Cambridge, and a distinguished botanical author). ORD. _Myrtaceæ_.
A very pretty greenhouse evergreen shrub, allied to _Bæckea_, from
which it differs in having the stamens collected in groups opposite
the sepals. Cuttings of the young unflowering shoots may be planted
in sand under a bell glass, and kept in a moderate heat until rooted,
when they should be placed singly in small pots, in a compost of equal
parts loam and peat, with the addition of a little sand. As the small
pots fill with roots, the plants should be removed into larger ones,
and the compost have less sand in it; but this should not be done until
the next February. The established plants must have a good shift about
March or April, and should be kept in a light, airy greenhouse; the
first shoots may be topped to moderate their vigour, and to produce
a greater profusion of less luxuriant ones. In May, when most plants
are removed from the greenhouse, these should be set to grow under a
frame which, while shielding them from heavy rains, and supporting
some slight shading in the hottest parts of the sunny days, will not
prevent a free circulation of air. To this end, the frame should be
elevated from the rests or supports at its corners; the lights should
be left off at night in fine, mild weather, and on dull, cloudy days,
being only replaced during heavy rains, and when shading is necessary.
Towards autumn, the plants must be returned to the greenhouse.
=B. Camphorasmæ= (camphor-smelling).* _fl._ pinkish-white, in
little cymes, disposed in long terminal racemes. Summer. _l._
linear, opposite, nerved. _h._ 7ft. Australia, 1841. (B. R. 28, 10.)
=BACCATE.= Berried, fleshy; having a pulpy texture.
=BACCHARIS= (from Bacchus, wine; referring to the spicy odour of
the roots). Ploughman's Spikenard. ORD. _Compositæ_. A genus of
hardy, stove, or greenhouse herbs, shrubs, or trees. Flower-heads
many-flowered, diœcious, terminal. Involucre sub-hemispherical
or oblong, in many series, imbricated. Leaves simple, alternate,
exstipulate, deciduous, oblong-lanceolate, notched, serrated, or
entire. Shrubs of short duration. These plants are neither beautiful
nor ornamental, but are of easy cultivation in ordinary soil.
Propagated by cuttings.
=B. halimifolia= (Halimus-leaved). Groundsel Tree. _fl.-heads_
white. July. _l._ oblong-cuneate, obovate, coarsely toothed;
branches angular. _h._ 6ft. to 12ft. Northern United States, 1683.
Hardy.
=BACHELORS' BUTTONS.= The double-flowered forms of _Ranunculus acris_,
_Lychnis diurna_, &c.
[Illustration: HYBRID ALSTRœMERIAS]
=BACKHOUSIA= (commemorative of the late James Backhouse, a botanical
traveller in Australia and South Africa). ORD. _Myrtaceæ_. A greenhouse
evergreen shrub, requiring a compost of fibry peat, loam, and a little
white sand. Propagated, in April, by half-ripened cuttings, inserted in
sand, under a bell glass, in a cool house.
=B. myrtifolia= (Myrtle-leaved).* _fl._ white, disposed in corymbs,
and often produced on cuttings soon after having struck root. May.
_l._ ovate, acuminate, smooth. Branches slender. _h._ 16ft. New
South Wales, 1844. (B. M. 4133.)
=BACONIA.= A synonym of =Pavetta= (which _see_).
=BACTRIS= (from _baktron_, a cane; the young stems being used for
walking sticks). ORD. _Palmaceæ_. Very ornamental, slender growing, and
prickly stove palms. Peduncle of the spadix bursting through about the
middle of the leaf sheath. Drupes small, ovate, or nearly round, and
generally of a dark blue colour. Leaves pinnatisect; segments generally
linear and entire. Instead of being confined to the apex of the trunk,
the leaves are scattered over nearly the whole surface, and the
lower ones retain their verdure long after the upper ones have fully
developed. Stems slender, varying from 2ft. to 10ft. in height. Some
of the species are of easy culture in a compost of loam, peat, loaf
mould, and sand, in equal parts; but most of them are very difficult to
manage. Propagation may be effected by suckers, which are very freely
produced. Many species are ornamental only when in a young state.
