Dryandra
(named after Jonas Dryander, a distinguished Swedish botanist; born 1748, died 1810). ORD. Proteaceae. A genus of about fifty species of handsome greenhouse evergreen shrubs, allied to Banksia, from which genus it is readily distinguished by the involucre, by the flat, or nearly flat, receptacle, and by the fruit. All are confined to Western extra-tropical Australia. They are very rarely seen in cultivation, notwithstanding their great beauty. For culture, see Banksia.
D. armata (armed).* fl.-heads yellow, terminal, closely surrounded by floral leaves longer than the flowers; involucre broadly ovoid or almost globular, 3/4in. long; bracts at first villous, at length becoming glabrous; perianth above 1in. long, more or less villous; limb narrow, obtuse. l. 2in. to 3in. long, deeply pinnatifid with lanceolate or triangular pungent-pointed lobes, very rigid, flat or undulate, reticulately veined, and sometimes slightly tomentose beneath. Young branches tomentose. h. 2ft. to 4ft. 1803. SYN. D. favosa. (B. M. 3236.) D. blechnifolia (Blechnum-leaved). A synonym of D. pteridifolia. D. falcata (falcate). This closely resembles D. armata in foliage and inflorescence, but may be distinguished from that species by the glabrous perianth limb. Young branches usually tomentose and hirsute, with spreading hairs. h. 4ft. to 5ft. SYN. Hemiclidia Baxteri (under which name it is figured in B. R. 1455).
D. favosa (honeycombed). A synonym of D. armata.
D. nervosa (nerved). A synonym of D. pteridifolia.
D. nivea (snowy).* l., upper side deep green, snowy-white beneath, 4in. to 8in. long, linear, pinnate, divided almost or quite to the midrib into numerous regular triangular segments. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1805. A very ornamental foliage plant.
D. plumosa (feathery).* l. dark green on the upper side, pure white beneath, dense, linear-elongate, pinnatifid, 5in. to 10in. long and about 1/2in. broad. h. 3ft. 1803. A remarkably elegant plant for table decoration when in a young state.
D. pteridifolia (Pteris-leaved).* fl.-heads yellow, large, terminal, closely surrounded by long floral leaves; involucre hemispherical; bracts densely villous, the outer ones ovate, the inner ones lanceolate; perianth silky or loosely villous with long hairs. l. pinnately divided almost or quite to the midrib into numerous linear or lanceolate straight or falcate segments, 3/4in. to 1 1/2in. or even 2in. long, often distant, but usually dilated at the base and frequently confluent, all with recurved or revolute margins, more or less tomentose underneath. Stems very short and thick, densely tomentose and villous. h. 1 1/2ft. SYNS. D. blechnifolia and D. nervosa (B. M. 3063). (B. M. 3500.) D. seneciifolia (Senecio-leaved). l. deep green above, greyish-white beneath, linear, pinnatifid, 3in. to 4in. long; lobes very small, triangular. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Very desirable.