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Dieffenbachia (Named in honour of Dr)
(named in honour of Dr. Dieffenbach, a German botanist). ORD. Aroideae (Araceae). A genus of noble erect stove evergreen perennials, with often handsomely variegated foliage. Leaves usually green, sometimes irregularly marked with white or yellowish spots, oblong, with numerous veins diverging from the midrib. Stems fleshy, from 6ft. to 8ft. long. The poisonous and very acrid juice of this genus causes intense pain, and no part of the plant should, under any consideration, be placed in the mouth. For culture, see Caladium.
D. amaena (pleasing).* l. deep green, oblong-acute, marked with very abundant elongate blotches of white and pale yellow, which are well defined on both surfaces. Tropical America, 1880. Very effective. See page 469, Fig. 660, for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull.
D. antioquiensis (Antioquian). l. deep green, blotched with yellow. Columbia, 1875. (I. H. n.s. 192.) D. Baraquiniana (Baraquin's).* l. bright light green, irregularly spotted with white, 6in. to 12in. long, 3in. to 6in. in width, oblong-acuminate; midrib pure white; petioles shining, clear ivory-white. h. 5ft. Brazil, 1863. SYN. D. Verschaffeltii. (I. H. 1864, 387.) D. Bausei (Bause's).* l. yellowish-green, margined and irregularly blotched with dark green, and profusely spotted with white; broad, from 1ft. to 1 1/4ft. long; petioles white. A garden hybrid. (I. H. n.s. 8. 338.) D. Bowmanni (Bowmann's). l. rich deep green, blotched with irregular parallel markings of a pretty light pea-green; very large, growing to a length of 2 1/2ft., and having a breadth of about 1ft. Brazil, 1871. (I. H. xix. 105.) D. brasiliensis (Brazilian).* l. dark green, suffusely spotted with blotches of white and pale green; oblong, acuminate. Brazil, 1872. A very distinct sort.
D. Carderi (Carder's). l. rich dark green, strikingly blotched and variegated; oblong-ovate, somewhat deflexed. Columbia, 1880. See page 470, Fig. 661, for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull.
D. chelsoni (Chelsea).* l. dark satiny-green, the midrib marked with a grey band, which runs out into a feathered edge, and extends about one-third across each half of the blade, the surface of which is also freely spotted and blotched with bright yellow-green for about two-thirds of its breadth. Columbia, 1877. A very handsome species.
D. costata (ribbed). l. deep velvety-green, with distinct ivory-white midrib, more or less profusely spotted with oblong ivory-white blotches; ovate, blunt at the base, undulated at the edge, acuminate at the apex, about 9in. long. Columbia, 1860.
D. delecta (select). l., surface satiny, with whitish variegation; elliptic-lanceolate, 8in. to 10in. long, spreading. Stems mottled green. Columbia, 1880.
D. eburnea (ivory).* l. delicate light green, profusely dotted and spotted with white; oblong-lanceolate. Stems and footstalks stained with pale cinnamon, and ribbed with ivory-white. Brazil, 1868. A very pretty species, with a close and compact habit.
D. gigantea (gigantic). l. spotted with cream-colour. Stems white, prettily mottled with light green spots. Brazil, 1864. A fine bold-growing plant. (I. H. 470.) D. grandis (large). l. green, mottled. Brazil, 1864. D. imperator (commanding). l., ground colour olive-green, fantastically blotched, marbled, and spotted with pale yellow and white; 1 1/4ft. to 1 1/2ft. in length by 5in. in breadth, ovate-lanceolate. Columbia. D. imperialis (imperial). l. dark green, with yellow spots; midrib greyish. South America, 1871. (I. H. 1871, 85.) D. insignis (remarkable). l. dark green, with irregular angular blotches of pale yellowish-green; 6in. or more in breadth, obliquely ovate, shortly acuminate; petioles pale green. Columbia.
D. latimaculata (broad-spotted).* l. dark glaucous-green, interspersed with white bars, spotted and blotched irregularly with yellowish-green; somewhat acute-sagittate; petioles glaucous. Stem erect, supporting a fine crown of leaves. Brazil, 1871. (I. H. 112.) A variety, named illustris (I. H. 234), has the leaves banded with yellow, green, and grey, on a ground of deep green. 1876.