=B. baculifera= (cane-bearing). _l._ pinnate, bifid at the apex,
2ft. to 6ft. long; pinnæ arranged in clusters about 1ft. long and
2in. broad, dark green above, paler below; petioles sheathing and
densely clothed with sharp brown and black spines, 1-1/2in long.
South America.
=B. caryotæfolia= (Caryota-leaved).* _fl._, spathe ovate, prickly;
branches of spadix simple, flexuous. _l._, pinnæ wedge-shaped,
three-lobed, and erose; rachis, petioles, and caudex, prickly. _h._
30ft. Brazil, 1825.
=B. flavispina= (yellow-spined). Synonymous with _B. pallidispina_.
=B. major= (greater). _fl._ greenish-yellow, with a broadly ovate
spathe. _h._ 25ft. Carthagena, 1800.
=B. Maraja= (Maraja). Maraja Palm. _fl._ yellow, with a prickly
spathe. _h._ 30ft. to 50ft. Bahia, 1868.
=B. pallidispina= (pale-spined).* _l._ pinnate, bifid at the apex;
pinnæ clustered, 6in. to 12in. long, 1in. wide, dark; petioles
sheathing at the base and furnished with a profusion of long,
yellow spines, which are tipped with black. Brazil. SYN. _B.
flavispina_.
=BACULARIA= (from _baculum_, a walking-stick). ORD. _Palmaceæ_. A small
genus containing a couple of stove species, which are amongst the
smallest palms of the Old World. Both are confined to the east coast of
tropical Australia. _B. monostachya_--in allusion to its slender stem,
which rarely exceeds in thickness that of the thumb--is known as the
Walking-stick Palm.
=B. minor= (lesser). _l._ attaining 3-1/2ft. Stems, several from
same rhizome, 2ft. to 5ft. high, 1/2in. thick. Queensland.
=B. monostachya= (one-spiked). _l._ pinnate, pendent, 6in. to 12in.
long, bifid at the apex; pinnæ about 4in. across, broad, irregular
in shape, with ragged and irregular ends; dark green. Stem slender,
petioles sheathing. _h._ 10ft. New South Wales, 1824. SYN. _Areca
monostachya_. (B. M. 6644.)
=BADGER'S BANE.= _See_ =Aconitum meloctonum=.
=BÆA= (commemorative of Rev. Dr. Beau, of Toulon, brother-in-law to
Commerson, the discoverer of the genus). SYN. _Dorcoceras_. ORD.
_Gesneraceæ_. Curious and pretty greenhouse herbaceous perennials,
requiring a rich sandy loam. They are easily propagated by seeds.
Probably the only species in cultivation is the following:
=B. hygrometrica= (hygrometric).* _fl._ pale blue-coloured,
yellowish at the throat; segments of the limb more or less
reflexed; corolla five-lobed, somewhat resembling that of the
Violet; scapes numerous, naked, few-flowered. Summer. _l._ in a
rosette, thinly covered with coarse white hairs, ovate acute at
both ends, crenate serrate. _h._ 6in. North China, 1868. (B. M.
6468.)
=BÆCKEA= (named after Abraham Bæck, a Swedish physician, and an
esteemed friend of Linnæus). ORD. _Myrtaceæ_. Very pretty greenhouse
evergreen shrubs. Flowers white, pedicellate, small. Leaves opposite,
glabrous, dotted. They thrive in a compost of sandy peat, leaf soil,
and lumpy, fibrous loam. Cuttings, taken from young wood, root
readily, if pricked in a pot of sand, with a bell glass placed over
them, in a cool house.
=B. diosmæfolia= (Diosma-leaved).* _fl._ axillary, solitary,
approximate, sessile. August to October. _l._ oblong, rather
cuneated, keeled, acute, crowded, imbricate, and are, as well as
the calyces, ciliated. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. New Holland, 1824.
=B. frutescens= (shrubby).* _fl._ solitary; pedicels axillary.
November. _l._ linear, awnless. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. China, 1806. (B.
M. 2802.)
=B. parvula= (little). _fl._, peduncles axillary, umbelliferous.
_l._ elliptic-oblong, obtuse, rather mucronate. _h._ 1ft. New
Caledonia, 1877. This is very close to _B. virgata._ (R. G. 886, 2.)
