_Melastomaceæ_. An ornamental greenhouse shrub, thriving in rich light
loam, leaf soil, and peat. Propagated by cuttings of the ripened
shoots, inserted in sandy loam, under a hand glass, in heat; or by
seeds.
=B. hirsuta= (hairy).* _fl._ rose-pink, about 1/2in. across,
disposed in loose, terminal, many-flowered cymes. Autumn. _l._
ovate acuminate, hairy. Japan, 1870. (B. M. 6647.)
=BREEZE.= The small particles or refuse of gas coke. It constitutes a
very cheap fuel, but, unless mixed with good coke, is only suitable for
boilers of the saddle type, having a good draught. Breeze must not,
however, be confounded with coke-dust.
=BREVOORTIA COCCINEA.= _See_ =Brodiæa coccinea=.
[Illustration: FIG. 277. FLOWERING BRANCH OF BREXIA MADAGASCARIENSIS.]
=BREXIA= (from _brexis_, rain; the large leaves afford protection
against rain). ORD. _Saxifrageæ_. Excellent stove trees. Flowers
green, in axillary umbels, surrounded by bracts on the outside. Leaves
alternate, simple, dotless, and furnished with minute stipules. Stems
nearly simple. They require a compost of two parts loam and one of
peat, with the addition of a little sand, to keep the whole open.
A liberal supply of water must be given at all seasons. Cuttings,
with their leaves not shortened, strike readily in sand under a hand
glass, in heat; or a leaf taken off with a bud attached will grow.
Leaves as in accompanying illustration (Fig. 277), and long, narrow,
spiny-toothed ones, are often produced on the same plant. Probably the
two species enumerated below are simply forms of one. Well hardened
off, strong growing plants of _B. madagascariensis_ are very suitable
for sub-tropical gardening.
=B. madagascariensis= (Madagascar).* _l._ obovate or oblong,
entire, while young minutely gland-toothed. _h._ 20ft. Madagascar,
1812. See Fig. 277.
=B. spinosa= (spiny). _l._ lanceolate, 20in. long, 2in. broad,
spiny-toothed. _h._ 20ft. Madagascar, 1820.
=BREXIACEÆ.= A section of _Saxifrageæ_.
=BRIAR.= _See_ =Rosa=.
=BRICKS.= In England, the standard thickness of brick walls is a
Brick and a-half, that is, the length of one brick and the breadth of
another. Thirty-two paving bricks, laid flat, will form one square yard
of flooring; if set on edge, eighty-four will be required for the same
space. The best Bricks for walls are those termed Stocks, which are
well burnt. Grizzells and Place Bricks, being only partially burnt,
are soft and not durable. In various parts of the kingdom, different
clays and methods of manufacture cause a disparity in the weight and
appearance of the finished article. Several forms are made to suit
various purposes, but the standard size is 9in. long by 4-1/2in. wide,
by 2-1/2in. thick, although, since the remission of the duty, some
slight variations occur, owing to shrinkage and other causes. Fire
Bricks are made of a particular kind of clay, which will stand intense
heat when once burnt, and are used in furnaces and other places where
durability under great heat is a desideratum. Fire-clay should always
be used in place of mortar in building with these.
=BRILLANTAISIA= (named after M. Brillant). ORD. _Acanthaceæ_. A very
small genus of erect, branching, stove evergreen shrubs. Flowers
large, in terminal panicles; corolla ringent; upper lip falcate and
overarching, with a trifid apex, the lower one large, spreading,
shortly trifid. Leaves ovate-cordate, on long petioles. For culture,
_see_ =Barleria=.
=B. owariensis= (Owarian).* _fl._ violet-blue; cymes sub-sessile,
loose; panicles terminal. March. _l._ large, opposite, petiolate.
_h._ 3ft. Western Africa, 1853. This plant, in its habit of growth,
resembles some of the largest species of _Salvia_. (B. M. 4717.)
=BRISTLES.= Stiff hairs.
=BRISTLY.= Covered with stiff hairs.
=BRISTLY-TOOTHED.= Furnished with teeth like bristles, or with the
teeth ending each in a bristle.
