DIG 



DIO 



This genus of greenhouse evergreens should 

 be united to Buphthalmum, which see for cul- 

 ture. They have all yellow flowers. 

 D. urge'ntea (silvery-leaved}. 2. June. South 

 America. 1824. 



bidenta'ta (two-toothed\ 2. July. West 



Indies. 1696. 



glabra'ta (smooth). 3. June. South Ame- 



rica. 1699. 



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

 egg ; referring to the two-lobed scales 

 which compose the large cones oi' the 

 Cycad, hearing a large nut-like seed at 

 the bottom of each scale ; otherwise 

 from seeds heing borne in twos. Nat. 

 ord., Ci/cads [Cycadacea*]. Linn., 22- 

 Ditecia \\-Dodecandria. Allied to Cycas 

 revoluta.) 



A fine palm-like plant. The fruit of this 

 Dion, which is as large as a chesnut, is pow- 

 dered by the natives, and formed into a kind of 

 arrowroot. Supposed to be propagated by 

 suckers, and seeds when obtainable; rough 

 sandy loam, with some broken bricks and char- 

 coal. Summer temp., 60 to 90; winter. 55 

 to 60. , 



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

 1844. 



DIONJE'A. Yenus's Fly-trap. (After 

 Dione, one of the names of Venus. Nat. 

 ord., Sundews [Droceracece]. Linn., 

 W-Decandria l-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 dis- 

 played 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 sud- 

 denly fold, like the fingers of the two hands 

 clasped together, and enclose the insect with a 

 firmness beyond its strength to escape. Green- 

 hpuse 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'J^EA. Yam. .(After P. Dios- 

 corides, a Greek physician. Nat. ord., 

 Yamworls [Dioscoreacea 1 ]. Linn., 22- 

 Dtcecia G-JJexandria.) 



Stove, green-flowered, tuberous-rooted plants, 

 used as potatoes. Dividing the tubers ; light 

 rich soil. Summer temp., 60to80; winter, 

 50 to 55. 



D. aculea'ta (prickly. stemmed). 10. East In- 

 dies. 1803. 



ala'ta (\ving-stalked). 15. India. 1739, 



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



bulbi'feru (bulb-bearing). 12. July. East 



Indies. 1692. 



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



Janeiro. 182". 



pentaphy'lla (five-leaved). 10. East Indies. 



1768. 



sati'va (common cultivated yam'}. 20. Au- 



gust. West Indies. 'l733. 



DIO'SMA. (From dios, divine, and 

 osmc, odour; referring to the powerful 

 perfume which characterizes these and 

 other Rueworts [Rutacea?]. Linn., ;")- 

 Pent an dria 1 -j\tonoqyn ia. ) 



These are among the Bucku plants of the 

 Cape colonists, and old inhabitants of our 

 greenhouses, but some of the more showy spe- 

 cies now form the new genera Adenandra, Aga- 

 thosma, 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 ; sandy peat three 

 parts, fibry 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 stnte. 

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

 D. corda'ta (heart-shaped). l. May. 1823. 



coryrnbo'sa (corymb-flowered). I*J May. 



1818. 



cupressi'na (Cypress - leaved}. l. Pink. 



May. 1/90. 



ericoi'des (Heath-like). 2. June. 1756. 



fcetidi'ssima (most fetid). 2. June. 1824. 



hirsn'ta (hairy-leaved). 4. Pink. May. 1731. 



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



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



oppositifo'lia (opposite-leaved). 3. June. 



1752. 



pectinn'tu (corab-leaved). 1. Blue. May. 



1812. 



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



ru'bra (red). 2. Red. March. 1752. 



scopa'ria (broom-like). 1$. June. 1812. 

 spheeroce'phalii (round-headed). May. 



squamo'sa (scaly). 1. June. 1818. 



Kubulu'tu (awl-shaped-/ewvY/). 3. June. 



1818. 



suctntle'nta (succulent-leaved). 2. June. 



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



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



tenuifo'lia (slender-leaned). 2. June. 



tetrago'na (four-angled). 1. June. 1/8Q. 



nlici'na (Furze-like). 1. May. 1823. 



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



DIOSPY'ROS. The Date Plum. (From 

 dios, divine, mid jmros, wheat. Literally 

 coplestial food. Nat. ord., Ebeinulx 

 [ K)>cuacea\]. Linn., ^-Polinjam'ia -l- 

 Difecia.} 



The European Lotus, or Date plum, is rather 

 tender in Britain, but ripens its fruit in the 

 south of France. The Virginian Diospyros, of 

 which Loudon says all the other American sorts 



