Digitalis
(from digitus, a finger; referring to the shape of the flowers). Foxglove. ORD. Scrophularineae. A genus of eighteen species of very showy hardy biennial or perennial herbs, confined to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Flowers purple, yellowish, or white, disposed in long terminal, sometimes secund, racemes; corolla tubular at the base, funnel-shaped; limb obliquely four-lobed; upper segment much shorter than the lower one or lip, and, as well as that, imbricate in aestivation. The culture of this genus is very simple; the plants thriving in any ordinary garden soil. Seeds should be sown in April or May, and the seedlings, when large enough to handle, may be planted out 6in. apart. Also increased by divisions. D. ambigua (ambiguous).* fl. yellowish, reticulated with brown, large, 2in. long; lower bracts about equal in length to the flowers. July, August. l. ovate-lanceolate, toothed, sessile, nerved, downy beneath. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Europe, 1596. Perennial Plant hairy. SYNS. D. grandiflora and D. ochroleuca. (B. R. 64.) D. a. fuscescens (dark brown). A variety with brown flowers, which are smaller than those of the type.
D. aurea (golden). A synonym of D. ferruginea.
D. dubia (doubtful). fl., corolla purplish, large for the size of the plant, marked by many spots inside; throat dilated; racemes few-flowered. June. l. glabrous above, downy beneath; radical ones recurved to the ground, lanceolate, flat, denticulated; upper ones quite entire. h. 6in. to 9in. Spain, 1789. Perennial. SYN. D. minor. (B. M. 2160.) D. ferruginea (rusty). fl. rusty, reticulated inside, downy outside; lip of corolla ovate, entire, bearded; racemes long, dense, pyramidal. July. l. glabrous or ciliated. Stem glabrous, densely leafy. h. 4ft. to 6ft. Europe, 1597. Biennial. SYN. D. aurea. (B. M. 1828.) D. grandiflora. (large-flowered). A synonym of D. ambigua. D. laciniata (jagged-leaved). fl., corolla yellow, downy, with ovate, bearded segments; raceme sub-secund; bracts all much shorter than the pedicels. June. l., lanceolate, jagged, glabrous. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. Spain, 1827. Perennial. (B. R. 1201.) D. laevigata (smooth). fl. scattered, glabrous; corolla fulvous, reticulated; lip white, ciliated. July. l. linear-lanceolate; radical ones obovate-lanceolate, obscurely-toothed; upper ones recurved. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Europe, 1816. Perennial. (B. M. 5999.) D. lanata (woolly). fl., corolla grey, downy, reticulated; lip white, sometimes purplish, naked; racemes dense, many-flowered; bracts shorter than the flowers. July, August. l. deep green, oblong, ciliated. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Eastern Europe, 1789. Perennial. (B. M. 1159.) D. mariana (Sierra Morena). fl. rose-coloured; corolla bearded on the lower part inside with long white hairs, where they are marked with brownish-red spots. Summer. l. mostly radical, ovate-oblong, very downy on both sides. h. 1 1/2ft. Spain. Perennial.
D. minor (smaller). A synonym of D. dubia.
D. ochroleuca (yellowish-white). A synonym of D. ambigua. D. purpurea (purple).* Common Foxglove. fl. purple, marked inside with dark purple spots, which are edged with white, large, disposed in a dense terminal raceme. Summer. l. oblong, rugose. crenated. h. 3ft. to 5ft. A very handsome biennial, the colour of the flowers varying to white. Western Europe (Britain).
D. Thapsi (Thapsi). fl., corolla limb purple; throat pale, marked with blood-red dots. June to September. l. oblong, rugose, crenated, undulated, decurrent. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Western Europe, 1752. Perennial. Plant tomentose, in habit much like D. purpurea.