Part 46

_Indian or Chinese Azaleas._ This is a section of greenhouse evergreen varieties obtained from _A. indica_ (which _see_), blooming continuously from November to June, or even later, and of the greatest value for all purposes, whether for decoration, cutting, or exhibition. Cultivation: Thorough drainage is essential, and a compost of half peat, the other half made up of fibrous loam, leaf soil, and sand, in equal quantities. They cannot have too much light and air, and may be grown to almost any size by shifting from one pot to a size larger. In repotting, the whole of the crocks should be taken away from the base of the ball of soil and roots, and the top should also be removed till the fine roots are reached. The plant should then be put in the new pot, and the additional soil rammed firm, in order to prevent the water running through it, and thus depriving the plant of any benefit therefrom. In all cases, the roots near the stem must be above the soil, so that the water may not sink in next the stem, or death will most certainly ensue. After potting, for a few days the plants should be kept close and freely syringed, and as the growth is completed, they may be well hardened off. The best time for potting is after flowering, before the new growth has been made. From October to June the plants should be in the greenhouse, and during the other months in a cold frame, or plunged in pots in the open; or, what is preferable in favoured localities, planted out in prepared beds; they will thus be kept cleaner, and the growth will be much superior. In autumn they may be lifted and repotted, placing in a shady position for a few days. Water in abundance must be given throughout the blooming and growing season; and the plants must, on no account, be allowed to become dry. At the same time, a proper amount of care is most essential, as an excessive amount of moisture is equally as fatal as drought. Cuttings should be placed in sand under a bell glass with moderate bottom heat; half-ripened ones are preferable. They must be cut up to a joint--the base of a leaf--the lower leaves for an inch stripped off, and the stem stuck into the sand, which should lay, about an inch thick, on the top of sandy peat soil; the bottom of the cuttings should reach, but not go quite into, the soil. The whole should be covered with a bell glass, which must be wiped dry every morning. Soon after the cuttings have commenced growing, place them in small pots. They are also very largely and easily increased by grafting; indeed, this is the only satisfactory method of securing standards. Seeds may be sown similar to the last section, but in the greenhouse, and, when well up, pricked out into little pots 1in. apart. Azaleas are liable to the attacks of thrips and red spider, the latter being especially troublesome if the plants are in a dry position; frequent syringing will materially help to eradicate both pests. If insufficient, syringe with a solution of Gishurst's Compound.

=A. amœna= (pleasing). _fl._ almost campanulate, rich crimson, about 1-1/2in. across, hose-in-hose conformation, produced in great profusion. April. _l._ small, size of the common Box, hairy. _h._ 1ft. China. This is an elegant little neat and compact growing shrub, which has proved to be quite hardy in England. (B. M. 4728.) A very beautiful series of hybrids have been obtained by crossing this species with _A. indica_, which are most serviceable and free. The following are most desirable: LADY MUSGRAVE, light carmine; MISS BUIST, pure white; MRS. CARMICHAEL, rich magenta, shaded crimson; PRIME MINISTER, soft pink, deep shaded, very free; PRINCESS BEATRICE, light mauve, very distinct and free; PRINCESS MAUDE, rich magenta, rose shaded.

=A. indica= (Indian).* _fl._ campanulate, terminal, solitary or twin; calycine teeth long-lanceolate, obtuse, ciliated, spreading. _l._ cuneate-lanceolate, finely crenelated, covered with sharp, close-pressed rigid hairs, attenuated at both ends. Branches also covered with sharp, close-pressed, rigid hairs. _h._ 3ft. to 6ft. China, 1808. See Fig. 198. There are a great number of garden seedlings of the Indian Azalea, including every shade and colour. A selection to any extent may be made from the nurserymen's catalogues, but, for the guidance of the amateur, we have made a rigid selection of the best double and single varieties.

_Double-Flowered_: A. BORSIG, pure white; ALICE, rich deep rose, blotched with vermilion, very fine; BERNARD ANDRÉ, dark violet-purple, large, semi-double; CHARLES LEIRENS, dark salmon, good form and substance; COMTESSE EUGENIE DE KERCHOVE, white, flaked with red-carmine, semi-double; DOMINIQUE VERVAENE, bright orange, very fine; DR. MOORE, deep rose, with white and violet shading, very fine; EMPEREUR DE BRÉSIL, rich rose, banded white, the upper petals marked red; FRANCIS DEVOS, deep crimson; IMBRICATA, pure white, sometimes flaked with rose; MADAME IRIS LEFEBVRE, dark orange, shaded with bright violet, and blotched with chocolate; PRESIDENT GHELLINCK DE WALLE, intense rose, upper petals blotched with lake, and crimson-rayed; SOUVENIR DE PRINCE ALBERT, rich rose peach, broadly margined with pure white, very free and beautiful.

