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DAHL 



through the then Marchioness of Bute; 

 and afterwards by Lady Holland in 

 1804. The plants, however, were lost, 

 and it was not till 1 8 1 5 that the Dahlia 

 was again brought to England from 

 France. 



Fig. 116. — ^Dahlia, tuberous roots. (J.) 



Before referring to the Garden 

 Dahlias, it may be as well to give 

 brief descriptions of the various 

 species. 



D. arborea {D. anemonoBjlora). — This 

 species grows 9 to 15 ft. high, and 

 has large long-stalked leaves divided 

 twice-pinnately into oblong-elliptic, 

 pointed leaflets, the leaf -stalks form- 

 ing a kind of cushion at the base 

 round the stem. The soft lUac 

 flower-heads are about 4 ins. across, 

 having lilac or yellow tubular florets 

 in the centre. (Mawnd. Bot. 11, 88; 

 Gard. Chron. 1883, xix. 80, f. 60.) 



This species is too tender for the 

 open air, except, perhaps, in the very 

 mildest parts of the Kingdom. It 



should therefore be grown in a c< 

 greenhouse. 



D. cocclnea {D. hidentifolia ; Geoi 

 ina Cervantesii). — A species 3 to 4 

 high, with roughish, pinnately divid 

 leaves, and flower-heads having scar 

 ray-florets, and yellow disc ones {£ 

 Mag. t. V62). 



This is one of the species frc 

 which the modern Garden Dahli 

 have been derived. 



D. excelsa. — A tree-like speci 

 growing 15 ft. high and upwar( 

 having very thick stems, more or 1( 

 woody towards the base, and furnish 

 with twice-pinnately divided leav 

 about 2^ ft. long and about 2 

 broad. The pale lilac-purple flow< 

 heads are only about 4 ins. aero 

 {Gartenfl. t. 861.) 



This species is best grown in a c( 

 greenhouse. 



D. gracilis. — This species grows 4 

 5 ft. high, and is graceful and distil 

 in habit, the smooth leaves bei 

 twice-pinnately divided into g\ 

 leaflets coarsely toothed on t 

 margins. The flower-heads are brig 

 orange-scarlet, appearing in sumir 

 and autumn, and producing see 

 freely in the British Islands. Thf 

 are many varieties, varying in colo 

 from pale chrome-yellow to de 

 crimson scarlet. 



D. imperialis. — This remarkat 

 species attains a height of 10 to 

 ft., being furnished with large han 

 some leaves. The drooping be 

 shaped flower-heads appear about t] 

 end of September and October 

 large panicles, the ray-florets beii 

 white tinted with lilac and streab 

 with blood-red at the base. Owii 

 to the lateness of blossoming, tl 

 flowers can only come to perfection 

 a greenhouse, where they vidll oft( 

 ripen seeds freely. {Bot. Mag. 

 5183.) 



D. Juarezi. — This species grows 



189 



