File:Cyclopedia of American horticulture, comprising suggestions for cultivation of horticultural plants, descriptions of the species of fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants sold in the United (20204283863).jpg

Title: Cyclopedia of American horticulture, comprising suggestions for cultivation of horticultural plants, descriptions of the species of fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants sold in the United States and Canada, together with geographical and biographical sketches, and a synopsis of the vegetable kingdom
Identifier: cyclopediaofamer02bail (find matches)
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Bailey, L. H. (Liberty Hyde), 1858-1954, ed; Miller, Wilhelm, 1869- joint ed
Subjects: Gardening -- Dictionaries; Plants -- North America encyclopedias
Publisher: New York, Doubleday, Page & Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: UMass Amherst Libraries

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480 DICHORISANDRA DICTAMNUS 3—1 in. wide, with a short, sh,irp, rather abrupt point: stem uubranched, robust, spotted: raceme short, densely thyrsoid: sepals white or greenish. Gt. 1868:593. F.S. 16:1711. —Its chief beauty is the mosaic appearance of the foliage, due to numberless short, transverse, whitish lines, which do not pass by the longitudinal veins of the leaf. The under side of the Ivs. is a rich purplish color. V'ar. gigant^a, Hort., is cult, abroad. Var. undata (D. itnditta, C. Koch & Linden). Foliage without any mosaic appearance, the variegation being entirely longitudinal. Each parallel vein lies in the mid- dle of a long, whitish band extending the full length of the leaf. F.S. 17:1763.-Clarke refers X>. nndiita to D. mosaica, but horticulturally they are very distinct. Slebertii, Hort. A little known plant with white mid- rib and margins. X>. acaitlis.Cosn. Stemless: Ivs. in a rosette, almost sessile, narrowly oblong, wa\'y, acutish, short-euueate at the base, sparsely pilose on both sides: panicles terminal, sessile, much shorter than the Ivs. Braz. I.H. 41:19. Handsomely varie- gated with countless short, longitudinal lines.—i>. angustifdlia, Lind. & Rod. Stem purple, spotted green: Ivs. oblong-lanceo- l.Tte, sessile, glabrous, roundish at the base, acute, about 6 in. luutj, - in. wide at the middle, purple below, marked above with short, tr.i,nsverse, white hues. Equador. I.H. 39;1S8.—X). im- copltfhdtmos. Hook., dift'ers from all here described in having radical intioresceuce. its fls. lying flat on the ground. Lvs. el- liptic, acuminate, green on both sides: fls. blue, with a white eye: stamens 6. Braz. B.M. 4733.—Z>. oa;^i)e(a/a. Hook., is in- stantly recognized by its acute petals, which are purple. Lvs. green on both sides. Braz. B.M. 2121.~D. picta, Lodd., has narrower petals than usual, with a white spot at the base, but is told from all others here described by the irregular blotches of purple on the upper side of the lvs. The purple is the same color as that on the under surface. Braz.? B.M. 4760. L.B.C. 17:1667.—Z>. Sauiidersi, Hook., differs from all others here de- scribed in the extreme density of its head-like inflorescence. Lvs. green on both sides, lanceolate: sepals white, tinged blue. Braz. B.M. 6165. -yp. M. DICHE6A (Greek, dis, two, and chros, color). In- cluilfs .l(/(j»i(«. tSaxifrarjiicvte. This genus contains a rare iireculiouse shrub in habit resembling a Hy- drangea, with violet-blue fls. in a pyramidal panicle a foot across, and handsome blue berries, instead of the capsular fruit of Hydrangea. Lvs. persistent, alternate, stalked, widest at middle, tapering both ways, serrate; panicles terminal, many-ild.: fls. blue, lilac, or violet; petals 5 or 6, valvate ; styles 3-5, club-shaped. The genus has only 2 species, the commoner and more vari- able one, D. fehrifnqa, which is glabrous, being foun<l in the Himalayas, Malaya, and China, yihi\& D. pubescens is native to Malaya only. febrlfilga, Lour. (AdAmia versicolor, Hort.). Later writers also include Adiimia cydnea, Wall., which Lindley distinguished by its smaller lvs. and fls., 5 petals, and 10 stamens, while A. versicolor baA 7, or sometimes 6 petals, and 20 stamens. Plants are still cultivated abroad under the name of A. ci/anea, but it cannot be stated here how distinct they are for horti- cultural purposes, A. versicolor, P.M. 