DIPLOCOMA VILLO'SA. 
VILLOUS DIPLOCOMA. 
Class. Order. 
SYNGENESIA. SUPERFLUA. 
Natural Order. 
composite:. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Mexico. 
3 feet. 
July, Oct. 
Biennial. 
in 1826. 
No. 529. 
The generic name, Diplocoma, is deduced from 
the Greek diploos, double ; and kome, hair. It 
refers to the double pappus or down, attached to the 
seeds of Diplocoma. 
This is a showy, free flowering, plant, well suited 
to the ornamental garden, and one that is at present 
rarely met with, even amongst the best collections. 
It requires no peculiar attention in culture, except- 
ing the protection of a frame, in w inter. It has been 
considered perennial, but although it may sometimes 
survive its second year’s growth, it should be re- 
garded, in cultivation, only as biennial. 
The name of this plant, as already observed, re- 
fers to a certain hair-like appendage of the seeds ; 
which in various species of plants will oftentimes be 
seen to display great variety and delicacy of forma- 
tion. On looking at these feathers, scales, hairs, or 
whatever shape such appendages to the seeds may 
assume, it would seem to require but a modicum of 
curiosity to induce the enquiry — “ For what pur- 
pose were these intended ? ” We sincerely hope that 
we have not been disappointed in our endeavours to 
excite a similar question, over and over again, in 
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