DIBPFENBACHU, 185 



growing season, to cause them to develope their beauties. 

 The soil should be composed of a mixture of peat and loam 

 in about equal parts, with some silver or river sand 

 added, and a small quantity of well-decomposed manure. 

 Diefferibaohias are easily increased by cuttings, which are 

 obtained by cutting down the old plants, and inserting 

 pieces of the stem into properly prepared cutting pots ; 

 before doing so, however, it will be necessary to allow the 

 pieces to lie exposed for some time to dry. Care must be 

 taken that no person is allowed to taste the sap, or place a 

 piece of the stem in their mouths, as it is an acrid poison, 

 causing the tongue to swell to an immense size, hence the 

 name of Dumb Cane, which is applied to one of the species 

 of this family, D. seqwina. 



D. Bausei. — ^A very fine garden hybrid, of dwarf habit ; 

 leaves broad, from twelve to fifteen inches long ; stem 

 green, petiole white, whilst the blade of the leaf is yellowish 

 green, margined and irregularly blotched with dark green 

 and profusely spotted with white. 



D. Baraquimdana. — ^A very singular, and, at the same 

 time, very handsome plant, which reaches the height of 

 about five feet when well grown. The footstalks of the 

 leaves are of the clearest ivory white, shining as if superbly 

 polished. The leaves are from six to twelve inches long, 

 and from three to six inches in width, oblong-acuminate 

 an shape, and bright light green in colour, which affords 

 a charming contrast to the ivory-like leaf stalks ; the 

 mid-rib of the leaves is also pure white, and numerous 

 spots of the same are irregularly scattered over the surface. 

 A most desirable plant, introduced to our gardens from 

 Brazil. 



D. Braziliensis. — The markings of this species are very 

 distinct, and the variegation very striking. Ground colour 