16:322. A. cy- rt»f(/, B.M. 3046. W. M. DICKSdNIA (named for James Dickson, an English botanist, 1738-1822). Cyalhedcene. Tree ferns with a distinctly 2-valved inferior indusium, the outer valve formed by the apex of the leaf segment. A small genus, mostly of the southern hemisphere. For D. pilosins- cula, punctiUbula and Smithii, see Dennstwdtia. Dicksonias are amongst the most important tree ferns, both for their beauty and because of their relative hardi- ness. In their native countries some of them are occa- sionally weighted with snow, and D. antarctica has to endure frosts. They can be grown in coolhouses, and should be tried southward outdoors in sheltered places. Their trunks are more fibrous than those of most tree ferns, and hence more retentive of moisture, so that they need less care. A good trunk produces 30—10 fronds a year, and retains them until the next set is matured, unless the trees suffer for moisture in winter. Althoueh they rest in winter, the fronds soon shrive! up if the trunks are allowed to get too dry. Dicksonias should have their trunks thoroughly watered twice a day dur- ing the growing season. These waterings should be gradually decreased until winter, when the trunks should be kept merely moist all the time. Only in the hottest summer days is slight shade needed. It is a pity to grow tree ferns in pots, but if this must be done several principles should be observed. The lapse of a single day's watering will often cause serious damage. As a rule, the pots should be of the smallest size con- sistent with the size of the trunk. Three or four inches of soil all round the trunks is enough. The above points are taken from Schneider's Book of Choice Ferns, as tree ferns are little grown in America. antftrctica, Labill. Scales of the short leaf-stems dense, dark purplish brown: lvs. 5-6 ft. long, the central piunfe 12-18 in. long ; segments oblong, the sterile in- cised. Au.stralia and Tasmania. G.C. III. 9:81. —Trunk sometimes 30-35 ft. high. A very useful decorative plant. squarrdsa, Swz. Scales of the short leaf-stem flbril- lose, light colored: lvs. 3—1 ft. long, the pinnae 9-15 in. long; segments lanceolate, the sterile toothed, the ribs scabrous. New Zealand and Chatham Island. L. M. Underwood and W. M. DICLYTRA. This ancient typographical error for Dielytra seems to be immortal. See Dicentra. DICTAMNUS (old Greek name, supposed to indicate foliage like the ash: hence Fraxinella, diminutive of the Latin Fraxinus, an ash). If.utAce(v. Gas Plant. Burn- ing Bush. Fraxinella. Dittany. This genus includes an old garden favorite which has a strong smell of lemon, and will sometimes give a flash of light on sultry summer evenings when a lighted match is held near the flowers. It is also one of the most permanent and beautiful features of the hardy herbaceous border. In- stances are known in which it has outlived father, son and grandson in the same spot. The genua has only 2 species, and is distinguished from allied genera (none of which have garden value) by the 5 unequal petals,
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707. The Gas Plant—Dictamnus albus. 10 declined stamens, and short stipe, on which the ovary is raised. The Gas Plant makes a sturdy, bold, upright growth, and a clump 3 feet high and as much in thickness makes a brave sight when in flower. A strong, rather heavy soil, moderately rich, is best for these plants. They are not fastidious as to situation, succeeding as well in par- tial shade as when fully exposed to the sun, and drought will not effect them when once fairly established. Old, strong clumps are good subjects as isolated specimens on a lawn, and a large patch, planted in the border, is not only effective while in full flower, but the dark, persis- tent foliaee is ornamental throughout the season. It is not advisaijle to disturb the plants very often, as they improve with age, producing taller flower-stems and more of them as they grow older. They are excellent for cutting, especially the white variety. Prop, with diffi- culty by division, but easily by seeds, which are sown in the open ground in fall as soon as ripe, and covered an inch or so. They will germinate the next spring, and, when two years old, the seedlings may be removed to their permanent positions, where they will flower the fol- lowing year.

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