_Single-Flowered_: CHARMER, rich amaranth, very large; COMTESSE DE BEAUFORT, rich rose, the upper petals blotched with crimson; CRITERION, rich salmon pink, white-margined; DUC DE NASSAU, rich rosy-purple, very free and large; ECLATANTE, deep crimson, rose shaded; FANNY IVERY, deep salmon-scarlet, blotched magenta, very fine; FLAMBEAU, rich glowing crimson, extremely showy; JOHN GOULD VEITCH, lilac-rose, netted and bordered white, and blotched with saffron, very showy; LA SUPERBE, rich lake, bordered orange, and black spotted, a very fine variety; LA VICTOIRE, centre reddish, white towards the edge, the upper petals spotted with maroon-crimson; LOUIS VON BADEN, pure white, a grand variety; MADAME CHARLES VAN ECKHAUTE, pure white, with beautifully crisped edges, of excellent form and substance; MADAME VAN HOUTTE, richly flaked with carmine and rose, very large and free; MARQUIS OF LORNE, brilliant scarlet, of the finest form and substance; MRS. TURNER, bright pink, white-margined, and spotted with crimson; PRESIDENT VAN DEN HECKE, white, striped and speckled with crimson, with a yellow centre; PRINCESS ALICE, pure white, one of the best; REINE DES PAYS-BAS, rich violet-pink, margined with white; ROI D'HOLLANDE, dark blood-red, spotted with black; SIGISMUND RUCKER, rich rose, white bordered, with crimson blotches; WILSON SAUNDERS, pure white, striped and blotched with vivid red, very fine.

=A. mollis= (soft). Synonymous with _A. sinensis_.

=A. sinensis= (Chinese). _fl._ campanulate, downy, flame coloured; stamens equal in length to the petals. May. _l._ slowly deciduous, elliptic, acutish, pilosely pubescent, feather-nerved, with ciliated margins, greyish beneath. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft. China and Japan. A large number of seedlings and hybrids from this species are in cultivation, known under the name of Japanese Azaleas, and all are valuable for the decoration of the cool conservatory, or for outdoor work. SYN. _A. mollis_. (L. B. C. 885.)

=AZARA= (in honour of J. N. Azara, a Spanish promoter of science, but of botany in particular). ORD. _Bixineæ_. Showy evergreen, hardy and half-hardy shrubs, with alternate, simple, stalked stipulate leaves, and fragrant flowers. They thrive well in a compost of loam, leaf soil, and sand. Ripened cuttings root readily if placed in sand, under glass, in slight heat. It is believed that all the species enumerated will prove hardy if a slight winter protection in midland and northern counties be afforded. This precaution will be unnecessary in more southern parts.

=A. dentata= (toothed). _fl._ yellow; corymbs sessile, few-flowered. June. _l._ ovate, serrated, scabrous, tomentose beneath; stipules leafy, unequal in size. _h._ 12ft. Chili, 1830. (B. R. 1728.)

=A. Gillesii= (Gilles').* _fl._ bright yellow; panicles axillary, densely packed. Spring. _l._ large, Holly-like, ovate, coarsely toothed, smooth. _h._ 15ft. Chili, 1859. (B. M. 5178.)

=A. integrifolia= (entire-leaved).* _fl._ yellow, on numerous short axillary spikes, of an aromatic fragrance. Autumn. _l._ obovate or oblong, entire, smooth; stipules equal, permanent. _h._ 18ft. Chili (about Conception), 1832. The variegated-leaved form, although rare, is very ornamental. The variegation consists of greenish-yellow, with a blotch of dark green, and in a young state edged with deep pink.

=A. microphylla= (small-leaved).* _fl._ greenish, corymbose, succeeded by numerous small orange-coloured berries. Autumn. _l._ small, distichous, obovate, obtuse, dark-shining green. _h._ 12ft. Chiloe and Valdavia, 1873. This shrub is very ornamental as a standard, and also excellent for covering walls. Quite hardy. See Fig. 199, for which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch and Sons.

