AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



129 



DIO 



D. Virginiana is the Persimmon of our 

 woods, common from New York southward. 

 Ebony wood is obtained from several species 

 of this genus. The best and most costly kind 

 with the blackest and finest grain, is that 

 imported from the Mauritius, which is yielded 

 by D. reliculata. It is only the heart of the 

 tree that yields the black ebony ; the outer 

 portion, or sapwood, being white and soft. 

 The Japanese Persimmon is the best fruit in 

 Japan. Their horticulturists have, by selec- 

 tion aid cross-fertilization, developed this 

 fruit until it occupies the same position with 

 them that the Apple does with us. It is de- 

 scribed as one of the finest fruits in the world, 

 and ranges in weight from eight to twenty 

 ounces. Prof. Asa Gray says : "He who has 

 not tasted Kaki (the Japanese Persimmon) 

 has no conception of the capabilities of the 

 Diospyros genus." The trees are ornamen- 

 tal, especially when in fruit, prolific bearers, 

 and free from worms and insects. It has 

 proved about as hardy as our native species. 



Dio'tis. Cotton-weed. From dis, two, and oua, 

 an ear, alluding to the ear-like lobes of the 

 corolla. Nat. Ord. Compomtce. 



D. maritima (Syn. D candidissima), a native 

 of the shores of the Mediterranean and the 

 Canary Islands, is an erect, branching, hardy 

 perennial, clothed everywhere with dense 

 white or grayish cottony-wool. It forms an 

 excellent edging or rock-garden plant, and is 

 readily increased by cuttings or seeds. This 

 name has also been given to a Siberian cheno- 

 podiaceous shrub, which, however, is more 

 properly united with Eurotia. 



Dipetalous. Consisting of two petals. 

 Diphyllous. Two-leaved. 



Dipla'cus. From dis, two, and plakos, a pla- 

 centa ; alluding to the splitting of the capsule, 

 to each valve of which is attached a large pla- 

 centa, and under its edges are found the slen- 

 der subulate seeds. Nat. Ord. Scrophulariacece. 

 This genus, consisting of three or four spe- 

 cies, is closely allied to Mimulus, the princi- 

 pal difference being in its shrubby habit and 

 the seed capsule. D. glutinosus, a native of 

 California, was long cultivated under the 

 name of Mimulus glutinosus. It is an erect, 

 branching plant, becoming more or less 

 branching at the base. The flowers are rather 

 large, solitary in the upper axils, and vary 

 from a pale yellow to a rich orange or scarlet. 

 All the varieties are desirable plants for the 

 green-house or shady border. Propagated by 

 cuttings. 



Diplade'nia. From diploos, double, and aden, a 

 gland; referring to the presence of two gland- 

 like processes on the ovary. Nat. Ord. Apo- 

 cynacece. 



A genus of beautiful climbing green-house 

 and hot-house shrubs from Central America 

 and Brazil. The flowers are red, purple, rose, 

 yellow, etc., and are produced in terminal 

 clusters in great abundance, and some few 

 kinds flower when quite small. They delight 

 in a warm, moist atmosphere during their 

 growing season, and require to have their 

 main growths well ripened for the ensuing 

 year. Propagation is effected by cuttings of 

 the young shoots that are produced when the 

 plants commence new growth in spring. 

 Many beautiful hybrids have been produced 



DIP 



of late years, which are very desirable for the 

 warm green-house or plant-stove. 



Dipla'zium. From diplazo, to double ; refer- 

 ring to the double covering of the spore cases 

 or seed vessels. Nat. Ord. Polypodiacece. 



An extensive genus of handsome evergreen 

 Ferns, closely allied to Asplenium, and requir- 

 ing the same general treatment. The species 

 are pretty generally distributed from North 

 America to Brazil. 



Diplopa'ppus. A genus of Composite of but 

 little beauty or interest. 



Diplothe'mium. From diploos, double, and 

 thema, a sheath. Nat. Ord. Palmacem. 



A genus of very noble Palms, almost stem- 

 less, or developing a short ringed trunk. D. 

 caudescens, a native of Brazil, has pinnate 

 leaves four to eight feet in length, the closely 

 set narrow pinnae being from eighteen to 

 twenty-four inches long, and about an inch 

 broad. The upper surface is of a glossy 

 green color, and beautiful silvery-white 

 beneath. It is very graceful in habit, and is 

 an excellent plant for lawn or sub-tropical 

 decoration. 



Dipsaca'ceae. A natural order of herbs or 

 undershrubs, mostly natives of the south of 

 Europe, Barbary, the Levant, and the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Some of the species are as- 

 tringent. Dipsacus Fullonum is the Fuller's 

 Teazel, the dried heads of which, with their 

 hooked, spiny bracts, are used in fulling 

 cloth. The opposite leaves of the wild 

 Teazel, D. sylvestris, unite at their bases so 

 as to form a basin, in which water collects ; 

 Hence the plant was called Dipsacus, or 

 thirsty. There are six known genera and 

 about 170 species. Dipsacus, Scabiosa, Morina, 

 and Cephalaria are examples of the order. 



Dipsa'cus. Teazel. From dipsao, to thirst; 

 referring to the cavity formed by the leaves 

 clasping the stem holding water. Nat. Ord. 

 DipsacacecB. 



Hardy biennials, of but little beauty or use, 

 except D. Fullonum, the Fuller's Teazel, which 

 is a leading farm crop in the town of Skane- 

 ateles, N. Y., the conditions there being so 

 favorable for its growth that it produces 

 nearly all that is used in the United States. 

 It is naturalized in some locations, having 

 escaped from cultivation, and is quite com- 

 mon on the roadsides near Clifton, Staten 

 Island. D. sylvestris, a rather scarce species 

 is suspected to be the origin of the D. Fullo- 

 num, tbe principal difference being that the 

 long flexible awns of the latter are hooked 

 while those of D. sylvestris are straight. The 

 flower heads, when dried, are used in the 

 manufacture of woolen cloths, and are an 

 article of considerable importance. Natives 

 of Great Britain. 



Dipteraca'nthus. This genus is now referred 

 to Ruellia, which see. 



Dipteroca'rpeee. An order of resin-bearing 

 trees, all the species of which are found in 

 the tropics of the Old World. Flowers often 

 sweet scented, disposed in axillary panicles. 

 Dryabalanops Camphora or aromatica, a tree 

 from 100 to 130 feet high, supplies the hard 

 Camphor of Sumatra, which exists in a solid 

 state in the interior of the stem, some- 

 times in pieces weighing from ten to twelve 

 pounds. It also yields by incision a resinous, 