=BRIZA= (from _briza_, to nod). Quaking Grass. ORD. _Gramineæ_. A genus
of ornamental hardy grasses. Panicle loose; calyx two-valved; corolla
two-valved, awnless; exterior one ventricose, interior small and flat.
Fruit adnate with the corolla. These extremely graceful plants delight
in a soil composed of loam, leaf soil, and peat. Seeds may be sown
in spring or autumn. For decorative purposes, the branches should be
gathered as soon as full grown, and loosely placed in flower-stands,
to dry. Tufts of these plants look extremely pretty on the rockery, or
amongst hardy ferns.
=B. gracilis= (graceful). Synonymous with _B. minor_.
=B. maxima= (greatest).* _fl._, spikelets oblong-cordate, thirteen
to seventeen-flowered; panicle nodding at the end. June and July.
_l._ long, linear-acuminate. _h._ 1-1/2ft. South Europe, 1633. See
Fig. 278.
[Illustration: FIG. 278. BRIZA MAXIMA, showing Habit and single Flower.]
=B. media= (middle).* Common Quaking Grass. _fl._, spikelets
broadly ovate, of about seven florets (calyx shorter than the
florets), tremulous with the slightest breeze, very smooth, shining
purple. Branches of the panicle thread-shaped, divaricating,
purple. June. _l._ short, linear acuminate. _h._ 1ft. Britain. (S.
E. B. 1774.)
=B. minima= (least). Synonymous with _B. minor_.
[Illustration: FIG. 279. BRIZA MINOR, showing Habit and small Panicle
of Flowers.]
=B. minor= (small).* Little Quaking Grass. _fl._, spikelets
triangular, seven-flowered; glumes longer than the flowers; panicle
with hair-like branches. June and July. _l._ pale green, short,
narrow. _h._ 8in. England (but very rare). An exceedingly pretty
little annual or perennial grass. SYNS. _B. gracilis_ and _B.
minima_. See FIG. 279. (S. E. B. 1775.)
=B. spicata= (spiked). A recent introduction from Brazil, described
as being very graceful and quite distinct, having erect spikes
about 8in. in height.
=BROADCAST.= A method of sowing seeds by means of the hand, scattering
them over the surface of the ground as equally as possible. It is now
superseded, for the majority of garden and field crops, by drilling,
which not only economises the quantity of seed used, but greatly
facilitates subsequent weeding and thinning out.
=BROCCOLI= (_Brassica oleracea botrytis asparagoides_). A cultivated
variety of the Cabbage, having the young inflorescence condensed into
a fleshy, edible head (see Fig. 280). To grow this popular vegetable
successfully, it is necessary to have rich soil of a good depth, in an
open situation, where the plants can have plenty of sun and air to keep
them sturdy. They succeed the autumn Cauliflower, and are in season
from November till May.
_Soil._ In preparing ground for Broccoli, trench, in the autumn, to
the depth of from 1-1/2ft. to 2ft., and during the process work in a
liberal dressing of rotten farmyard manure. Ground which has carried a
crop of Celery is very suitable for the strong-growing kinds, as, by
planting where the Celery rows have been, the necessity of trenching
is, to a great extent, obviated. Smaller kinds, however, need to be
planted closer in order to obtain a profitable crop.
_Cultivation._ At the beginning of May, prepare seed beds on a south
border, and sow the earlier and sprouting kinds. The later varieties
would, perhaps, be best sown in April, but they must not be put in
early and allowed to remain too long in the seed bed. Sow thinly, to
get the plants as sturdy as possible; and, to prevent clubbing, work
in a little soot or wood ashes on the surface of the beds. Care must
also be taken to pick off the club excrescences at planting time,
should there be any, and to destroy the grub inside. Clubbing is not
so frequent in ground which has been well trenched, and where the
plants are not allowed to suffer from drought. Showery weather should
be selected for transferring them to their permanent quarters. If it
is desired that they should succeed potatoes, they may be planted
between every two alternate rows, and the latter crop can be removed
when ready. Broccoli succeed best where the ground is firm, and not
recently dug or manured. Planting with a crowbar is preferable to
digging the ground afresh. If grown by themselves, a distance of from
2ft. to 3ft. should be allowed between the rows, and an equal distance
from plant to plant. Some of the early varieties will, in favourable
seasons, follow the later Cauliflowers, while the latest will not be
fit for use until the following spring. The heads should be cut as soon
as they are large enough; they will keep good for a week in a cold
place, while a day or two might open them too much if allowed to remain
on the plants. Broccoli which have to stand the winter are liable to
injury from severe frosts, and some method of protection is necessary.
