of handsome half-hardy twiners, closely allied to _Alströmeria_,
from which it is chiefly distinguished by its twining habit and some
difference in the capsule. They are of comparatively easy culture,
thriving in a compost of peat, leaf mould, loam, and sand, with good
drainage. Manure water should be given during the season of growth.
Although they make fine pot plants, their full beauty is only developed
when planted out in the conservatory or greenhouse border. Propagated
by seeds, or by careful divisions of the underground stem. In making
a division, it is necessary to observe that the part taken has some
roots by which to live till new ones are formed. It should be potted at
first, and may, when established, be planted out or shifted on. Seeds
may be raised in a warm house without difficulty. They germinate in a
few weeks; and when the young plants are 2in. or 3in. high, they should
be placed separately in small pots, shifting them on as necessary,
or planting them out. In favoured southern localities, several
species have proved hardy, but they are much the best when grown in a
greenhouse.
=B. acutifolia Ehrenbergiana= (Ehrenberg's acute-leaved). _fl._
undulate, outer segments deep orange, the inner ones paler and
spotted. Spring. _l._ lanceolate acute, smooth. Mexico, 1878. (B.
M. 6444).
=B. Caldasiana= (Caldas's).* _fl._ orange yellow, spotted crimson.
_l._ ovate-lanceolate, acute. Peruvian Andes, 1863.
=B. Carderi= (Carder's).* _fl._ 2-1/2in. long by 1-1/8in. in
breadth at the widest part, regularly bell-shaped, with six
segments, the three outer rose-coloured, the three inner nearly
equal in length, crenulate, and spotted with purplish-brown;
inflorescence pendulous, and consisting of a large terminal
umbellate cyme, surrounded at the base by a series of crowded
leaves. _l._ oblong lanceolate, acuminate, about 7in. by 2-3/4in.
Columbia, 1876. See Fig. 262, for which we are indebted to Mr. Bull.
=B. chontalensis= (Chontalese). _fl._ 1-1/2in. long,
sub-campanulate, obtusely trigonous; outer segments thick, fleshy,
wavy, rose-red, with a few brown spots round the margin at the tip,
very convex; inner segments a little shorter, pale yellow blotched
with brown; umbels surrounded by a whorl of leaves, and composed
of several peduncles, each bearing four to six nodding flowers.
August. _l._ lanceolate or ovate oblong, acuminate. Nicaragua,
1871. (B. M. 5927).
=B. conferta= (dense-flowered).* A synonym of _B. patococensis_.
=B. edulis= (edible). _fl._, outer segments rose, green tipped;
inner spotted with rose. St. Domingo, &c. One of the oldest species
in cultivation. The tubers are said by Tussac to be eaten in St.
Domingo, like those of the Jerusalem Artichoke. See Fig. 263.
=B. frondea= (leafy). _fl._ 2in. long, tubulate-campanulate; outer
segments narrow, oblong, yellow; inner segments 1/2in. longer than
the outer ones, canary yellow, spotted with red; cymes umbellate,
many-flowered, about 8in. across, base leafy. _l._ lanceolate,
acuminate. Bogota, 1881. (G. C. n. s. 17, p. 669.)
=B. oligantha= (few-flowered).* _fl._ regularly funnel-shaped,
about 1in. long; outer segments slightly shorter than the inner,
oblanceolate, under 1/4in. abroad, obtuse, unspotted, reddish on
the outside, yellow within; one or two to an umbel, on simple,
flexuous, glabrous pedicels, about 1in. long. _l._ long, acute,
about 2in. long, bright green on the upper surface, ciliated on the
ribs beneath. Peru, 1877. See Fig. 264.
[Illustration: FIG. 263. FLOWERING BRANCH OF BOMAREA EDULIS.]
=B. patococensis= (Patococha). _fl._ 2in. to 2-1/2in. long,
elongate-funnel-shaped; the three outer segments ovate lanceolate,
about one-fourth shorter than the inner segments, both of a rich
crimson colour; numerously borne in drooping, contracted tufts at
the ends of the shoots; peduncles about 2in. to 2-1/2in. long,
intermixed at the base with broadly ovate-acute, leafy bracts.
