HOT-HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 



367 



flesli . colour, inside of 

 tube yeUow. Spring aaad 

 summer. 

 D. rosacea — flowers soft 



pink flushed with rose, 

 inside of tube yellow,with 

 a deep rose-coloured ring 

 at the mouth. Summer. 



Dipteracanthus.— A genus now referred to iZw- 

 ««»«; It contains numerous weedy-looking plants; 

 some few kinds, however, are extremely heautiful. 

 Ihey are all easily managed, and should be treated 

 h ke other Acanthads,such 

 as £ranthemum. Inter- 

 mediate House. 



D. affinia— a beautiful spe- 

 cies, which is, however, a 

 rather shy bloomer, and 

 requii-ea frequent stop- 

 ping of the young shoots 

 to produce a handsome 

 specimen, leaves ovate- 

 acute, deep green ; flowers 

 lai^ and funnel-shaped, 

 having a long slender 

 tube, and large brood five- 

 lobed limb ; stamens ex- 

 serted, of a uniform 

 rich scarlet. Spring and 

 summer months. Brazil. 



D. calvescens — leaves 

 somewhat oblong, acumi- 

 nate, deep green above, 

 pEiler and tinged with 

 reddish - purple below. 

 Flowers funnel - shaned, 

 with a spreading hmb, 

 the lobes prettily toothed 

 on the ec^, soft lilac. 

 Winter months. Bio Ja- 

 neiro, Brazil. 



D. Herbstii— this is one of 

 the grandest plants in the 

 order of Acanthads. It is 

 a much-branched shrub, 

 attaining a height of three 

 or four feet, but most 

 handsome when smaller. 

 Iieaves six to seven inches 

 long and two broad, ob- 

 long lanceolate, deep green 

 above, the midiib orna- 

 mented with a narrow 

 band of white on either 

 side, ihe reverse is dull 

 reddish-purple. Flowers 

 produced in great profu- 

 sion from the axils of the 

 leaves, tabes very long 

 and slender, suddenly en- 

 larging, rosy-purple, limb 

 spreading,the lobes deep^ 

 bifld, and pure white. AU 

 the autumn and winter. 

 Brazil. 



Dracaena (Calodracon). — The plants known as 

 Dracaenas were formerly a very large genus, includ- 

 ing many species now known under separate names ; 

 and many plants now termed Cordylines tire still popu- 

 larly known as Dracaenas ; one genus has been some- 

 what recently separated from the crowd of species, 

 and established under the name of Cahdracon, But 

 as it will be long before the horticultural public will 

 give up the old names, Dracema is still retained here. 

 Calodracons, or Dracaenas, have increased in numbers 

 so much during the last quarter of a century as to be 

 almost innumerable ; this has come about through the 

 thorough exploration of the South Sea Islands, and 



DlON^A UnSCIPULA. 



from cross-breeding at home, so that it is not possible 

 to do justice to the family in the limited selection 

 here adopted. Amongst the numerous forms, besides 

 those here briefly described, may be enumerated — 

 ampUataj anerleyensis^ bellula, mirabilist Mrs, Baitse^ 

 Mrs. Pyeake^ Mrs. WillSy Eenardim, rosacea, SeotiuB, 

 Sydneyij Thoinsonu. Those figured do not belong to 

 the true Calodracon sec- 

 tion, but to the larger 

 genus of Cordylinesj 

 under the section of 

 Brac^nopsis. 



The members of this 

 genus are undoubtedly 

 (next to Palms) the most 

 useful we have for room 

 decoration, whilst as 

 ornaments for the stove, 

 associated with Crotons, 

 Dieff enbachias, and such- 

 like plants, the efEect 

 produced is quite equal 

 to that of a house of 

 flowering plants ; and to 

 those who admit any 

 other than green upon 

 the dinner - table they 

 are invaluable. 



Pot in a compost con- 

 sisting of about two 

 parts loam, one of peat, 

 and some sharp sand, 

 (&ain well, and water 

 freely. These plants do 

 not require so much ex- 

 posure to the sun as 

 Crotons. 



I>, amabilis— a bold form 

 with bmght green leaves, 

 suffused witb. white and 

 tinged with rosy-pink. 



D. amboynensis — leaves 

 deep metallic-green, mar- 

 gined with rosy - car- 

 mine. 



D. ElizabethEe — habit 

 dense, leaves broad, re- 

 curved, when young 

 creamy white flushed with 

 pink, changing to dark 

 bronzy - green streaked 

 with rosy-crimson. 



B. Hendersomi — leaves 

 lai^e, light green, mar- 

 hied, flaked, and freckled 

 with white, rose, and 

 mnk. 



I). Xjoingi — a superb variety, 

 leaves, when young^ white, 

 suffused with rosy-pink, 

 changing to bright green, 

 flaked, bordered, and 

 streaked with white, and 

 sufhised with carmine. 



B. Kacarthuxii — a small. 



D. Bausei — , a splendid 

 form, leaves closely set, 

 ' recurved, ground deep 

 bronzy-green, and flaked 

 with ro^-crimson. 



B. Cooperii— leaves broad, 

 pendent, when young 

 whoUy reddish - crimson, 

 when aged deep metallic 

 bronze, crimson streaks 

 and flakes. 



B. Biana— leaves recurved, 

 when young creamy-rose, 

 changing to deep green, 

 flaked and streaked wil^ 

 crimson and pink. 



B. elegantisEdma — leaves 

 narrow, recurved, deep 

 bronzy - green, mai^ined 

 with crimson. 



