DICHOPOGON 



THE BUI.B BOOK 



DIERAMA 



This species is perfectly hardy, and 

 makes beautifully bold and gorgeous 

 clumps in a rich soil during the early 

 summer months. It is also frequently 

 put into pots in autumn and gently 

 forced into flower in February and 

 March in a warm greenhouse, in the 

 same way as Solomon's Seal, etc. 

 Plants may be increased by dividing 

 the tHckLsh fleshy root-stocks with a 

 strong knife. 



Other species of Dicentra are— D. 

 canadensis, white {Bot. Mag. t. 3031) ; 

 D. chrysantha, yellow ; D. CucuUaria, 

 white and yellow ; D. formosa, bright 

 red {Bot. Mag. t. 1335); D, exlmia, 

 reddish-purple {Bot. Reg. t. 50) ; D. 

 thalictrlfoUa, yellow and red. 



DICHOPOGON ( dicha, double ; 

 pogon, a beard ; in reference to 

 the two appendices of the anthers). 

 Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. — ^A genus con- 

 taining two species of Australian 

 plants having short rhizomes, often 

 producing tubercles on the fibrous 

 roots. The only species of note is 

 D. strictus, from E. Australia and 

 Tasmania, the radical, linear, grass- 

 like, sheathing leaves of which are 

 about 18 ins. long. The flowers are 

 purplish in colour, about 2 ins. across, 

 with six spreading segments, and are 

 borne about November in clusters. 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 6746.) D. ^mdulatus, 

 figured in Gartenfl. ii. t. 37, is the 

 same as D. strictus. This plant 

 requires to be grown in rich gritty 

 soil in a cool greenhouse. 



DIE1RAMA (the Greek name for 

 fvmnel, in reference to the shape of 

 the flowers). Nat. Ord. Iridese. — A 

 genus with two or three species of 

 plants with fibrous - coated bulbs, 

 long, narrow, sword-shaped leaves, 

 and flowers in terminal panicles. 

 Perianth funnel - shaped, with six 

 nearly equal erect or spreading 



lobes. Stamens attached at the 

 base of the tube. Ovary three- 

 celled, becoming a membranous, 

 many-seeded capsule when ripe. 



D. pendula is very similar to D. 

 pvlcherrima, but produces soft rosy- 

 white flowers, with deeper coloured 

 veins {Bot. Reg. t. 1360). 



D. pulcherrima {Sparaxis piilcher- 

 rima). — A beautiful South African 

 perennial 3 to 6 ft. high, with sword- 



Fio. Jli). — Dierama pulcherrima. (j.) 



shaped leaves, and tough slender 

 flower-stems which bear numerous 

 funnel - shaped flowers gracefully 

 drooping from thread-like stalks. 

 The blossoms are usually blood-red 

 in colour, but there are forms with 

 white and pale red tints, some 

 being prettily striped. The flowering 

 period is usually from August to 

 September and October, so that the 

 blooms are sometimes injured by 

 frost. {Bot. Mag. t. 5555.) 



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