D. Leopoldi (Leopold's).* l. of a rich deep lustrous satiny-green, oblong-ovate; midrib broad, ivory-white, bordered on each side with a whitish band. South America. A very fine species, described as of resplendent beauty. (G. C. n. s., ix. 441.) D. maculosa (spotted). l. blotched with creamy-white. Columbia, 1876. D. magnifica (magnificent).* l. shining, sombre green, thickly variegated (following the direction of the secondary nerves) with blotches and spots of white. Stem and petioles also variegated; the latter are short and sheathing. Venezuela.
D. majestica (majestic).* l. rich dark green, variegated with scattered bright yellowish blotches, and having besides a feathery silver bar along the central line; oblong-ovate, acuminate, 1ft. or more in length, and 5in. to 6in. in breadth. 1882. Very distinct, and stocky in habit.
D. nitida (shining). l. deep glossy green, marked with angular blotches of bright yellowish-green; oblong-lanceolate, acuminate. Stems erect. Columbia. D. nobilis (noble).* l. deep rich green, profusely blotched and spotted with white, except at the edges, where the ground colour forms a broad marginal band; oblong-ovate, about 1 1/2ft. long, and 9in. broad; petioles thick and channelled, pale green, transversely banded with a different shade of the same colour, nearly 1ft. long. Brazil, 1869. (G. C. 1873, 815.) D. Parlatorei marmorea (Parlatore's marbled). l. blotched with greenish-white. Antioquia, 1878. (I. H. n. s. 201.) D. Pearcei (Pearce's). l. bright light green, profusely spotted and blotched with creamy-white, each side of the midrib with a band of the same colour; large, oblong-lanceolate. Ecuador.
D. picta (spotted). l. spotted with white. Tropical America, 1820. D. princeps (illustrious).* l. dark green, with a few scattered yellowish spots, and a silver-grey marking running through the centre; somewhat oblique, the narrower side being most distinctly cordate. Brazil, 1868. D. Regina (Queen).* l. oblong-elliptic, rounded at the base, shortly acuminate, almost wholly covered with greenish-white, mottled with blotches of pale green, and having a narrow margin, and a few streaky markings of a deeper shade; the greater portion of the upper surface of the leaf-blade, whose two sides are nearly equal in breadth, is of this pallid hue, with the few but distinct dark markings. South America. This beautiful plant is a very distinct and striking addition to the genus. See preceding page, Fig. 664, for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull.
D. Rex (King).* l. closely placed on the steam; leaf-blades elliptic-lanceolate, unequal-sided, of a very deep green colour, passing to paler green near the edge of the narrow side, the whole surface, to within about 1/2in. of the margin, thickly covered with oblique-elongate angular white blotches, which take the same direction as the venation, and are here and there slightly veined and suffused with green. South America. A very handsomely marked plant, of free and vigorous habit. for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull.
D. Seguine (Seguine). Dumb Cane. l. deep green, marked with pellucid white spots, ovate-oblong, cuspidate, undulated. h. 6ft. West Indies. D. Shuttleworthii (Shuttleworth's). l. with a feathery white band along the midrib. Columbia, 1878. (G. C. n. s., x. 45.) D. splendens (splendid). l. of a rich deep velvety bottle-green, freely marked with whitish striated blotches, which stand out in striking contrast with the deep green ground colour. Stem faintly mottled with dark and light green. Columbia, 1880 D. triumphans (triumphant). l. dark green, covered with large, irregular, angular, yellowish-green blotches, somewhat spreading, ovate-lanceolate, attenuately acuminate, about 1ft. long, and 4in. to 5in. wide. Columbia. A very ornamental species.
D. velutina (velvety). l. satiny-green; petioles white. Columbia, 1877. D. Verschaffeltii (Verschaffelt's). A synonym of D. Baraquiniana. D. vittata (striped). l. greyish-green, with two feathery white bands. Tolima. D. Wallisii (Wallis's).* l. ovate-lanceolate, of a rich dark green, marked along the midrib with broad feathery bands of a light grey, ornamented with irregular blotches of the same colour towards the margin. Columbia, 1870. (I. H. 1870, 11.) D. Weirii (Weir's). l. bright green, thickly blotched and spotted with pale yellow. Brazil, 1866. A fine species, of dwarf habit.