August and September. _l._ scattered, shortly stalked, broadly
lanceolate, tail pointed. Bogota, 1881. (G. C. n. s. 17, p. 187.)
[Illustration: FIG. 264. FLOWERING BRANCH OF BOMAREA OLIGANTHA.]
=B. salsilla= (Salsilla). _fl._ purple, about 1/2in. long, the two
inner segments having a darker spot at the base, and all of them
tinged with green towards the points; collected into a terminal
umbel. June. _l._ few, lanceolate. South America, 1806. This has
proved quite hardy under various conditions.
=B. Shuttleworthii= (Shuttleworth's).* _fl._, perianth about 2in.
long, funnel-shaped or elongate bell-shaped; segments nearly equal,
oblong acute, outer ones orange vermilion, slightly tinged with
green and dotted with small dark spots at the tips; inner ones more
acutely pointed, canary yellow, with a red midrib, and green with
dark spots at the tips; cymes umbellate, pendulous. _l._ ovate
lanceolate, 5in. to 6in. by 2in., glabrous. Bogota, 1881. (G. C. n.
s. 17, p. 77.)
=B. Williamsii= (Williams's).* _fl._ rose-coloured, about 2in.
long, elongate funnel shape; disposed in a compound umbellate cyme.
_l._ lanceolate, very acute, and tapering to a very short twisted
petiole. New Grenada, 1882.
=BOMBACEÆ.= A division of _Sterculiaceæ_.
=BOMBAX= (from _bombax_, one of the Greek names for cotton; the pods
are filled with a fine silky substance like cotton, but which it is
impossible to spin into thread, in consequence of the edges being
perfectly smooth). Silk Cotton Tree. ORD. _Malvaceæ_. A genus of large
soft-wooded stove trees. Flowers scarlet or white, large, usually
rising laterally from the trunk or branches, either singly or in
clusters. They grow best in a rich loamy soil. Cuttings, not too ripe,
taken off at a joint, placed in sand under a bell glass, in moist heat,
will root readily; but plants raised from seeds brought from their
natural habitats make finer trees.
=B. Ceiba= (Ceiba). _fl._ pale red, large. _l._ palmate, with five
leaflets. _fr._ turbinate, concave at the apex. _h._ 100ft. South
America, 1692.
=BOMBYX NEUSTRIA.= _See_ =Lackey Moth=.
=BONA-NOX.= _See_ =Ipomæa Bona-Nox=.
=BONAPARTEA.= _See_ =Tillandsia=.
=BONAPARTEA JUNCEA.= A synonym of _Agave geminiflora_.
=BONATEA.= (in honour of M. Bonato, a distinguished Italian botanist,
and a Professor of Botany at Padua). ORD. _Orchideæ_. A handsome
terrestrial stove orchid, allied to _Habenaria_, and requiring similar
culture.
=B. speciosa= (showy).* _fl._ white, galeate; petals bipartite;
raceme many-flowered, compact; bracts cucullate, acuminate. August.
_l._ oblong, sub-undulate. Stem leafy. _h._ 2ft. Cape of Good Hope,
1820. (B. M. 2926; L. B. C. 284.)
=BONGARDIA.= (named after Heinrich Gustav Bongard, a German botanist).
ORD. _Berberideæ_. A very pretty hardy tuberous-rooted perennial,
requiring a sandy soil, and good drainage, with protection at all
seasons from excessive wet, otherwise it will rot. It should be
carefully planted in a compost of loam, peat, leaf soil, and sand, in
equal proportions, and covered with a handlight.
=B. Rauwolfii= (Rauwolf's). _fl._ golden yellow, on pyramidal
branched panicles; stamens and petals nearly equal in length.
May. _l._ radical, pinnate; leaflets sessile, oval-oblong, three
to five-cleft at the apex, glaucous, each with a dark purple
blotch at the base. _h._ 6in. Syria, Persia, 1740. SYN. _Leontice
Chrysogonum_. (B. M. 6244.)
=BONNAYA= (named after Bonnay, a German botanist). ORD.
_Scrophulariaceæ_. A small genus of usually glabrous, rarely pilose,
slender, creeping or erect, annual, biennial, or perennial stove
plants, almost unknown in cultivation. Flowers axillary, opposite, or
alternate from abortion, usually pedicellate, the upper ones sometimes
racemose, pinkish, or blue. Leaves opposite, quite entire, or toothed.
