Dorstenia
(named after Theodore Dorsten, a German botanist, born 1492, died 1552). ORD. Urticaceae. Very curious plants, of neat compact habit, and easily cultivated in a moderately damp stove. The flowers are on a flattened leaf-like receptacle, and are green and inconspicuous. Some of the species have elegantly cut leaves; whilst those of others are decorated with silver markings. Increased by divisions, made before active growth commences; or by seeds, sown on a hotbed, about March or April.
D. argentata (silvery).* l. elliptic, or oblong-lanceolate, 3in. to 5in. long, dark green at the margins, and having a broad silvery central band, which is irregularly extended towards the margin of the leaf. South Brazil, 1869. It is of erect habit, with a downy purplish stem. (B. M. 5795.) D. Bowmanni (Bowmann's). l. lanceolate, 3in. to 5in. long, 1in. to 1 1/2in. broad, acute, obscurely toothed, bright green and smooth above, variegated with a white border to the midrib and lower half of the principal veins. Receptacle round, irregularly lobed, purple beneath. Stems about 6in. high, leafy. Rio Janeiro, 1872. (Ref. B. 303.) D. maculata (spotted). l. deep green, blotched with white, subradical, springing from a creeping rhizome, long-stalked, cordate at the base, hastate; margin crenate-dentate; receptacle quadrate, green. Mexico, 1863. (I. H. 362.) D. Mannii (Mann's).* fl., receptacle on the stem at the scars of old leaves; peduncles orbicular, about 1in. in diameter, green, pubescent on the back, very convex; margin with ten to fifteen slender, stiff, unequal processes; peduncle 1/2in. long; surface of receptacle nearly smooth. November. l. rather membranous, elliptic or obovate, acute, narrowed at the small obtuse or subcordate base, dark green, pale beneath, obscurely sinuate-toothed, or quite entire, glabrous, but opaque on both sides. Stem 6in. to 10in. high, terete, rather flexuous, erect, somewhat swollen at the scars of the fallen leaves, densely tomentose. h. 1ft. West tropical Africa, 1863. A very singular plant. (B. M. 5908.) D. tubicina (Peziza-flowered). fl. numerous; scapes about equal in length with the petioles, terminated by a Peziza, or wine-glass-shaped receptacle, whose margin is incurved and crenated with granulated scales; anthers purplish, two-lobed. August. l. slightly pubescent, cordate-oblong, denticulate at the margin, reticulato-venose, petiolated; petiole about as long as the leaf. Root large in proportion to the size of the plant, woody, sub-fusiform, descending, truncated or praemorse, powerfully aromatic. h. 3in. Trinidad, 1817. A very rare and curious plant. (B. M. 2804.)