DELPHINIUM. 81 



deu'tzia. 



the beautiful colours which their 

 leaves assume in autumn, and among 

 these may be mentioned the Ampe- 

 lops's or Virginian Creeper, the dif- 

 ferent kinds of Rhus or Sumach, the 

 Liquidambar, the American Maples, 

 the Rhododendrons, Azaleas, &c. 

 Many large trees, such as the birch, 

 the beech, the oak, and the deciduous 

 cypress, are also very ornamental, 

 from their decaying leaves. 



Deciduous Cypress. — Though 

 these trees, in favourable situations, 

 become loo large to be included in a 

 work like the present, yet as they 

 are often introduced in shrubberies, 

 when of a small size, it may be here 

 observed, that they never grow large, 

 unless near water. In their native 

 country (North America) they grow 

 in swamps and morasses, and are there 

 from seventy feet to one hundred feet 

 high. When grown in dry soil, they 

 become stunted, and rarely exceed 

 ten feet or fifteen feet high ; but their 

 foliage assumes a beautiful red in 

 dying off, instead of its natural yellow. 

 Botanists have had some trouble to 

 know where to place this tree, as it 

 was first called Cupressus disticha, 

 and the generic name M as then changed, 

 first to Schubertia, and afterwards to 

 Taxodium. 



Delphi'niuiu. — Ranunculacece. 

 — The Larkspur. Well-known an- 

 nual, biennial, and perennial plants, 

 with curiously-cut leaves and splendid 

 flowers, which are either purple, 

 pink, blue, or white, and never 

 yellow. The Siberian Larkspurs aie 

 remarkable for the metallic lustre of 

 their flowers, the hue of which re- 

 sembles that of silver, which has 

 been tarnished by fire ; and the Bee 

 Larkspurs are remarkable and inter- 

 esting for the curious manner in which 

 the petals are folded up in the centre 

 of the flower, so as to resemble a bee, 

 or a large blue-bcttle fly. The Lark- 

 spurs will grow in any soil or situa- 



tion ; but a rich friable loam, and a 

 situation open to the sun, suit them 

 best. They are improved by the 

 addition of a good deal of thoroughly 

 rotten manure to the soil in which 

 they grow, instead of being injured 

 by it, as is the case with most other 

 flowering plants. The seeds keep 

 good a long time ; and those of the 

 annual kinds do best sown in autumn, 

 as when sown in spring they are a 

 long time before they flower. The 

 perennials are propagated by division 

 of the root. 



Dendrobium. — OrchidaceoB. — 

 Splendid Mexican epiphytes, which 

 may be grown on the branches of 

 trees, or in a pot suspended from the 

 rafters of the damp stove. They are 

 generally propagated by taking off a 

 joint of the pseudo-bulb, or stem, and 

 planting it in turfy loam, well drained. 

 No water should be given till the 

 plant begins to shoot from below ; 

 but in a short time, the green tips 

 of its roots will be seen protruding 

 through the loose soil in the pot, and 

 hanging down over the rim. It is 

 now in a growing state, and if well 

 supplied with water, and kept in a 

 damp atmosphere, it will increase, 

 rapidly ; but care should be taken 

 that its long roots are not injured, as 

 those that are, will wither away, and 

 never recover. The flowers hang 

 down in long spikes, and have a splen- 

 did appearance. 



Dfptford Pink. — Didnthus 

 Armeria. — An annual species of 

 Dianthus, with clusters of small 

 pink, scentless flowers, something 

 like those of Lobel's Catchfly. A 

 native of Britain, generally found in 

 gravelly soil, and growing freely in 

 any garden, where the soil is not too 

 rich. 



Deu'tzia. — Philadelpliacece. — 

 Climbing, or rather ascending, shrubs, 

 with compound panicles of beautiful 

 ) white flowers. They will thrive in 



G 