=B. virgata= (twiggy).* _fl._, peduncles axillary, umbelliferous.
August to October. _l._ linear-lanceolate. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. New
Caledonia, 1806. (B. M. 2127.)
=BÆRIA= (named in honour of Professor Baer, of the University of
Dorpat). ORD. _Compositæ_. A genus consisting of about half a dozen
species. Probably the only one in cultivation is that mentioned below;
it is a very pretty plant, of easy culture in ordinary garden soil.
Propagated by seeds, sown in spring.
=B. chrysostoma= (golden-mouthed). _fl.-heads_ bright yellow,
solitary, terminal, about 1in. across; involucre of about ten
leaflets, in two series. Early summer. _l._ linear, opposite,
entire. Stems erect, downy. _h._ 1ft. California, 1835. (S. B. F.
G. ii. 395.)
=BAGGED.= Swelled like a sac or bag.
=BAHIA= (probably from Port of Bahia, or San Salvador, in South
America). SYN. _Phialis_. ORD. _Compositæ_. An ornamental, hardy,
herbaceous perennial, much branched from the base of the stem, and
having a greyish appearance. It may be increased by seeds, or by
divisions.
=B. lanata= (woolly). _fl.-heads_ yellow, solitary, produced in
great numbers. Summer. _l._ alternate, or with the lower ones
sometimes opposite, deeply divided, and sometimes ligulate and
entire. _h._ 6in. to 15in. North America. This species thrives on
borders of light and well-drained sandy soil. (B. R. 1167.)
=BALANIUS.= _See_ =Nut Weevil=.
=BALANTIUM= (of Kaulfuss). _See_ =Dicksonia=.
=BALANTIUM= (of Desvaux). _See_ =Parinarium=.
=BALBISIA= (commemorative of Giovanni Battista Balbis, a Professor
of Botany at Turin). SYN. _Ledocarpum_. ORD. _Geraniaceæ_. A very
ornamental half-hardy evergreen shrub, requiring a cool, dry
atmosphere. As it is very liable to rot off, water must be applied with
great care. Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood, inserted in
sand, under a hand glass; or by seeds.
=B. verticillata= (whorled). _fl._ yellow, large, with a whorl
of narrow bracts beneath. Autumn. _l._ opposite, three-parted;
segments linear-oblong. Branches slender, glaucous. _h._ 3ft. to
6ft. Chili, 1846. (B. M. 6170.)
=BALCONY.= A projection from the external wall of a house, usually
resting on brackets, and having the sides encompassed by a balustrade.
It should at all times be prettily decorated with plants, which in the
summer is a comparatively easy matter. During winter, evergreens of
various kinds are most serviceable, the best being Arbutus, Aucubas,
Boxes, Euonymuses, Hollies, Irish and Goldon Yew, Portugal Laurel,
Retinosporas, Vincas, &c. These may be grown in pots, and when
replaced by the summer occupants, should be plunged in some reserve
quarter, where they should receive plenty of water; by this means,
they will increase in size, and keep in a healthy condition. Very
little water will be required during the winter. Climbing plants, such
as Ivy, Passion Flower, Virginian Creeper, Climbing Roses, &c., are
indispensable for covering the trellises, and draping the pillars and
arches.
=BALDINGERA.= A synonym of =Premna=.
=BALL.= This term is used in reference to the roots and mass of earth
as they are moulded into form and pressed into hardness by the pot. The
masses of roots and earth which, in the case of fibrous-rooted subjects
(such as Rhododendrons), must be taken intact when removing the plants,
are also termed Balls.
=BALM= (_Melissa officinalis_). A perennial herb, often used in the
manufacture of a drink for sick persons, and sometimes employed for
culinary purposes. It may be grown in ordinary garden soil, and is
propagated by divisions, in spring. A pretty variegated form is
sometimes met with, having the additional advantage of being equal to
the normal species for medicinal purposes.
=BALM OF GILIAD.= _See_ =Cedronella triphylla= and =Populus
balsamifera=.
[Illustration: FIG. 201. CAMELLIA-FLOWERED BALSAM.]
