13S0. ] 
DAHLIA OOOCINEA AS A DECORATIVE PLANT. 
03 
Dahlia cocci nea—Scarlet Dwarf, from a Sketch made at Chelsea. 
vanced stage of budliood, while innumerable 
younger bud-knots were forming on each suc¬ 
cessive lateral shoot as it became developed, 
which is one of the characteristics of the plant. 
1. Scarlet Dwarf —so named to indicate its 
habit—grows about 2\ feet high, and is very 
bushy. It is of the true coccinea type as 
regards its hairy stems and its starry orange- 
scarlet ray-florets, but is of denser habit, and 
more floriferous. The parent plant continued 
to produce abundance of flowers for about four 
months, being well advanced when planted out, 
and gave fresh blossoms till destroyed by frost. 
The colour is a very light bright scarlet or 
flame-scarlet, and the plant is very showy. It 
is an extra fine strain. 
2. Yellow Dwarf is in habit the exact 
counterpart of the last, being dwarf, and ex¬ 
ceedingly floriferous. It grows about 2^ feet 
high, is densely branched, and very attractive, 
from the bright yellow colour of its ray-florets, 
From twenty to twenty-four perfectly expanded 
blooms were counted on a single-stemmed 
plant of this variety on several days late in 
October last, after many other kinds showed 
unmistakable signs of exhaustion. It is also a 
very fine strain, having a broad flat ray. 
Amongst the seedlings were some varieties 
which proved to be of somewhat taller habit 
than the foregoing, and which, though less 
suited for bedding, are especially adapted for 
planting in the mixed flower-borders. The 
following are highly meritorious varieties of 
this type, and can be recommended :— 
3. Scarlet Gem .—Perhaps the most florifer¬ 
ous of all that came under our notice. The 
plants grow about 3 ft. high, and bear a con¬ 
tinuous head of bloom throughout the season. 
The colour is an orange-red, and the ray-florets 
broad and well disposed, forming a flat starry 
blossom. A very ornamental variety, good in 
all points—colour, form, habit, and endurance. 
4. Yelloiv Gem is the counterpart in yellow 
of the variety Scarlet Gem, just described. 
The plants grow 3 ft. high, and are very flori¬ 
ferous. The colour of the florets is a beautiful 
clear pure yellow ; the florets broad and over¬ 
lapping, so that the shape is all that can be 
desired. 
The foregoing varieties are in the hands of 
Mr. Cannell, of Swanley, by whom they will be 
distributed. They are w r ell worth the attention 
of those who prize elegant flowers of distinct 
and striking character, which these single 
