dist] 



GTfje STreagurg of SSciang. 



420 



are numerous, and disposed in terminal 

 corymbs ; the florets being numerous and 

 all tubular. [A. A. B.] 



DISTICHIA. A genus of Juncacece, from 

 elevated table-land in Peru, forming small 

 tufted plants with dichotomous stems, 

 subulate distichous leaves sheathing at 

 the base, and a six-parted perianth with 

 three stamens. [J. T. S.] 



DISTICHTS. A name at one time applied 

 to a few terrestrial orchids of India and 

 Mauritius, now shown by Dr. Lindley to 

 belong to Liparis. [A. A. B.] 



DISTICHOUS. When parts are arranged 

 in two rows, the one opposite to the other, 

 as the florets of many grasses. 



DISTICTIS. A genus of Bignoniacece, 

 containing a few species, natives of Ame- 

 rica and the West Indies. They are slen- 

 der clirrfbing shrubs, with opposite petio- 

 late leaves, sometimes trifoliate, more 

 generally doubly bifoliate ; the apex of the 

 petiole is commonly produced into a ten- 

 dril. The white flowers are in terminal 

 few-flowered racemose panicles, the corolla 

 funnel-shaped, cut into five unequal round- 

 ish lobes, and enclosing four didynamous 

 stamens, with the filaments kneed and 

 hairy on the inner surface of the angle; 

 the fifth is sterile. [W. C] , 



DISTRACTILE. Divided into two parts 

 as if torn asunder, like the connective of 

 some anthers. 



DISTYLIS. A genus of Goodeniacece, 

 found on the West coast of Australia, and 

 containing only a single species. It is. dis- 

 tinguished by having a five-parted calyx 

 adnate to the ovary ; a five-parted spread- 

 ing somewhat bilabiate coi-olla, the seg- 

 ments of which have winged margins and 

 the tube cleft behind. There are five dis- 

 tinct stamens and a bipartite style. The 

 fruit is a capsule, which is crowned by the 

 permanent calyx. D. Berardiana is an an- 

 nual plant, with alternate toothed leaves, 

 and yellow axillary solitary flowers on 

 long footstalks. [R. H.] 



DISTYLIUM. An evergreen tree, native 

 of Japan, belonging to the order of witch- 

 hazels. The flowers are sometimes per- 

 fect, having stamens and pistils ; while 

 others have stamens only or pistils only. 

 One marked character implied by the name, 

 is the presence of two cylindrical erect ap- 

 pendages, the styles, which remain at- 

 tached to the fruit. [G. DJ 



DITASSA. A considerable genus of 

 Asclepiadacece, containing nearly forty 

 species of small twining or erect under-, 

 shrubs, natives of tropical America. They 

 have opposite coriaceous leaves, and small 

 whitish interpetiolar flowers, either solitary 

 or umbellate.with rotate five-cleft corollas ; 

 the staminal crown double, its outer whorl 

 consisting of Ave linear or ovate-acuminate 

 lobes ; and its inner of five generally shorter 

 leaflets opposite the outer lobes : the folli- 

 cles are loug, round, and smooth. [W. C] 



DITAXIS. A genus of Euplwrbiacecr., 

 comprising about seven species, which 

 are found in various parts of America, 

 south of Mexico. They are white-barked 

 shrubs, with alternate entire or finely- 

 toothed lance-shaped or oboval leaves, and 

 have small green flowers, either male and 

 female on the same, or on different plants, 

 and arranged in little axillary racemes or 

 cymes The males have a calyx of five deep 

 divisions, five fringed petals, and ten sta- 

 mens arranged in a candelabra-like manner 

 in two tiers, their filaments united below 

 into a column, round the base of which is 

 a disk of five glands ; the females are nearly 

 similar, having calyx and corolla; and a 

 three-lobed hairy or nearly smooth ovary, 

 crowned with a three-forked style. A pur- 

 plish colouring matter is found in the 

 leaves and flowers of some species. The 

 calyx-leaves do not overlap in the buds , 

 this serves to distinguish the genus from 

 Jatropha and other of its allies. [A.A.B.] 



DITTANDER. Lepidium latifolium. 



DITTANY. Gunila mariana. — , BAS- 

 TARD. Dictamnus Fraxinella. — , OF 

 CRETE. Origanum Dictamnus. 



DIURNAL, DITJRNTTS. Enduring but 

 for a day, as the flower of Tigridia. 



DIURIS. A genus of terrestrial tuber- 

 ous-rooted orchids found in Australia and 

 Tasmania. They are slender herbs, having 

 stems one to two feet high, furnished be- 

 low with several grassy leaves, and ter- 

 minating in a loose raceme of pretty 

 flowers, which are usually of a rich yellow 

 colour marked with purple spots : more 

 rarely white or purple. The two lateral 

 sepals are long and narrow, suggesting the 

 generic name— from the Greek, signifying 

 two tails. The lip is trilobed, and the 

 column is furnished on either side with a 

 short erect petal-like appendage. Four of 

 the species are well represented in Dr. 

 Hooker's Flora of Tasmania. [A. A. B.] 



DIVAR ICATE, DIVARICATING. Strag- 

 gling, spreading abruptly, and at an obtuse 

 angle, such as 140.° 



DIVERSIFLOROUS. When a plant or 

 inflorescence bears flowers of two or more 

 sorts. 



DIVIDIVI. The astringent pods of Cas- 

 alpinia coriaria. 



DIVI LADNER. A Cinghalese tree, Ta- 

 bernaiinontana dicliotoma. 



D'JURNANG. A natural secretion of the 

 fruit of Calamus Draco, commonly known 

 as Dragon's-blood. 



DOBERA. The latinised form of an 

 Arabic name for a tree with opposite- 

 stalked leaves, whose stalks are thickened, 

 and of a yellow colour, and whose flowers 

 grow in terminal panicles, and have a four- 

 toothed calyx, four petals, and four sta- 

 mens with the filaments combined below 

 into a tube, and having four little scales 

 between them and the petals ; the ovary is 