=BALSAM= (_Impatiens Balsamina_). A well-known ornamental and tender
annual, native of India. It is one of the showiest of summer and
autumn flowers, and well deserves a place in every garden. Although of
comparatively easy cultivation, good blooms and well-grown plants are
far too rarely seen. A good Balsam bloom should be quite as double as a
perfect Camellia, and to show to the greatest advantage should appear
like one in the arrangement of the petals. To secure this, seeds should
only be saved from the finest and most perfect flowers, although the
quantity must, of necessity, be small. They should be sown, about the
third week in March, in properly prepared pans of rich sandy soil, and
placed in a gentle bottom heat of about 65deg. As soon as the first
rough leaf appears, the plants should be potted off into 3in. pots,
care being taken to let the cotyledon, or seed leaves, be close to the
soil. When the roots touch the sides of the pots, the plants should
be moved into larger ones, and this should be repeated until they are
in 8in. or 10in. pots. Some growers place one or two seeds in small
pots, so as to avoid the first shift, and a good plan it is. During
the time the plants are under glass, they should be kept as near the
light as possible, and be frequently turned around, so that they do
not draw to one side; and careful training must be given to those that
are required in fine form. Disbudding is also necessary to such as
are wanted at their best, removing all bloom from the main stem and
base of branches until the plants are of sufficient size, and then the
buds at the tops will bloom almost simultaneously. The buds that will
be formed afterwards will cause a continuance of blossom for a long
time, in fact, for some months, if the plants are liberally supplied
with liquid manure. If it is desired for them to flower out of doors,
the plants should be transferred, about May, to a frame where the
heat is not above 50deg., and be kept in a steady growing state, air
being admitted on all suitable occasions, cold winds and heavy rains
avoided, and water supplied when needed; never allow them to get dry.
They require training and disbudding the same as those grown in the
greenhouse. About June, the plants should be fully exposed during
the day; and, when danger of frost is over, the lights may be kept
off altogether. These should bloom at the end of July. In all cases,
plenty of drainage must be allowed, as the amount of water required is
very great. Insects must be sharply looked after, as well as slugs and
snails. There are several sections, such as Camellia-flowered (see Fig.
201), Rose-flowered, &c., each containing variously striped, spotted,
and entire coloured blooms, and it is best to pay an extra figure to
secure a good strain.
=BALSAM APPLE.= _See_ =Momordica Balsaminea=.
=BALSAMINA.= _See_ =Impatiens=.
[Illustration: FIG. 202. BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA.]
=BALSAMINEÆ.= A tribe of plants belonging to the order _Geraniaceæ_.
Sepals and petals all coloured, consisting of six segments, "two outer
ones small, flat, and oblique; the next large, hood-shaped, ending
below in a conical spur; the fourth opposite to it, small, very broad,
concave; the two innermost very oblique, and more or less divided into
two unequal lobes." The best known genus is _Impatiens_.
=BALSAMODENDRON= (from _balsamon_-an old Greek word used by
Theophrastus-balm or balsam, and _dendron_, a tree). ORD.
_Burseraceæ_. Greenhouse or stove balsamiferous trees. Flowers small,
green, axillary, often unisexual; calyx four-toothed, permanent; petals
four, linear-oblong, induplicately valvate in æstivation; stamens
eight, inserted under the annular disk, having elevated warts between
them. Berry, or drupe, ovate, acute, one to two-celled, marked with
four sutures. Leaves with three to five sessile, dotless leaflets. They
thrive in a compost of thoroughly drained sandy loam. Propagated by
cuttings of ripe young wood, taken in April, and placed under a hand
glass, in bottom heat. The species named below doubtfully belongs to
this genus, as the characteristics above enumerated will show.
=B. zeylanicum= (Ceylon).* _fl._ white, three-petaled, glomerated,
involucrated; racemes interrupted, downy. _l._ impari-pinnate, with
five to seven-stalked, ovate, acute leaflets. _h._ 30ft. Ceylon.
=BALSAM OF CAPEVI.= _See_ =Copaifera=.
=BALSAM-TREE.= _See_ =Clusia=.
=BAMBOO CANE.= _See_ =Bambusa=.
[Illustration: FIG. 203. BAMBUSA AUREA.]
=BAMBUSA= (from _bambu_, the Malay name). Bamboo Cane. ORD. _Gramineæ_.
