472 



DENDBOPHTLAX 



DESCHAMPSIA 



SENDBOFirtLAX (Greek, growing on a tree). Orchi- 

 d&ce<e, tribe Vdndem. Epiphytes : sepals and petals 

 spreading, labellum 3-lobed, lateral lobes small, angular, 

 middle one with spreading lobes; spur long, filiform: 

 column short; pollinia2. Near Phal»nopsis. The fol- 

 lowing are introduced into American horticulture : 



Lindenii, Reiohb. f. Scape leafless, bearing a single 

 white flower : sepals and petals lanceolate ; divisions 

 of midlobe of labellum lanceolate : capsule smooth. On 

 Oreodoxa Megia, and live oaks, S. Florida. 



lunilis, Hort. {CEcoclddes fun&lis , hinil. Angrcecum 

 tundle, Lindl.). Leafless, roots numerous, fleshy: pe- 

 duncles 2-fld. : fls. white; sepals and petals oblong-lan- 

 ceolate ; labellum 3-lobed, with a long horn. Mts. of 



Jamaica. 



Oaees Ames. 



DENNSTJSDTIA (a personal name). PolypodiAcece- 

 A genus of hardy or greenhouse ferns of wide distri- 

 bution, often referred to Dicksonia but belonging to a 

 different family from the antarctic or southern hemi- 

 sphere tree ferns of the latter genus. Indusium inferior 

 cup-shaped. For culture, see Dicksonia 



punctil6bula, Moore (Dicksdnia pilosiiis- 

 cula, Willd.). Figs. 692,693. L vs. light 

 green, from a slender, creeping rootstook, 

 l-2>^ ft. long, 5-9 in. wide, usually tri- 

 pinnatifld, under surface minutely glandu- 

 lar, giving the dried Ivs. a somewhat pleas- 

 ant fragrance ; sori minute, on 

 small, recurved teeth. Canada to 

 Tennessee. 



692. Tip of leaf of DennstEedtia 

 punctilobula. 



693. Fruiting lobe of 

 Dennsteedtia punc- 

 tilobula. 



Smithii, Moore. Lvs. thick, the under surface almost 

 woolly, glandular, tripinnate; lower pinnas 9-12 in. long, 

 3-4 in. wide; sori 2-8 to each segment. Philippines. 



diss6cta, from the West Indies, often 6-7 ft. high, 

 with broad (2-4 ft.) lvs. is sometimes seen in cultivation, 

 and is well worth a place in the trade. 



L. M. Undebwood. 



DENTAEIA (Latin, dens, tooth ; referring to the 

 toothed rootstocks). CrucUerce, Toothwokt. Dealers 

 in native plants sometimes cultivate a few of these hardy 

 herbaceous perennials, which have pleasant tasting root- 

 stocks, 2 or 3 lvs., mostly with 3 leaflets, and corymbs 

 or racemes of large white or purplish fls. in spring. 

 The European and eastern American species are readily 

 told from Cardamine by habit and many obvious differ- 

 ences, but the western American of the two genera 

 converge so that some botanists have merged Dentaria 

 into Cardamine. ( See E. L. Greene, Pittonia, 3 :117-124.) 

 The genus contains no arctic or alpine forms. About 9 

 species are cultivated in Old World rockeries. They are 

 of easy culture in light, rich soil and moist, shady posi- 

 tions. Usually prop, by division, as seeds are not 

 abundant. 



A. Mootstock not tuberous. 



diph^Ua, Michx. Pepper-root. Eootstock several 

 in. long, often branched, strongly toothed at the many 

 nodes : stem-Ivs. 2, similar to the root-Ivs., close to- 

 gether ; leaflets 3, ovate or oblong-ovate, coarsely cre- 



nate, the teeth abruptly acute : petals white inside, pale 

 purple or pinkish outside. Nova Scotia to S. C. , west 

 to Minn, and Ky. B.M. 1465. — Rootstocks 5-10 in. long, 

 crisp, tasting like water-cress. Pretty spring flower. 



AA. Sootstock tuberous. 