Two plans are recommended for both large and small gardens, and either
or both may be adopted, as found convenient. The first is to apply a
covering of fern or other dry protective material, not using too much,
but giving sufficient to break the rays of the sun, which, perhaps,
do as much harm as the actual frost. The other plan is to take up the
plants as soon as the flowers can be seen, and lay them in under a
hedge or wall until required for use. In sheltered positions, or where
there are trees to break the force of the wind, the covering with dry
litter during severe weather will generally be found sufficient; still,
a little precaution in lifting will frequently save a valuable crop.
Broccoli should never follow a crop of any other kind of cruciferous
plants, particularly Cabbage.
[Illustration: FIG. 280. BROCCOLI.]
_Sorts._ Veitch's Self-protecting Autumn, Purple and White Cape,
Grange's Early White, and Snow's Winter White. These are the best for
autumn and mid-winter supplies. A good selection for spring and late
purposes is Mitchinson's Penzance, Knight's Protecting, Cooling's
Matchless, Purple Sprouting, Model, Willcove, Leamington, and
Cattell's Eclipse.
=BRODIÆA= (named after J. J. Brodie, a Scotch cryptogamist). SYN.
_Hookera_. ORD. _Liliaceæ_. Pretty, slender, hardy, or in some
positions only half-hardy, bulbs. The flowers are usually borne in
large clusters or umbels; the prevailing colour is blue; _coccinea_ is,
however, an exception, the flowers being scarlet. The scape is usually
straight and slender, but strong. Leaves from two to four in number,
enveloping the part of the scape beneath the surface, and procumbent
thereon. Most of them are of easy culture in rich sandy loam; if grown
in pots, a mixture of loam, leaf soil, and sand, suits them well.
Increased freely by offsets, which should be left undisturbed with
the parent bulbs till they reach a flowering state, when they may be
divided and replanted in autumn.
=B. capitata= (headed).* _fl._ deep violet-blue, funnel-shaped,
disposed in a compact, many-flowered umbel; valves of the spathe
also deep violet. May. _l._ narrow, linear. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft.
California, 1871.
[Illustration: FIG. 281. BRODIÆA COCCINEA, showing Flower and Habit.]
=B. coccinea= (scarlet).* _fl._ 1-1/2in. long, tubular,
rich blood-red below, the apex of the tube and the segments
yellowish-green; umbels composed of five to fifteen drooping
flowers. June. _l._ linear, loose, shorter than the scape. _h._
1-1/2ft. California, 1870. Very handsome, distinct from all other
species, requiring a warm, well-drained, and sunny position, and to
remain undisturbed. SYN. _Brevoortia coccinea_. See Fig. 281. (B.
M. 5857.)
=B. congesta= (close-headed).* _fl._ blue, with the crown paler;
segments cleft at the top; umbel bearing six to eight blooms. The
stamens in this species are metamorphosed into fleshy scales,
which adhere to the mouth of the perianth. Summer. _l._ few, long,
slender, channelled on the inside. Bulb small, roundish, and much
wrinkled. _h._ 1ft. Georgia, &c., 1806. A very free-growing and
rapidly increasing species.
=B. c. alba= (white).* _fl._ white; in other respects like the
type, but not so vigorous.
=B. gracilis= (graceful).* _fl._ deep yellow, with brown nerves,
1/2in. or rather more long, in few-flowered umbels. July. _l._
solitary, about 1/4in. broad, longer than the scape. _h._ 3in. to
4in. California, 1876. A scarce and rather tender little species,
but very pretty.
=B. grandiflora= (large-flowered).* _fl._ bluish-purple, with
entire pointed segments; umbels bearing two to seven somewhat
scattered blooms. Summer. _l._ two to three or more, linear,
pointed, slender, grooved on the inside, furnished with a few
membranous scales. Bulb small, roundish, dry and wrinkled. _h._
1-1/2ft. North America, 1806. SYN. _Hookera coronaria_. (B. R.