A genus of ornamental, shrubby, greenhouse, half-hardy or hardy shrubs,
each culm flowering but once. Flowers usually hexandrous. Leaves, as
a rule, relatively shorter than the stems, lanceolate, and narrowed
at the base. Stems jointed, flexuose, branching, usually hollow, and,
when mature, of a hard, woody nature. In well drained, sheltered
situations, in the open, with rich, loamy soil, some of the species
make extremely graceful objects, particularly so in the more southern
counties of England, and in parts of Scotland. Unless a very severe
winter is experienced, they may be left without protection. Plants of
all the species, however, should have the shelter of a cold greenhouse
till about the end of April; when they should be gradually hardened
off, and transferred to a warm, sheltered spot, such as in woodlands,
by the margins of lakes, &c., as they like plenty of moisture during
the summer. A good watering must be given after planting, to settle the
soil. Propagation is effected by careful division of well-developed
plants, which should be done in early spring, just as new growth is
commencing; and it is advisable to establish the divisions in pots.
_See also_ =Arundinaria=.
[Illustration: FIG. 204. BAMBUSA NANA.]
=B. arundinacea= (reed-like).* Stem very stout, rising like a
beautiful column to some 50ft. or 60ft. in height; the laterals
producing a profusion of light green leaves, the whole presenting
the appearance of a huge plume of feathers. India, 1730. This
species is best treated as a stove plant, but it may be placed out
of doors in summer. See Fig. 202. (B. F. S. 321.)
=B. aurea= (golden).* _l._ lanceolate, acute, light green,
distinguished from _B. nana_ by having their under surface less
glaucescent, and the sheath always devoid of the long silky hairs.
China. This very handsome species forms elegant tufts, with its
slender much-branched stems, which attain a height of from 6ft. to
10ft., and are of a light green colour in a young state, ultimately
changing into a yellowish hue. Hardy in most parts of the country.
See Fig. 203.
=B. Fortunei= (Fortune's).* _l._ linear-lanceolate, abruptly
pointed, somewhat rounded at the base, on very short hairy stalks,
serrated and often fringed with long hairs on the margin, downy
on both sides, and distinctly variegated, the transverse veins
often of a bottle-green colour. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. Japan. A dwarf
tufted species, with very slender stem. Quite hardy. There are only
variegated varieties of this in cultivation, viz., _variegata_ and
_argenteovittata_. (F. d. S. 1863, t. 1535.)
=B. glauca= (milky-green). A synonym of _B. nana_.
=B. japonica= (Japanese). Synonymous with _Arundinaria Metake_.
=B. Maximowiczii= (Maximowicz's). Synonymous with _Arundinaria
Maximowiczii_.
=B. Metake= (Metake). Synonymous with _Arundinaria Metake_.
=B. mitis= (small). _l._ deep green, lanceolate, acute, striated,
clasping the stem; panicle simple, erect, close; spikes long,
imbricated. Stem tapering. _h._ 40ft. Cochin China and Japan. This
vigorous-growing species can be cultivated out of doors during
summer, and, in most localities, it may be left out all the year.
=B. nana= (dwarf).* _l._ lanceolate, acute, glaucous, stoutish,
with the footstalks slightly downy. _h._ 6ft. to 8ft. India, 1826.
A rather tender species, requiring to be grown in the stove or
greenhouse. SYNS. _B. glauca_ and _B. viridi-glaucescens_. See Fig.
204.
=B. nigra= (black). _See_ =Phyllostachys nigra=.
=B. Ragamowski= (Ragamowsk's).* _l._ 9in. to 18in. long, and about
1in. to 3in. broad. China and Japan. This species "can readily
be recognised by the tomentose line on one side of the midrib,
running nearly the whole length of the leaf on the underside, this
line being always on the longer side of the leaf." Hardy. SYN. _B.
tessellata_.
=B. Simonii= (Simon's).* _l._ narrow, nearly 6in. to 10in. long,
occasionally striped with white. Stems growing with great rapidity,
mealy-glaucous at the joints; branchlets numerous, rather closely
crowded. _h._ 10ft. China and Japan, 1866.