They thrive in a rich sandy loam. The annual species are propagated by
seeds, the others by divisions and cuttings.
=BONNETIA= (commemorative of Charles Bonnet, a French naturalist,
who wrote some botanical papers in 1754). ORD. _Ternstrœmiaceæ_.
A genus of elegant middle-sized stove trees or shrubs. Flowers
large, terminal; peduncles one or many-flowered. Leaves scattered,
exstipulate, coriaceous, entire, one-nerved, marked with transverse
veins, sub-sessile, narrowed to the base. They thrive well in a mixture
of loam and peat. Cuttings of firm young shoots will root if placed in
sand under a hand glass, in a moderate heat.
=B. sessilis= (stalkless). _fl._ purplish, terminal. _l._ oblong,
coriaceous, entire. _h._ 15ft. Guiana, 1819.
=BORAGE.= _See_ =Borago officinalis=.
=BORAGINACEÆ.= A large order of herbs or shrubs, having spirally-coiled
inflorescence; corolla usually regular and five-lobed, with an
imbricated æstivation; throat generally hairy; stamens five, inserted
in the corolla. Leaves alternate, rough. Among other genera belonging
to this order may be named _Anchusa_, _Borago_, _Cynoglossum_,
_Echium_, _Lithospermum_, and _Myosotis_.
=BORAGO= (derivation very uncertain; probably a corruption of some
eastern name). Borage. ORD. _Boraginaceæ_. A genus of hardy herbaceous
perennials or annuals, excellently adapted for naturalising in dry
stony places. Flowers blue, panicled, drooping; corolla rotate; throat
furnished with emarginate vaulted processes; anthers distinct, oblong
or lanceolate, awned, fixed by the inner side, conniving into a cone.
Nuts four, one-celled, turbinate, fixed to the bottom of the calyx.
Leaves oblong or lanceolate. All the species are easily cultivated,
thriving in any common soil. Propagated by divisions, in spring, or by
striking the young cuttings in a cold frame. They may also be raised
from seed, which should be sown from March to May, in any good garden
soil, and the plants, when large enough, thinned out to 1ft. or more
apart. In hot weather, Borage is generally in demand for claret cup and
other drinks.
=B. laxiflora= (loose-flowered).* _fl._ on long pedicels,
racemose, drooping; corolla pale blue; segments ovate, bluntish,
erectly spreading. May to August. _l._ oblong, and rough from
strigæ; radical ones rosulate; cauline ones half stem-clasping.
Stem decumbent, many from the same root, hispid from retrograde
bristles. Corsica, 1813. (B. M. 1789.)
=B. longifolia= (long-leaved).* _fl._ disposed in a terminal
bracteate panicle; corolla blue; segments ovate, acute, spreading.
July and August. _l._ linear-lanceolate, scabrous and downy
beneath; cauline ones half stem-clasping. _h._ 1ft. Numidia, 1825.
[Illustration: FIG. 265. FLOWER OF BORAGO OFFICINALIS.]
=B. officinalis= (officinal).* Common Borage. _fl._ blue, purple,
or white; segments of the corolla limb ovate, acute, spreading.
June to September. _l._, lower ones obovate, attenuated at the
base; cauline ones oblong, sessile, sub-cordate at the base. _h._
1ft. to 2ft. Britain. This is the kind most cultivated in gardens
for flavouring. See Fig. 265. (Sy. En. B. 36.)
=BORASSUS= (a name applied by Linnæus to the spathe of the Date Palm).
ORD. _Palmaceæ_. A very small genus of stove trees, containing two
noble species, which are distinguished by unisexual flowers, produced
upon distinct plants, the males being borne in dense branching catkins,
and the females on simple, or, more rarely, slightly branched spikes.
Fruit very large, brown, three-seeded. Leaves fan-shaped, with spiny
petioles. Trunks unarmed, often 70ft. high. They may be grown in good
fibrous loam, leaf mould, and sand, mainly the former. Increased by
seeds only, which require to be sown in strong bottom heat. Rarely seen
in cultivation.