 B. Iivs. S-parted, but not into distinct leaflets. 

 c. Tubers usually not jointed or prominently tubercled. 

 laoiniSita, Muhl. Tubers deep-seated : stem-lvs. 2 or 3, 

 with lateral segments often 2-lobed, all broadly oblong 

 to linear, more or less sharply toothed: petals pale rose 

 to white. Quebec to Minn., south to Pla. and La. 



00. Tubers with joints about 1 in. long. 

 macrocCirpa, Nutt. (C. gemmd-ta, Greene). Lvs. 1-3, 

 palmately or pinnately 3-5-parted or divided, segments 

 linear to oblong, entire : fls. purple or rose. N. Calif, 

 to B. C. 



BB. Lvs. cut into S distinct leaflets. 



0. Leaflets linear^ entire. 



tenfiUa, Pursh. Tubers small. Irregular: stem-lvs. 1 

 or 2, nearly sessile, sometimes bulbiferous ; leaflets 

 linear-oblong or linear, obtuse, entire ; petals rose. 

 Washington. 



CO. Leaflets not linear or entire. 



Cali!6Tmca, Nutt. Tubers mostly small : stem H-2 ft. 

 high : lvs. very variable ; stem-lvs. 2-4, mostly short- 

 petiolate, and above the middle of the stem, with 3-5 

 leaflets, rarely simple or lobed; leaflets mostly short- 

 petiolulate, ovate to lanceolate or linear, entire or 

 toothed: petals white or rose. Mts. of Calif, and Ore. 



m&zima, Nutt. Tubers near the surface jointed, 

 strongly tubercled : stem-lvs. 2 or 3, usually alternate; 

 leaflets ovate or oblong-ovate, coarsely toothed and 

 somewhat cleft or lobed. Vt. to western N. Y. and 

 Penna. 'W. M. 



DEODAB. Cedrus Veodara. 



DEFABIA (Greek, depas, a beaker or chalice; refer- 

 ring to the form of the involucre). A small genus of 

 Hawaiian and South American ferns related to Denn- 

 stsBdtia, rarely seen in cultivation in America. The 

 sori are marginal and usually on stalked projections 

 from the margin of the leaf. l. m. Underwood. 



D£BBIS (Greek, a leather covering). Leguminbsce. 

 A genus of tropical, tall, woody climbers, one of which is 

 cult, in S. Calif. About 35 species, mostly Asian. Lvs. 

 alternate; Ifts. opposite, the odd one distant; stipules 

 none: fls. violet, purple or white, never yellow. 



Bc&ndens, Benth. Climbing: Ifts. 9-13, lJ^-2 in. long, 

 oblong, obtuse, muticous or refuse, glabrous or minutely 

 pilose beneath : racemes 4-6 in. long, unbranched: fls. 

 purple ; pod long, lanceolate acute at both ends, narrowly 

 winged at the base ; ovules 6-8. S. Asia and Indian Ar- 

 chipelago. — It has been offered in this country, but has 

 not been successfully cultivated. The above description 

 is made from specimens contributed by Dr, Franceschi, 

 Santa Barbara, Calif. 



SESCHAMFSIA (after Deschamps, a French bota- 

 nist). Perennial grasses with small, shining spikelets, 

 like Trisetum and Aira. The plants are usually stouter 

 and the spikelets longer than in Aira, from which it dif- 

 fers in the prolongation of the rachilla. Lvs. flat or con- 

 volute: spikelets 2- (rarely 3-) fld., in terminal, usually 

 spreading panicles : awn slender, twisted below. Spe- 

 cies about 20, inhabiting cold and temperate regions, a 

 few occurring in the high mountains of the tropics. 

 About 8 species are found in N. America. 



C8espit6sa, Beauv. (Aira cmspitbsa, Linn.). Tufted 

 Hair-Grass. Hassock-Grass. A native perennial hav- 

 ing a tendency to form tufts or tussocks. Panicle 

 pyramidal or oblong, 2 in. long ; rays slender, bearing 

 spikelets above the middle ; awn variable in length.— 

 Abundant in the Rooky Mt. region, where the tufts 

 help to bind the spongy soil and prevent land-slides. 

 In England it is sometimes used by the farmers to 

 make door mats. Also used for ornament. 



