AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



125 



DIA 



Dia'nthus. From dios, divine, and anthos, a 

 flower ; in reference to the fragrance and the 

 unrivaled neatness of the flowers. Nat. Ord. 

 Caryophyllacece. 



Most of the species of this genus are highly 

 valued for the beauty and fragrance of the 

 flowers, which present a richer variety of tints 

 of scarlet, crimson, rose, orange, etc., than is 

 to be found, perhaps, in any other genus. The 

 fragrance of some of them is peculiarly grate- 

 ful, and no plant in this respect surpasses the 

 Carnation, D. caryophyllus (Clove Pink and 

 Carnation). Seedlings stand the winter and 

 spring without difficulty with a light covering 

 of leaves and evergreen boughs, and flower 

 very well. Very many will not be considered 

 worth saving by the florist, although they will 

 all be interesting as single, semi-double, or 

 irregular flowers, and richly repay all the 

 labor. Carnations are arranged by florists 

 into three classes, viz. : Flakes, Bizarres and 

 Picotees. Flakes have two colors only ; their 

 stripes are large, going quite through the 

 petals. Bizarres are variegated in irregular 

 spots and stripes, with not less than three 

 colors. Picotees have a white ground, spotted 

 at the edges with scarlet, red, purple or other 

 colors. The Clove Pink is rather more hardy 

 than the Carnation, of which it is the parent ; 

 the petals are more fringed and the fragrance 

 more powerful, resembling that of the clove. 

 In France it is called the Clove Gilly-flower. 

 Some suppose this latter name to have been 

 corrupted from July-flower, July being its 

 flowering time. The great improvement in 

 the Perpetual Carnation (Tree or Monthly 

 Carnation) has added an invaluable feature 

 to this section of winter-blooming plants 

 for the sitting-room, conservatory or green- 

 house. The delicately rich and grateful odor, 

 in connection with the brilliant color and 

 good outline of the flowers now cultivated, 

 secures for them a prominent place in the 

 forcing department for cut flowers. D. plu- 

 mariua, the Garden Pink, Florist's Pink, or 

 Paisley Pink, is in perfection about the last of 

 June. The foliage is more grass-like and the 

 plant much hardier than the Carnation. The 

 double varieties are very desirable, and all 

 have a clove fragrance. D. Chinensis, the 

 China Pink, is a biennial of dwarf habit and 

 great beauty, but without fragrance. It flow- 

 ers from seed the first year, arid being per- 

 fectly hardy, flowers much stronger the sec- 

 ond year. The colors are exceedingly varied 

 and rich ; crimson, and dark shades of that 

 color approaching to black, are often com- 

 bined in the same flower, with edgings of 

 white, pink or other colors. In beds where 

 there may be a hundred plants, scarcely 

 two will be found alike. Seed saved from 

 double flowers will produce a great proportion 

 of double flowers. D. C. Heddewigii and D. C. 

 laciniatus and their numerous varieties repre- 

 sent an exceedingly useful class of plants for 

 mixed borders, many of their flowers being 

 double and beautifully marked and fringed. 

 D. barbatus, the Sweet William, is an old 

 inhabitant of the flower-garden, and was much 

 esteemed in Gerarde's time "for its beauty to 

 deck up the bosoms of the beautiful, and gar- 

 lands, and crowns for pleasure." It sports 

 into endless varieties of color, white, pink, 

 purple, crimson and scarlet self colors, and 

 many sorts variously edged, eyed or spotted. 



DIG 



There are also many beautiful double-flowered 

 varieties, notably the double dark crimson or 

 blood-colored, which, of course, can only be 

 perpetuated by division or by cuttings. 



Diape'nsia. Named by Linnaeus from diapente, 

 composed of ti ve ; alluding to the flowers 

 being five-cleft. Nat. Ord. Diapensiacece. 



This genus consists of two beautiful little 

 Alpine plants, both evergreen, which grow in 

 dense tufts, scarcely rising more than an inch 

 above the ground. The flowers are white, 

 bell-shaped, and about half an inch across. It 

 was first discovered in Lapland, but has since 

 been found in the White Mountains, in New 

 Hampshire, and in the Adirondacks, in New 

 York. In its native country it is continually 

 covered with snow in winter, which is the 

 best protection against severe dry frosts. It 

 can be grown in small pots, and protected by 

 a frame in winter. Propagated by seeds or 

 division. 



Diapensia'ceae. A small order of perennial, 

 prostrate, sometimes suffruticose, shrubs, 

 inhabiting the northern parts of Europe and 

 North America. The order includes the genera 

 Diapcnsia, Pyxidanthera, Galax, Shortia, as 

 well as some others not yet in cultivation. 



Dibber. This is the pointed implement used 

 for setting out vegetable plants that have 

 long roots, such as Cabbage, Celery, etc., and 

 also seedling trees and flowering plants. It 

 is best made in the form of a pistol handle, 

 about ten inches long, one and a half inches 

 in diameter, and shod with three or four 

 inches of iron tapering to a sharp point. 



Dice'ntra. From die, twice, and kentron, a spur ; 

 in allusion to the double-spurred flowers. Nat. 

 Ord. Fumariacece. 



Very ornamental, hardy herbaceous peren- 

 nials, with generally tuberous roots. They 

 are natives of the northern hemisphere, and 

 have mostly pink or yellow flowers, in ter- 

 minal racemes. They form excellent subjects 

 for the herbaceous border or rock-garden. 

 Didytra or Dielytra spectabilia is placed by 

 many under this genus. See Dielytra. 



Dichlamy'deous. Having both calyx and cor- 

 olla. 



Dichopo'gon. From dicha, double, and pogon, 

 a beard ; in allusion to the two appendages of 

 the anthers. Nat. Ord. LiliacecB. 



A small genus of green-house perennial 

 herbs, natives of Australia and Tasmania. D. 

 strictus, the only species yet in cultivation, is 

 a very interesting plant, with pale, sometimes 

 dark-blue flowers, blooming in November. It 

 was introduced in 1883, and may be increased 

 by division of the rhizome, or by the tubers 

 on the root-fibres. 



Dicho'riza'ndra. From dis, twice, chorizo, to 

 part, and aner, an anther; referring to the 

 anthers being two-cleft. Nat. Ord. Commeli- 

 nacem. 



A genus of hot-house, herbaceous peren- 

 nials from Brazil, some of the species being 

 exceedingly ornamental and invaluable for 

 late autumn or winter flowering. D. thyrsi- 

 flora ranks highest, and when well grown will 

 reach ten feet in height, branched all round, 

 each branch terminating with a long spike of 

 sky-blue flowers. When the flowers begin to 

 expand it may be removed to a warm con- 

 servatory, where it will last in bloom for 