=B. æthiopicum= (African). _l._ nearly circular, and plaited,
supported upon stout petioles, 6ft. to 7ft. long. Western Tropical
Africa. This handsome, but rare, species is remarkable for the
bulging out or swelling in its stem, near the middle, or about
two-thirds of its height from the ground.
=B. flabelliformis= (fan-shaped).* _l._ nearly circular, and
plaited like a partially-open fan, with about seventy ribs, which
radiate from a common centre. _h._ 30ft. India, 1771.
=BORBONIA= (named after Gaston de Bourbon, Duke of Orleans, son
of Henry IV. of France, a great lover and patron of botany). ORD.
_Leguminosæ_. A genus of very ornamental greenhouse evergreen shrubs,
natives of the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers yellow, disposed in terminal
heads, axillary. Leaves simple, amplexicaul, alternate, exstipulate,
pungent. They thrive well in a mixture of peat, loam, and sand, with
good drainage. Cuttings, half-ripened, obtained in April, will root
freely in sandy soil if placed under a bell glass, in a cool house.
=B. barbata= (bearded).* _fl._ sessile, villous on the outside.
July. _l._ narrow, lanceolate, many-nerved, complicated,
ciliately-bearded, and very much acuminated; branches diverging.
_h._ 3ft. to 4ft. 1823.
=B. cordata= (heart-shaped). _fl._, corolla densely villous, with
the vexillum obcordate. July. _l._ cordate, many-nerved, quite
entire, glabrous. Branches villous. _h._ 3ft. to 6ft. 1759.
=B. crenata= (crenated).* _fl._ less villous than in the rest of
the species. July. _l._ cordate, roundish, acute, denticulated,
many nerved and reticulated between the nerves, and are, as well as
the branches, glabrous. _h._ 3ft. to 6ft. 1774. (B. M. 274.)
=B. lanceolata= (lance-shaped). _fl._ densely villous. July. _l._
ovate-lanceolate, pungent, many nerved, quite entire, sessile,
glabrous, as well as the stem. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. 1752. (L. B. C.
81.)
=B. ruscifolia= (Ruscus-leaved). _fl._ sparingly villous. July.
_l._ cordate, many-nerved, minutely ciliated, but are otherwise
glabrous as well as the branches. _h._ 2ft. to 4ft. 1790. (B. M.
2128.)
=BORDERS, FLOWER.= Small beds, or a continuous bed, of greater length
than width, skirting a wall or shrubbery, and containing plants of
a heterogeneous character. They should be slightly raised above the
surrounding level, and thoroughly drained. In the first preparation of
the Border, it is most essential to deeply dig or trench the ground,
thoroughly incorporating a large amount of well-bodied manure; and if
the soil is very stiff, wood ashes or coarse sand should be well worked
in with the manure. The best time to plant such Borders is in early
autumn or in March.
Where, as is frequently the case, the Borders are only 2ft. or 3ft.
wide, not more than two rows of plants, either in groups or singly,
will be allowable. The tall plants or shrubs should constitute the
background, with dwarfer subjects in front; but formal arrangements
must be avoided. The object should be to secure a continuous succession
of flowers. This would entail some little trouble at first, which,
however, would be amply repaid by results.
No hard-and-fast rules can be laid down as to the arrangement of
the plants, which depends on individual taste and means; but the
best results are obtained when the border is mainly made up of hardy
herbaceous perennials, as permanent occupants, assisted by liberal
quantities of summer bedding plants, such as Dahlias, Fuchsias,
Geraniums, Heliotrope, Tropæolums, &c., as well as many hardy annuals
and biennials. By this means, a very varied and beautiful display may
be maintained, especially if bulbs are used for early spring effect,
such as Narcissi, Scillas, Snowdrops, Tulips, &c. Of course, the
herbaceous perennials should be selected with much care, all weedy
subjects being avoided, and variety in colour and time of flowering
secured. Anything like a full list of these would occupy too much
space for repetition here, but the following will be found very showy
and useful: Achilleas, Aconitums, Anemones, Aquilegias, Armerias,
Asters, Campanulas, Carnations and Picotees, Delphiniums, Dodecatheons,
Doronicums, Fritillarias, Funkias, Gaillardias, Geraniums, Geums,
Hollyhocks, Iberises, Irises, Liliums, Pæonies, Papavers, Pyrethrums,
double and single, Ranunculus, Trolliuses, &c.
