CYTISUS. 119 



It is curious to observe how some plants appear to be 

 compounded of others. Thus the Camellia Japonica has 

 been noticed as resembling a bay-tree with roses; the 

 arbutus is like another species of bay, yielding straw- 

 berries ; and the Laburnum seems like a tree made up of 

 large trefoil and garlands of yellow peas. The Geranium 

 kind seems to delight in this species of mimicry. 



When the Laburnum tree is so situated as to be shaded 

 from the scorching suns of noon, it thrives so much better 

 as to appear, to a superficial observer, a tree of a different 

 kind. 



DAHLIA. 



CORYMBIFER^I. SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. 



THE Dahlia was named in honour of Andrew Dahl, a 

 Swedish botanist. There are several species, all natives 

 of the mountainous parts of the Spanish settlements in 

 South America. The flowers are large and handsome ; 

 mostly red or purple, and the colours beautifully vivid. 

 It is a very lofty plant, and the foliage is coarse and rank. 

 It is thought to grow less luxuriantly, and to flower better, 

 if planted in a poor and gravelly soil, in the open ground: 

 they may, however, be obtained in pots. They will bear 

 open air ; and the roots will live a long time out of the 

 earth without injury. The best time to plant them is in 

 April. A recent improvement in the culture of this 

 beautiful plant is to graft the young buds upon the 

 tubers. They do not require much water. 



This flower, comparatively a stranger in England till 

 lately, from its great beauty has become very popular. 

 When in flower, it makes a brilliant figure in the nursery- 

 gardens, where many are planted together, and of various 