1183.)
=B. Howellii= (Howell's).* _fl._ purplish-blue, about 3/4in.
across, sub-bell-shaped, in many-flowered umbels. July and August.
_l._ narrow acute, grooved, shorter than the scape. _h._ 18in. to
24in. California, 1880.
=B. ixioides= (Ixia-like). _See_ =Calliprora lutea=.
=B. lactea= (milky-white).* _fl._ white, usually with green
midribs, 1/2in. to 3/4in. across, saucer-shaped, in many-flowered
umbels. June and July. _l._ linear, acute, nearly as long as the
scape. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. California, 1833. SYNS. _Hesperoscordum
lacteum_, _Milla hyacinthina_.
=B. multiflora= (many-flowered).* _fl._ blue-purple, very numerous,
in sub-globose heads. May. _l._ linear, elongate, 1ft. to 2ft.
long, rather fleshy. _h._ 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. California, 1872. (B. M.
5989.)
=B. volubilis= (twining). _fl._ rose-coloured, in dense umbels,
each containing fifteen to thirty blooms; scape twining, sometimes
12ft. long. July. _l._ narrow, linear-lanceolate, 1ft. long,
synanthous. California, 1874. Half-hardy bulb. (B. M. 6123.)
=BROMELIA= (named after Bromel, a Swedish botanist). ORD.
_Bromeliaceæ_. A genus of stove herbaceous perennials, allied to
the Pineapple. Flowers, corolla three-petaled, convolute, erect,
or spreading at the top. Leaves densely packed, rigid, lanceolate,
with spiny margins. Stems short. These plants require much the same
treatment as _Billbergia_. Allied genera are _Æchmea_, _Ananassa_,
_Billbergia_, _Disteganthus_, _Greigia_, _Karatas_, _Ruckia_ (which
_see_).
=B. antiacantha= (opposite-spined). _fl._ purple, scarlet. Brazil,
1864. SYN. _B. sceptrum_.
=B. bicolor= (two-coloured).* _fl._ scarlet, in a close central
sessile head. March. _l._ numerous, narrow, ensiform, outer
green, central crimson; elegantly radiate. Chili, 1872. SYNS. _B.
Joinvillei_, _B. pitcairniæfolia_. (B. H. 14.)
=B. bracteata= (red-bracted).* _fl._ pink; scape elongated; raceme
compound; bracts red, ovate-lanceolate. September. _l._ serrate,
spiny. _h._ 2ft. Jamaica, 1785.
=B. Fernandæ= (Fernanda's).* _fl._ yellowish, in ovoid heads;
bracts orange-red. July. _l._ linear-ligulate, 24in. to 30in. long,
recurved, spiny-edged. Para, 1872.
=B. Joinvillei= (Joinville's). A synonym of _B. bicolor_.
=B. Karatas.= _See_ =Karatas Plumieri=.
=B. pitcairniæfolia= (Pitcairnia-leaved). A synonym of _B. bicolor_.
=B. sceptrum= (sceptre-like). A synonym of _B. antiacantha_ and
_Karatas Plumieri_.
=BROMELIACEÆ.= An extensive order of stemless or short-stemmed plants,
having rigid, channelled, and usually spiny leaves. Flowers very showy;
outer perianth three-cleft, persistent, inner one of three withering
segments; stamens six, inserted in the tube of the perianth. To this
order belongs the Pineapple. The genera best known in gardens are
_Ananassa_, _Æchmea_, _Billbergia_, _Bromelia_, and _Tillandsia_.
=BROMHEADIA= (in honour of Sir Edward Finch Bromhead). ORD. _Orchideæ_.
A small genus of stove orchids, comprising a couple of species, with
erect stems, large flowers, and cucullate lip, which is parallel with
the column. For culture, _see_ =Ansellia=.
=B. palustris= (marsh).* _fl._, sepals and calyx white; lip white
externally, within streaked with purple, and having a yellow blotch
in centre; spike terminal, distichous, flexuous, many-flowered,
on a long peduncle; bracts short, stiff, tooth-like. June. _l._
distichous, oblong-linear, emarginate. _h._ 2ft. Singapore, 1840.