=BORDERS, FRUIT.= These should be well drained, and if not naturally
so, the soil should be excavated from 3ft. to 5ft. deep, in order
to form a bottom of stones, pieces of brick, clinkers, &c. Where it
is convenient, draining pipes should be added, if an outfall in the
vicinity can be secured. The base of the Border should be sloped to
the front, where the pipes should be laid, and the bottom covered with
draining material, thereby effectually preventing the fruit trees
rooting deep, which is detrimental to healthy growth. Gross-feeding
vegetables or flowers should not be grown on the surface, but
shallow-rooting crops will generally do no harm. Many advocate the
surface being kept free from crops of any sort, simply letting it be
freely exposed; whilst others equally as strenuously condemn this plan.
Where necessary, chalk or some other mineral constituent of good soil
which is naturally absent, may be added; but much animal manure is
rarely required. The depth and width of Border may vary for different
fruit trees, but efficient drainage is in all cases important.
=BORECOLE= (_Brassica oleracea fimbriata_). An important division of
the Brassica tribe, often cultivated in gardens under the name of
Kale. It comes in very useful when hard weather has rendered cabbages,
&c., unfit for use, as it endures cold better than most other green
vegetables. Some are also grown as ornamental foliaged plants. Like all
other plants of a similar description, they require rich soil, and they
should be put out in June or early in July, as it is almost useless
to plant this kind of vegetable after the middle of the latter month.
To obtain the best results, the ground should be deeply dug and well
manured; but it must not be full of crude manure at planting time, or
it will make the plants too tender and succulent in wet seasons, with
the result that the first sharp frost would cause them to rot. Good
hard-stemmed plants are the kinds most needed, especially for crops
required in spring, when green vegetables are scarce. Cultivation:
Early in April, and again a month later for succession, the seeds
should be sown thinly in nursery beds, not covering them too deeply.
The soil should be in a friable condition, and it is an advantage if
the first beds be made under a south wall. As soon as the seedlings
appear, if they are too thick, they should be thinned, as those
which are drawn up weak and spindly are useless. When large enough,
they should be carefully planted out, choosing showery weather, if
possible, for the operation. If it is necessary to plant them in dry
weather, they must be well watered-in. The rows should be from 2ft.
to 3ft. apart, according to the variety, and the plants 2ft. apart in
the rows; or, if potatoes are planted wide apart, the Borecole may be
arranged between them. Dead leaves must be cleared away from time to
time, but no green ones should be broken off. When the tops are cut
for use, the stems should not be denuded of foliage, as they will soon
break again and form successional crops. The plants must be kept free
from weeds. After April, the Kales are of little use; the stems may
therefore be pulled up, and the ground planted with some other crop.
They all require the same treatment, and at their various seasons come
in equally useful.
_Sorts._ The distinct forms are somewhat limited, but being largely
cultivated on the Continent as well as all parts of Britain on account
of its hardy nature, the varieties of Borecole receive a large number
of names that are either synonymous with, or indistinct from, a few
well-known types. Dwarf Green Curled or Scotch is probably the best and
most grown; other good hardy sorts are Asparagus Kale (this name is
applied to several different kinds, the best one being in use very late
in spring), Buda, Cottagers', Dwarf Purple, Imperial Hearting, Ragged
Jack, and Tall Green Curled. Melville's Variegated and Variegated
Borecole, amongst others, have fine ornamental foliage.
=BORONIA= (named after Francis Boroni, an Italian servant of Dr.
