownish 

 crimson. Var. Lavallei, Hort. Fls. bright, deep crim- 

 son, smaller. Var. Lowei, Hort. Fls. dull, purplish 

 crimson, small. Var. versic61or, Rehder (D. versicolor, 

 Sieb. & Zucc.). Fls. greenish white at first, changing 

 to crimson. S.Z. 33. 



7. hybrida, Hort. (Fig. 710), may be used as a collec- 

 tive name for the different hybrids between D. florida, 

 floribunda, Japonica and grandi flora, which are now 

 more commonly cultivated than the typical species. 

 Some of the best and most distinct are the following: 

 A. Oarriere, rose-carmine, changing to red, with yellow 

 spot in throat; Congo, of vigorous growth, with abun- 

 dant large, purplish crimson fls. ; Conquete, very large, 

 deep pink fls. the largest fls. of all varieties; Desboisi, 

 fls. deep rose, abundant ; E. Andre, fls. very dark, 

 brownish purple; Eva Rathke, fls. deep carmine-red, 

 erect, very free-flowering, R.B. 19:126; Groenewegeni, 

 fls. red outside, whitish within, somewhat striped with 

 yellowish red; Gustav Mallet, fls. light pink, bordered 

 white; Mad. Coutourier, yellowish white, changing to 

 pink ; Mad. Lemoine, white, with delicate blush, 

 changing to pink; Mad. Tellier, large white fls., with 

 delicate blush; Othello, fls. carmine, brownish outside; 

 P. Duchartre, fls. deep amaranth, very dark, free; 

 PecTfieur fils, fls. violet-red, abundant; Van Houttei, fls. 

 carmine, F.S. 14:1447; Steltzneri, fls. dark red,abundant. 



BB. Anthers connected with each other. (Calyptro- 

 stiyma.) 



8. Middendorffiana, Carr. Shrub, to 3 ft. : Ivs. short- 

 petioled, ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, , serrate, 

 glabrous at length: fls. in 2-3-fld. axillary and terminal 

 clusters ; corolla campanulate, funnel form, yellowish 

 white, spotted orange or purplish inside ; calyx-teeth 

 partially connate. May, June. E. Siber., N. China, Jap. 

 Gt. 6:183. R.H. 1854:261. F.S. 11:1137. I.H. 4:115. 

 G.C. III. 7:581. 



D. arbbrea, Hort. = D. floribunda. D. pautiflbra, Carr. D. 

 florida. D. prcecox, Lemoine. Allied to D. florida. Fls. large, 

 pink, with yellow in throat ; early and free-flowering. Jap. 

 Gt. 46:1441. D. rivularis, Gattinger. Allied to D. sessilifolia. 

 Lvs. and, branchlets pubescent: tts. in large, terminal panicles. 

 Georgia. ALFRED REHDER. 



DIETES. See Morcea. 



DIGITALIS (Latin, digitus, a finger; referring to the 

 shape of the flowers). Scrophulariacece. FOXGLOVE. 

 A fine genus, numbering several species and some hy- 

 brids of hardy or half-hardy herbaceous plants, famous 

 for their long racemes of inflated flowers, which suggest 

 spires or towers of bells. They are old-fashioned and 

 dignified, clean of growth and wholesome company in 

 the choicest garden. The strong, vertical lines of their 

 flower-stalks, rising from rich and luxuriant masses of 

 cauline leaves, give always an appearance of strength to 

 the rambling outlines of the usual herbaceous border. 

 The genus is a very distinct one, its nearest ally being 

 Isoplexis, which contains a few greenhouse plants rarely 

 cultivated. About 18 species, natives of Europe and 

 middle and western Asia. The flowers are companulate 

 or ventricose, 4-5-lobed ; calyx 5-parted : seed pod ovate, 

 2-valved; seeds numerous. For a week or two the Fox- 



gloves usually dominate the whole border. The com- 

 monest species in cultivation is D. purpurea, which is 

 one of the commonest English wild flowers. The name 

 "Foxglove" is so inappropriate that much ingenious 

 speculation has been aroused, but its origin is tost in 

 antiquity. The word "fox "is often said to be a corrup- 

 tion of "folk," meaning the "little folk" or fairies. Un- 

 fortunately.etymologists discredit this pretty suggestion. 

 In the drug stores, several preparations of D. purpurea 

 are sold. They are diuretic, sedative, narcotic. For 

 medicinal purposes, the leaves of the second year's 

 growth are used. 



Foxgloves are of the easiest culture. The common 

 species and hybrids can be grown as biennials from 

 seed. The perennial species are propagated by seeds or 

 by division. J. B. Keller says: "A light, well enriched 

 soil, not too dry, suits them admirably. They succeed 

 in partial shade or in open places." 



A. Middle lobe of the lower lip longer than the others. 



B. Fls. rusty red. 



ferruginea, Linn. (D. aiirea, Lindl.). Biennial, 4-6 ft. 

 high : stems densely leafy : Ivs. glabrous or ciliate : 

 racemes- long, dense : fls. rusty yellow, reticulate- 

 marked, downy outside ; lower lip of corolla ovate, en- 

 tire, bearded. July: S. Eu. B.M. 1828. 



BB. Fls. gray or creamy yellow. 



lanata, Ehrh. Perennial, 2-3 ft. high : Ivs. oblong, 

 ciliate : fls. rather small, 1-1>2 in. long, grayish or creamy 

 yellow, sometimes whitish or purplish, downy, in a 

 dense, many-fld. raceme, with bracts shorter than the fls. 

 July, Aug. Danube river and Greece. B.M. 1159 (poor 

 figure). A fine species. 



711. Digitalis purpurea, var. gloxiniaeflora. 



Sibirica, Lindl. Has the habit of D. ambigua, with fls. 

 like those of D. lanata. Lvs. downy, ovate-lanceolate: 

 fls. ventricose, villose ; calyx segments linear, villose. 

 Siberia. This is a rare trade name, and it is doubtful if 

 this little known plant is really in cultivation. 