(B. R. 30, 18.)
[Illustration: FIG. 282. BROMUS BRIZÆFORMIS.]
=BROMUS= (from _bromos_, the Greek name for a wild oat). _Ord._
_Gramineæ_. _B. brizæformis_ (see Fig. 282) is an elegant biennial
grass, with drooping panicles of spikelets, about as large as those of
_Briza maxima_. It grows about 2ft. high, and is of very easy culture
in common garden soil. Sow seeds outside in patches, in July, thinning
out the plants when necessary. There are numerous other species
belonging to this genus, but the above-mentioned is the only one worth
growing in gardens. It forms a beautiful object in the mixed border, or
among ferns.
=BRONGNIARTIA= (in honour of Adolphe Brongniart, a distinguished
botanist, and one of the editors of "Annales des Sciences Naturelles").
ORD. _Leguminosæ_. Handsome greenhouse evergreen sub-shrubs, clothed
with silky villi. Flowers large, purple; pedicels twin, axillary,
one-flowered. Leaves impari-pinnate, with many pairs of leaflets, the
terminal one not remote from the rest. They require a compost of sandy
loam, leaf soil, and fibry peat, with perfect drainage. Cuttings of the
young shoots, if firm at the base, will root if dibbled in sand, under
a bell glass, in a cool house.
=B. podalyrioides= (Podalyria-like).* _fl._ purple, large.
September. _l._ with two to five pairs of leaflets; leaflets
elliptic-oblong, rounded, and mucronate at the apex, clothed with
adpressed hairs on both surfaces, but silky when young. _h._ 1ft.
New Spain, 1827.
=B. sericea= (silky).* _fl._ purple. September. _h._ 1ft. _l._,
leaflets ovate-oblong, acute, very silky on both surfaces. Mexico,
1843.
=BROOK-LIME.= _See_ =Veronica Beccabunga=.
=BROOM.= _See_ =Besom=.
=BROOM.= _See_ =Cytisus scoparius=.
=BROOM RAPE.= _See_ =Orobanche=.
=BROOM, SPANISH.= _See_ =Spartium junceum=.
=BROSIMUM= (from _brosimos_, edible; fruit edible). Bread Nut. ORD.
_Urticaceæ_. A genus of stove evergreen shrubs or trees, principally
of economic value in their native countries. Male and female flowers
generally in a globular head, but sometimes borne on separate trees;
calyx and corolla wanting. Leaves entire. They generally thrive in a
rich fibry loam. Cuttings of ripe wood, with their leaves on, root if
placed in sand, in moist heat.
=B. Alicastrum.= _fl._, catkins globose, stalked, twin, axillary.
_fr._ coated. _l._ ovate-lanceolate. _h._ 6ft. Jamaica, 1776.
=BROUGHTONIA= (named after Mr. Arthur Broughton, an English botanist).
ORD. _Orchideæ_. A very compact-growing stove evergreen, allied to
_Lælia_, succeeding best if suspended from the roof on a block of wood,
with a little moss; it requires a free supply of heat and water when in
a growing state. Propagated by dividing the plant. The colour of the
flowers is very distinct.
=B. sanguinea= (blood-coloured).* _fl._ blood-coloured, rather
large, disposed in a terminal panicle; scape divided; column
distinct, or at the very base united with the unguiculate lip,
which is lengthened at the base into a tube, connate with the
ovarium. Summer. _l._ twin, oblong, seated on a pseudo-bulb. _h._
1-1/2ft. Jamaica, 1793. (B. M. 3076.)
=BROUSSONETIA= (named after P. N. V. Broussonet, a French naturalist,
who wrote numerous works on Natural History). ORD. _Urticaceæ_.
Ornamental fast-growing, deciduous, Mulberry-like trees. They require
rather good open garden soil, and prove hardy in situations which are
not very exposed. Propagated by suckers and cuttings of ripened wood,
inserted in autumn, in a cool house; and by seeds, sown when ripe, or
kept till the following April.