Sibthorp, who perished from an accident at Athens; he collected
specimens of many of those plants which are figured in the "Flora
Græca"). ORD. _Rutaceæ_. Very elegant and useful shrubs, requiring
similar treatment to ordinary greenhouse hard-wooded subjects, and
much aided with a little extra heat in spring, when breaking into
growth. Flowers pretty, pink-purplish, or white; peduncles terminal,
but usually axillary on the extreme branches, one to many-flowered;
pedicels furnished at the base and middle with two opposite, short
bracts, jointed, commonly dilated under the calyx. Leaves opposite,
simple, or impari-pinnate, entire, or a little serrulated, full of
pellucid dots. They should be placed out of doors from July to the
middle of September; the most convenient place for them is in pits,
as there are then greater facilities for protecting them from heavy
rains and thunderstorms. When first put out, Boronias should not be
fully exposed, but in the course of a week they may remain open to the
full influence of both sun and air. Potting should be performed once
a year, as soon as the top growth ceases, as the roots then extend
themselves in preparation for their next year's functions. The best
compost for them is one of peat and maiden loam in equal parts, and
about one-sixth sharp silver sand. Many cultivators, however, prefer a
compost consisting of good fibry peat and silver sand, together with
some pieces of charcoal, smaller or larger, according to the size of
the pots used. The soil should be rammed firmly in the pots, which
must be well drained. The leading shoots should be pinched, to ensure
good bushy specimens. Propagation may be effected by young cuttings,
or those made from the half-ripened wood; these should be put into a
thoroughly drained pot of sandy soil, with 1in. of sand on the surface,
and covered with a bell glass, which must be frequently taken off and
wiped dry. When in the cutting state, water must be very carefully
given around the rim of the pot, without taking off the glass. If
placed in a temperature of about 50deg., and shaded from bright noonday
sun, they soon root, when they may be potted off singly into small
pots, and plunged in sawdust, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, in which
situation but little water is needed. Pinching repeatedly, when young,
is the only means to secure good ultimate growth. Air must be given on
all possible opportunities.
=B. alata= (winged). _fl._ pale rose-colour, small; peduncles
dichotomous, usually three-flowered; bracts fringed. May. _l._,
leaflets three to five pairs, or more, crenate, revolute, pilose on
the nerves beneath, as well as the rachis. _h._ 2ft. to 6ft. New
Holland, 1823. (L. B. C. 1833.)
=B. anemonifolia= (Anemone-leaved). _fl._ pink; peduncles axillary,
solitary, one-flowered. May. _l._ stalked, trifid; segments narrow,
wedge-shaped, furnished with two or three teeth at the apex, or
quite entire. _h._ 1ft. to 3ft. New Holland, 1824. (P. M. B. 9,
123.)
=B. crenulata= (crenulate).* _fl._ red, small, with a fringed
calyx; pedicels axillary and terminal, one-flowered. July. _l._
obovate, mucronulate, crenulated. _h._ 1ft. to 4ft. King George's
Sound. (B. M. 3915.)
=B. denticulata= (finely-toothed). _fl._ rose-coloured; bracts
deciduous; peduncles corymbose. March to August. _l._ linear,
retuse, toothleted, terminated by a small point. _h._ 2ft. to 6ft.
King George's Sound, 1823. (B. R. 1000.)
=B. Drummondi= (Drummond's).* _fl._ pretty rosy pink, freely
produced during spring and summer. _l._ pinnatifid. _h._ 2ft. New
Holland. A very pretty species, with a slender but compact habit of
growth. There is a white-flowered variety of this species (F. d. S.
9, 881.)
=B. elatior= (tallest).* _fl._ pendulous, rosy carmine, very
fragrant, disposed in long dense clusters along the ends of the
branches. May. _l._ very prettily pinnately cut into linear
segments. _h._ 4ft. Western Australia, 1874. (B. M. 6285.)
=B. ledifolia= (Ledum-leaved). _fl._ red; peduncles axillary,
one-flowered, each bearing two bracts in the middle. March. _l._
linear-lanceolate, quite entire, downy beneath. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft.
New Holland, 1814. (P. M. B. 8, 123.)
[Illustration: FIG. 266. FLOWERING BRANCHES OF BORONIA MEGASTIGMA.]
=B. megastigma= (large-stigma).* _fl._ numerous, axillary,
fragrant, drooping, 1/2in. in diameter, sub-globose, campanulate;
petals nearly orbicular, concave, maroon purple outside, and
yellow within. _l._ sessile, pinnate, with three to five narrow
linear rigid leaflets. _h._ 1ft. Of slender habit, with twiggy
branches. South-western Australia, 1873. See Fig. 266.
=B. pinnata= (pinnate).* _fl._ pink, with a scent like that of
Hawthorn; peduncles dichotomous. February to May. _l._, leaflets
two, three or four pairs, linear, acute, quite smooth. _h._ 1ft. to
3ft. New Holland, 1794. (B. M. 1763.)