DIO 



[ 293 ] 



DTO 



flowers in separate flowers on separate 

 plants. 



DIOME'DEA. (After Diomeda, a clas- 

 sical name. Nat. ord., Composites [As- 

 terace.se]. Linn., l9-8yngene$ia 2-Super- 

 Jlua.) 



This genus of greenhouse evergreen* should 

 be united to BUPHTHA'LMUM, which see for cul- 

 ture. They have all yellow flower*. 

 D. arge'ntea (silvery-leaved). 2. June. S. Amer. 

 1824. 



bidenta'ta (two-toothed). 2. July. W. Ind. 



1696. 



glabra'tu (smooth). 3. June. S. Amer. 1699. 



DI'ON. (From dis, two, and oon, an 

 egg ; referring to the two-lobed scales 

 which compose the large cones of the 

 Cycad, bearing a large nut-like seed at 

 the bottom of each scale ; otherwise from 

 seeds being borne in twos. Nat. ord., 

 Cycads [Cycadaceze]. Linn., %'2-Dicecia 

 11-Dodecandria. Allied to Cycas revoluta.) 



A fine Palm-like plant. The fruit of this Dion, 

 which is as large as a chestnut, is powdered by 

 the natives, and formed into a kind of arrowroot. 

 Supposed to he propagated by suckers, and seeds 

 when obtainable ; rough, sandy loam, with some 

 broken bricks and charcoal. Summer temp., 60 

 to 90; winter, 55 to 6(1. 



D. edu'le (eatable-seeded). 2. April. Mexico. 

 1844. 



DION^'A. Venus's Fly-trap. (After 

 Dione, one of the names of Venus. Nat. 

 ord., Sundeivs [Droceraceae]. Linn., 10- 

 Decandria I-Monogynia.) 



Notwithstanding all the fables about this plant, 

 it is one of extreme interest to cultivators, owing 

 as much to the care and skill necessary for its 

 management, as to the irritability displayed by 

 the stipulary fringes on the winged leaves. The 

 irritability is in three hair-like teeth, set on either 

 side of a hollow leaflet on the top of the main 

 leaf, so situated that an insect cannot pass along, 

 or alight on the part, without touching one of 

 them, when they suddenly fold, like the fingers of 

 the two hands clasped together, and enclose the 

 insect with a firmness beyond its strength to es- 

 cape. Greenhouse evergreen. Division of the 

 plant ; seeds at times ; leaves laid in damp moss, 

 under a glass, will sometimes emit a young plant 

 at its margin ; peat earth, with a little sphagnum, 

 moss, and bits of potsherds broken small. The 

 pot is set in a pan, stuffed round, not very tight, 

 with clear moss, and the pan filled with water ; 

 a bell-glass is placed over the plant, but kept 

 from going close down all round. Summer temp., 

 60 to 85 ; winter, 50 to 60. 

 D. musci'pula (fly-catcher). $. White. July. 

 Carolina. 1788. 



DIOSCO'REA. Yam. (After P. Dios- 

 corides, a Greek physician. Nat. ord., 

 Tamworts [Dioscoreacese]. Linn., 22- 

 Dioecia 6-Hexandria.) 



Stove, green-flowered, tuberous-rooted plants, 

 used as potatoes. Dividing the tubers ; light, 

 rich soil. Summer temp., Co to 80; winter, 

 *0 to 55. 



D. acuIea'ta(priMv-s'emmed). 10. E.Ind. 1803. 



uln'ta (\v\n%-stalktd). 15. India. 1/39. 



Brasilie'naii (Brazilian). 8. Brazil. 1823. 



bulbi'fera (buib-bearing). 12. July. E. Ind. 



169'.. 



cinnamonifo'lia (cinnamon-leaved). 6. Rio 



Janeiro. 1827 



pentnphy'lla (five-leaved). 10. E. Ind. 1/68. 



suti'va (cornmon-cultivAtcd-yam), 20. Au- 



gust. W. Ind. 1/33. 



DIO'SMA. (From <tios, divine, and 

 osme, odour; referring to the powerful 

 perfume which characterizes these and 

 other Muewurts [ liutaceaj}. Linn., 5- 

 Pentandria \-Monogynia,} 



These are among the Bucku-plants of the Cape 

 colonists, and old inhabitants of our greenhouses ; 

 but some of the more showy species now form the 

 new genera Adenandra, Atrathosma, Barosma. &c. 

 Greenhouse evergreens, from the Cape of Good 

 Hope. All are white-flowered, except where 

 otherwise mentioned. Cuttings of short-jointed 

 young shoots in April, in sand, under a bell-glass ; 

 sanely peat three parts, tibry loam one part, with 

 silver sand and a few pieces of charcoal, to keep 

 the soil open ; some of the most robust species 

 should have more loam, but in a fibry, rough state. 

 Summer temp., 55 to 75; winter, - 40 D to 45. 

 D. cordu'ta (heart-shaped), ij. May. 1823. 



curymbn'su (corymb-flowered), li. May. 1818. 



cupressi'na (cypress-leaved). 1^. Pink. May. 



1790. 



ericoi'des (heath-like). 2. June. 1/56. 



foelidi'ssirna (most foetid). 2. June. 1324. 



hirsu'ta (hairy-leaved). 4. Pink. May. i;31. 



hy'Mda (hybrid). 2. May. 1823. 



longifo'tia (long-leaved). 2. June. 



oppositifo'liu (opposite-leaved). 3. June. 1752. 



pectina'ta (comb-leaved). 1. Blue. May. 1813. 



punrta'ta (dotted). 2. June. 1823. 



ru' bra (red). 2. Red. March. 1/52. 



scopa'ria (broom-tike) . l. June. 1812. 



sphoeroce'phala (round-headed). May. 



squamo'sii (scaly). 1. June. 1818." 



subulu'ta (awl-s"haped-/eawd). 3. June- 1818. 



succule'nta (succulent-tertwed). 2. June. 



tene'lla (delicate). 1. May. 1823. 



tenui'ssima (slenderest). 1. July. 1820. 



tcnuifu'lia (a\ender-lnaved). 2. June. 



tetrago'na (four-angled). 1. June. 17S0. 



ulici'na (furze-like). 1. May. 1823. 



virga'ta (twiggy). 1. June. 1820. 



DIOSPY'ROS. The Date Plum. (From 

 dios, divine, and puros, wheat; literally, 

 celestial food. Nat. ord., Ebenads [Ebe- 

 nacese]. Linn., IS-Polyyamia %-Diceciu.} 



The European Lotus, or Date Plum, is rather 

 tender in Britain, but ripens its fruit in tb 

 south of France. The Virginian Diospyros, of 

 which Loudon says all the other American sorts 

 are only varieties, is not unlike the European 

 Lotus ; it thrives best in damp peat, and is often, 

 much injured by frost. In India many specks of 

 Diospyros are found, where they are remarkable 

 for the hardness of the wood. The Ebony on 

 which the order is; founded is D. ebe'nus. The 

 Iron-wood is also one of the species. The Kau 

 Apple of the Cape, and the Kaki preserve from 

 China, are said to be the fruit of a Diospy/os. 

 Greenhouse species by cuttings of half-ripened 

 shoots in sand, under a bell-giass. Stove species 

 strike best from ripened shoots in sand, under a 