=B. papyrifera= (paper-bearing).* The Paper Mulberry. _fl._
greenish, diœcious; males in pendulous, cylindrical catkins, each
flower in the axil of a bract; females in peduncled, axillary,
upright globular heads. May. _l._ simple, alternate, exstipulate,
variously lobed or entire, hairy, large. _h._ 10ft. to 20ft. China,
1751. There are several varieties, differing in the shape and
character of the leaves. (B. M. 2358).
=BROWALLIA= (named in honour of John Browall, Bishop of Abo, who
defended the sexual system of Linnæus against Siegesbeck, in a book
entitled "Examen epicriseos," &c., 1739). ORD. _Scrophularineæ_. A
genus of handsome shrubs or herbs. Flowers blue or white, axillary and
terminal; corolla salver-shaped, resupinate from the contortion of the
peduncle; tube fifteen-nerved, ventricose at top. Leaves alternate,
stalked, ovate in outline. They thrive best in a rich, open, sandy
soil. To have strong plants in bloom by Christmas and after, seeds
should be sown in July, in pans or pots of light rich sandy soil, and
kept in a close frame, or hand light, where they can be shaded till
germination takes place. When large enough to handle, the seedlings may
either be pricked out, three in a pot, or potted singly, according to
the size of the specimens required. In the former way, they form fine
masses for conservatory or greenhouse decoration, or to cut from; and
in the latter, they are very suitable for window recesses, &c. After
potting, they should be stood in a pit or frame, and syringed every
morning and evening, to ward off attacks of insect pests. An abundance
of well-diluted liquid manure is required as soon as the flower-buds
appear. To keep the plants dwarf and bushy, it will be needful to stop
them about three times during the remainder of the summer and autumn,
keeping as near the glass as possible; they should be housed by the end
of September. These elegant little greenhouse annuals are unrivalled
for affording choice, neat sprays for bouquets during the winter and
early spring months, or for growing as pot plants, to furnish warm
greenhouses or sitting-room windows. Many of the species and varieties
are largely employed for summer decoration of the flower garden, with
highly satisfactory results; for this purpose, seeds should be sown
in gentle heat early in spring, and the plants transferred to the
flower borders late in June, or early in July, having been previously
encouraged in pots, and well hardened off.
=B. abbreviata= (shortened). _fl._ light red; pedicels shorter than
the calyx; calyx campanulate, with teeth as long as the tube. _l._
oval, hairy when young, quite glabrous when mature. 1852. (R. G.
94.)
=B. demissa= (low).* _fl._ of a bright but pale blue colour,
sometimes red or purple; peduncles axillary, one-flowered, downy.
June. _l._ ovate-oblong, acuminated, oblique at the base. _h._ 6in.
to 1ft. Panama, 1735. (B. M. 1136.)
[Illustration: FIG. 283. BROWALLIA ELATA, showing Habit and Flower.]
=B. elata= (tall).* _fl._ deep blue; calyx beset with glandular
hairs; peduncles axillary, one or many-flowered. July. _l._ oval,
acuminated. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Peru, 1768. Of this extensively-grown
species there are two varieties, one with white flowers, and the
other, _grandiflora_, with pale blue, both of which are well worth
growing. See Fig. 283. (B. M. 34.)
=B. grandiflora= (large-flowered).* _fl._, corolla with a
greenish-yellow tube, which is clothed with glandular villi, and a
white or very pale lilac limb; peduncles one-flowered, axillary,
racemose at the tops of the branches. July. _l._ ovate, acute,
attenuated into the petioles at the base. _h._ 1ft. to 3ft. Peru,
1829. (B. M. 3069.)
=B. Jamesoni= (Jameson's).* _fl._ bright orange, with
lighter-coloured throat, tubular. June. _h._ 4ft. New Grenada,
1850. This species has been recently re-introduced, after having
been lost to cultivation for over thirty years. (B. M. 4605.)
=B. Roezli= (Roezl's). _fl._ large, either of a delicate azure
blue, or white, with a yellow tube. Spring to autumn. _l._ shining
green. An exceedingly pretty species, having flowers double the
size of any other, and forming a dense compact bush, 1-1/2ft. to
2ft. in height. Rocky Mountains.