=B. striata= (striated).* _l._ linear-oblong; culms striped yellow
and green. _h._ 6ft. to 20ft. China, 1874. A very slender and
graceful, rather tender, species. May be grown in the open air
during summer, and in very favoured spots it is probably hardy,
especially if covered with a mat in winter. It makes an excellent
pot plant. SYN. _B. viridi-striata_. (B. M. 6079.)
=B. tessellata= (tessellated).* A synonym of _B. Ragamowski_.
=B. violescens= (nearly-violet).* _l._ green above, bluish-grey
beneath, with an elongated ligule, surrounded by a bundle of
black hairs. Stems much branched, blackish-violet. China, 1869.
This handsome and vigorous species is intermediate between
_Phyllostachys nigra_ and _B. nana_. It requires protection during
winter.
=B. viridi-glaucescens= (glaucous-green). A synonym of _B. nana_.
=B. viridi-striata= (green-striped). A synonym of _B. striata_.
=BANANA=, or =PLANTAIN=. _See_ =Musa=.
=BANEBERRY.= _See_ =Actæa=.
=BANISTERIA= (named after John Baptist Banister, a traveller in
Virginia in the seventeenth century, author of a catalogue of Virginian
plants, inserted in Ray's "Historia Plantarum"). ORD. _Malpighiaceæ_.
Stove trees or shrubs, frequently climbing. Flowers yellow; calyx
five-parted; petals furnished with long stalks; stamens ten. Leaves
simple, stalked. They are for the most part very ornamental, but are
not often seen in flower in this country. They will grow in a mixture
of loam, leaf soil, and peat, with some sharp sand added. Cuttings,
made from ripened wood, will root freely in sandy soil, under a hand
glass, in stove heat, taking about three or four weeks to do so.
=B. chrysophylla= (golden-leaved).* _fl._ deep orange, axillary,
corymbose. _l._ ovate, oblong, acutish, somewhat sinuated towards
the top, clothed beneath with golden shining down. Brazil, 1793.
Climber.
=B. ciliata= (ciliated).* _fl._ large, orange-coloured, umbellate.
June. _l._ cordate, orbicular, smooth, ciliated. Brazil, 1796.
Twiner.
=B. ferruginea= (rust-coloured). _fl._ yellow; racemes panicled.
June. _l._ 2in. long, ovate, acuminated, smooth above, and shining,
rusty beneath, and are, as well as the petioles, clothed with close
pressed hairs. Brazil, 1820. Climber.
=B. fulgens= (glowing).* _fl._ yellow, in umbellate corymbs. _l._
ovate, acuminated, smooth above, and clothed with silky pubescence
beneath, as well as the petioles. Branches dichotomous. West
Indies, 1759. Climber.
=B. Humboldtiana= (Humboldt's).* _fl._ yellow; umbels lateral and
terminal, sessile. _l._ roundish-ovate, cordate, rather acuminated,
mucronate, membranaceous, smoothish above, clothed beneath with
soft hoary down as well as the branchlets. South America, 1824.
Climber.
=B. sericea= (silky). _fl._ yellow, racemose. July. _l._ ovate,
obtuse, with a mucrone; younger ones downy on both surfaces, adult
ones only on the under surface; down of a golden shining colour.
Brazil, 1810. Climber.
=B. splendens= (splendid).* _fl._ yellow; racemes axillary,
dichotomous, umbellate. Floral leaves orbicular, and nearly
sessile. _l._ cordate, kidney-shaped, orbicular, clothed with silky
down beneath. South America, 1812. Climber.
=BANKS.= These are usually formed with a view to increasing the amount
of surface ground, and for the acceleration or retarding of vegetable
crops, such as strawberries, &c. They should be from 6ft. to 12ft.
apart, according to the depth of soil, and run from east to west. In
constructing Banks of a uniform size, great care, and a constant use
of the garden line, will be found necessary. For the warmest side of
the Banks, Dwarf French Beans, Peas, Vegetable Marrows, Cucumbers,
New Zealand Spinach, Capsicums, &c., may be grown. On the opposite
side, and when a prolonged supply is desired, Cauliflower, Broccoli,
Lettuce, Turnip, Spinach, &c., may be sown thinly in drills, to be
thinned out, and remain. It needs but little discretion to produce
valuable crops by this method.