=BABIANA= (from _babianer_, the Dutch for baboon; in reference to the bulbs being eaten by baboons). ORD. _Iridaceæ_. A genus of very ornamental bulbous plants confined to the Cape of Good Hope, with the exception of a single species, which is found in Socotra. Flowers occasionally fragrant, and generally characterised by their rich self-colours, or the striking contrast of very distinct hues in the same flower; perianth regular and symmetrical, with six ovate divisions (tube varying in length). Stems from 6in. to 9in. high, arising from a small bulb-like corm, and bearing tapering plaited leaves, which are usually more or less densely covered with long hairs; the scapes are racemose, each bearing about six or more simultaneously expanding flowers. They may be successfully grown in pots. By this plan there is, perhaps, less danger of loss, and their flowering season can be prolonged considerably. A light sandy compost, with a small proportion of well-decayed manure, is required, and thorough drainage is also most essential. Use 48 or 60-sized pots, placing four or five corms in the former, and two or three in the latter, and keep moderately dry until they commence to form roots. October is the best time to pot. As soon as the plants appear above ground, water may be carefully given, and the supply proportionately increased as the plants develop. Very weak liquid manure, applied twice a week, just as the spikes are pushing up, will be beneficial. When the flowers fade, and the stems show signs of decay, the supply of water must be gradually decreased, thus inducing the thorough maturation of the corms, upon which the next season's display depends. When quite down, store the pots in a dry place till the time for repotting arrives, when the corms should be carefully cleaned, and all offsets separated, the latter being potted up in the same way as the parent corms in order to produce flowering specimens; or they may be kept in a pot of sand and planted in a warm border outside in March. Outdoor culture: A sheltered, sunny, and well-drained situation is most essential to success. Although not absolutely necessary, it is preferable to replant every year in early spring, placing the bulbs about 5in. or 6in. deep, with a little sand sprinkled about them. Planting may, of course, be done in autumn, when it will be necessary to cover with cocoa nut fibre refuse to the depth of 5in. or 6in. In warm, sheltered situations, the corms may remain undisturbed; but, as a rule, it is desirable to remove them late in autumn, when the leaves are dead, and store them in dry sand through the winter in a cool, airy position, free of frost. Mixed Babianas may be purchased from dealers at a cheap rate, and, for general purposes, they are best to plant. Propagation may be effected by offsets and seeds. The former is the best and quickest method. The offsets should be grown in boxes or planted out in light rich soil until large enough for flowering. Seeds sown in pans, and placed in a gentle heat, will grow at almost any time; the young plants will require to be carefully transplanted each season until they develop into blooming corms.

=B. cœrulescens= (bluish). Synonymous with _B. plicata_.

=B. disticha= (two-ranked).* _fl._ with a Hyacinth-like fragrance; perianth pale blue; divisions narrow; margins undulated or crisped. June, July. _l._ lanceolate, acute. _h._ 6in. 1774. (B. M. 626.)

=B. plicata= (folded).* _fl._ with a very fragrant clove carnation-like perfume; perianth pale violet-blue; anthers blue, and stigmas yellow. May, June. _l._ lanceolate, distinctly plicate. _h._ 6in. 1774. SYNS. _B. cœrulescens_, _B. reflexa_. (B. M. 576.)

=B. reflexa= (reflexed). Synonymous with _B. plicata_.

=B. ringens= (gaping).* _fl._ scarlet, irregular in form, gaping, very handsome. May, June. _l._ narrow, acute, deep green. _h._ 6in. to 9in. 1752. (L. B. C. 1006.)

=B. sambucina= (Elder-scented). _fl._ bluish-purple, with an Elder-like fragrance; perianth divisions spreading. April, May. _l._ lanceolate, slightly plicate. _h._ 6in. to 9in. 1799. SYN. _Gladiolus sambucinus_. (B. M. 1019.)

=B. stricta= (strict).* _fl._, perianth segments narrow, acute, outer three white, inner three lilac-blue, with a dark blotch near the base of each. May. _l._ broadly lanceolate, obtuse, ciliated. _h._ 1ft. 1795. (B. M. 621.)

=B. s. angustifolia= (narrow-leaved). _fl._ fragrant; perianth bright blue, slightly pink in the tube. May and June. _l._ linear, acute, light green. _h._ 1ft. 1757. (B. M. 637.)

=B. s. rubro-cyanea= (red-and-blue).* _fl._ 2in. or more in diameter; upper half of the perianth very brilliant blue, and the lower part rich crimson, forming a central zone, in striking contrast to the blue portion. May, June. _l._ broad, acuminated, downy on the under surface. _h._ 6in. to 8in. 1796. See Fig. 200. (B. M. 410.)

=B. a. sulphurea= (sulphur-coloured).* _fl._ cream-coloured or pale yellow; anthers blue, and stigmas yellow; segments spreading. April, May. _l._ narrow-obtuse. _h._ 9in. 1795. SYNS. _Gladiolus sulphureus_, _G. plicatus_. (B. M. 1053.)

=B. s. villosa= (villous).* _fl._, perianth smaller than the last, with the narrower segments rather more widely spreading than in _B. s. rubro-cyanea_, brilliant crimson, with violet-blue anthers. August. _h._ 6in. 1778. (B. M. 583.)

=BABINGTONIA= (named after C. C. Babington, Professor of Botany at 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.

=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.