or more in length. Suited for the embellishment of rough, uneven ground, and will grow well in almost any kind of soil. Still more desirable than the foregoing is D. laciniatus; a native of France, the leaves of which are fringed with silky hairs instead of spines, and which has always whitish flowers. Both these plants are biennials, and are easily raised from seed.
THE DRACÆNAS.
Long as this noble family has been known in our gardens, we have yet to learn a great deal about its use and beauty. Hitherto only allowed to grace a stove or conservatory now and then, the Dracænas in future will be among the indispensable ornaments of every garden where grace or variety is sought. They are among the very best of those subjects which may be brought from the conservatory or greenhouse in early summer, and placed in the flower-garden till it is time to take them in again to the houses in which they are to pass the winter months. And if it were not necessary to protect them through the winter, it would be almost worth our while to bring them indoors at that season, so graceful are they, and so useful for adding the highest character to our conservatories. The hardier and most coriaceous kinds, like indivisa and Draco, may be placed out with impunity very far north. The brightly coloured kinds, like D. terminalis, have been tried in the open air at Battersea, but not with success. It would be dangerous to try them in the open air much farther north, except in very favourable spots. The better kinds are indicated in the select list of subtropical plants. D. indivisa grows well in the open air in the south of England and Ireland.
Dracæna australis.—A fine plant, with a stout, branched stem, from 10 ft. to 40 ft. high; and oblong, lance-shaped, bright green leaves, from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in length and 2 ins. to 4 ins. in breadth, striated with numerous parallel veins. Flowers white, densely crowded, sweet-scented, ¾ in. across; but these are rarely produced except in large houses in botanic or other gardens, where there are old or well-established specimens. This is a useful conservatory species, and may be used out of doors in summer, like D. indivisa, though it is not quite so graceful. This plant is of very easy culture in ordinary soil.
Dracæna cannæfolia.—A very fine species from New Holland, with a tall stem, and leaves from 20 ins. to 2 ft. long, the sides of which are rolled inwards, so as to form a kind of pipe, of a fine sea-green colour, and supported on stalks a foot or more in length. This is a valuable species for warm greenhouse or conservatory use, and also for placing out of doors in the southern counties, though it thrives best indoors.
Dracæna Draco (Dragon tree of Teneriffe).—A large and vigorous species, native of the Canary Islands, where it attains a great height and age; the now perished Dragon-tree at Orotava in Teneriffe having grown, according to Meyen, “70 ft. high and 48 ft. in circumference, with an antiquity which must at least be greater than that of the Pyramids.” In this country it is seldom seen more than 10 ft. high. The stem is tree-like, simple or divided at the top, and often, when old, becoming much branched, each branch terminated by a crowded head of lanceolate-linear entire leaves of a glaucous green colour. The flowers form a large terminal panicle, and are individually small and of a greenish-white colour. This plant is more graceful and effective when in a young state, in which it usually occurs in our gardens, than when old and branched. It thrives well in the greenhouse or conservatory, and in the midland and southern counties may be placed in the open air from the end of May to October, while it is a fine object indoors at all seasons. It is of very easy culture in sandy loam, and requires plenty of pot room.
*Dracæna indivisa.—A very graceful plant, with leaves from 2 ft. to 4 ft. long, and 1 in. to 2 ins. in breadth, tapering to a point, pendent, and dark green. It should not be confounded with the conservatory plant known as Cordyline indivisa, which is too tender to succeed well in the open air, and somewhat difficult to grow. This species, on the contrary, is perfectly hardy in the south of England and Ireland. I saw good specimens of it at Bicton a few years ago, and quite recently as far north as Woodstock, in the county Kilkenny, in Ireland; a plant also stood out in a vase for several years in Mr. A. M’Kenzie’s garden at Muswell Hill, N. D. indivisa lineata is a very fine variety, the leaves of which are much broader than those of the type, measuring sometimes 4 ins. across, and coloured with reddish pink at the sheathing base. Other good varieties are D. indivisa atro-purpurea, which has the base of the leaf and the midrib on the under side of a dark purple; and D. indivisa Veitchii, in which the habit and size of the leaf are the same as in the species, but in addition it has a sheathing base and the midrib on the under side is of a beautiful deep red. It would be difficult to find a plant more worthy of cultivation than this. Where it does well in the garden or pleasure-ground in the southern parts, it surpasses any Yucca or other hardy plant that I know in respect of distinctness and tropical-looking grace; and, this being the case, there can be little need to plead for it to the many who have gardens in the counties south of London. In all districts it may be placed in the open garden in summer with fine effect, the rim of the pots plunged level with, or a little below, the surface, and the plants either isolated on the turf, in the centre of a bed of flowering plants, or grouped with other fine-leaved subjects. In the conservatory it is one of the most effective and graceful subjects at all seasons, and is of very easy culture in rich sandy loam.
The Dracænas are a very numerous family, and many more might be described; but most of the other kinds have not been proved to possess any excellence for the flower-garden, while those enumerated are abundantly sufficient to represent the aspect of this graceful and stately family.
Echeveria metallica.—This is scarcely high enough to be suitable for association with the taller plants, but it is so very distinct in aspect, and has been proved to grow so well in the open air during several unfavourable seasons, that I must not pass it by. I purposely exclude from this book many things sometimes found in lists of “subtropical” plants, but which may be classed most properly with bedding subjects. But this, although not very large, forms an agreeable and distinct object, and is very well calculated for producing a striking effect among dwarf bedding and edging plants. It may be propagated by the leaves, by cuttings, or by seeds, and requires a dry greenhouse-shelf in the winter. Light sandy earth, not of necessity very poor, will suit it best in the open air. It will prove very effective on the margins of beds and groups of the dwarfer foliage-plants, or here and there among hardy succulents, and should be planted out about the middle of May.