Part 48

=B. minor= (less). _fl._ blue; racemes axillary, bracteate. June. _l._, leaflets rhomboid-lanceolate; stipules lanceolate, longer than the petioles. Stem erect, solid. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. 1829.

=B. perfoliata= (perfoliate-leaved).* _fl._ yellow, small, axillary, solitary. August. _l._ perfoliate, roundish, quite entire, rather glaucous. _h._ 3ft. 1793. (B. M. 3121.)

=B. tinctoria= (dyers').* _fl._ yellow, with wings each furnished with a callosity, or lateral tooth; racemes terminal. _l._ stalked, upper ones nearly sessile; leaflets roundish-obovate; stipules setaceous, almost obsolete. _h._ 2ft. to 3ft. 1759. (L. B. C. 588.)

=BARBACENIA.= (named after M. Barbacena, a Governor of Minas Geraes). Formerly placed in ORD. _Hæmodoraceæ_, but now referred by Bentham and Hooker to _Amaryllidaceæ_. Very singular and pretty stove evergreen herbaceous perennials, allied to _Vellozia_. Flowers purple, large, showy; perianth funnel-shaped, resinosely hairy on the outside; limb spreading; scapes one-flowered, usually clothed with glandular hairs. Leaves firm, spiral, spreading, acutely keeled. Lindley says that they are capable of existing in a dry, hot air without contact with the earth, on which account they are favourites in South American gardens, where, with Orchids and Bromeliads, they are suspended in the dwelling houses, or hung to the balustrades of the balconies, in which situation they flower abundantly, filling the air with their fragrance. They are rarely seen in our gardens. They may be grown in baskets of fibrous loam and peat, with some nodules of charcoal added.

=B. purpurea= (purple).* _fl._ funnel-shaped, six-cleft, terminal, solitary; ovarium elongated, tuberculated. July. _l._ linear, keeled, with spiny serratures. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Brazil, 1825. See Fig. 205. (B. M. 2777.)

=B. Rogieri= (Rogers').* _fl._ purple; scape and ovaria tubercled; filaments broad, bifid. July. _l._ linear, acuminated, imbricate, with broad stem-clasping bases, finely spinely serrated on the margin, and keel recurved; caudex short. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Brazil, 1850. (L. J. F. 82.)

=BARBADOS CHERRY.= _See_ =Malpighia=.

=BARBADOS GOOSEBERRY.= _See_ =Pereskia aculeata=.

=BARBADOS LILY.= _See_ =Hippeastrum equestre=.

=BARBAREA= (anciently called Herb of St. Barbara). Winter Cress; American Cress. ORD. _Cruciferæ_. Hardy glabrous perennial herbs. Flowers yellow; racemes erect, terminal. Stems erect. They are of easy culture, but scarcely worth growing in the pleasure garden. Propagated by cuttings, suckers, divisions, or seeds.

=B. præcox= (early). _l._, lower ones lyrate; terminal lobe ovate; upper ones pinnate-parted; lobes linear-oblong, quite entire. _h._ 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. Commonly known as American, or Black American Cress. Here and there on roadsides, and in dry gravelly places in Great Britain. An escape from cultivation. (Sy. En. B. 124.)

=B. vulgaris= (common). _l._, lower ones lyrate; terminal lobe roundish; upper ones obovate, toothed, or pinnatifid. _h._ 1-1/4ft. The double flowering form of this native species is the only one of this genus worth growing for beauty; it is generally known as Double Yellow Rocket. The variegated form is also rather pretty, and comes true from seed. (Sy. En. B. 120.)

=BARBATUS.= Having long weak hairs, in one or more tufts; bearded.

=BARBERRY.= _See_ =Berberis=.

=BARBIERIA= (in honour of J. B. G. Barbier, M.D., a French physician and naturalist, author of "Principes Generaux de Pharmacologie ou de Matière Medicale," Paris, 1806). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. An ornamental stove evergreen, requiring a mixture of peat, loam, and sand. Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood, which should be placed in sand, under a glass, in stove heat.

=B. polyphylla= (many-leaved).* _fl._ scarlet, 2in. long; racemes axillary, few-flowered, shorter than the leaves. _l._ impari-pinnate, with nine to eleven pairs of elliptic-oblong, mucronate leaflets, pubescent in an adult state. Porto Rico, 1818. SYNS. _Clitorea polyphylla_ and _Galactia pinnata_.

=BARBS.= Hooked hairs.

=BARK.= The outer integuments of a plant beyond the wood, and formed of tissue parallel with it.

=BARK-BOUND.= This condition is generally the result of very rich soil, or insufficient drainage. In most fruit trees a gummy exudation takes place. If caused by stagnancy, thorough drainage should immediately be effected. Scrubbing the stem is also recommended. Slitting the bark with a knife is likely to do more harm than good, particularly so in the hands of the inexperienced.

=BARKERIA= (name commemorative of the late G. Barker, of Birmingham, an ardent cultivator of orchids). ORD. _Orchidaceæ_. From a scientific point of view, this genus should be included in _Epidendrum_. Very handsome, deciduous, epiphytal, cool-house orchids, having slender pseudo-bulbs, from 6in. to 12in. high, from the top of which the numerous flower-stems are produced. In a cool, airy temperature, these plants grow vigorously, suspended in pans or small baskets close beneath the glass, and slightly shaded with tiffany. They succeed well also on flat blocks of wood, on the top of which they should be tied, without any moss, as their freely-produced, thick, fleshy roots soon cling to the blocks. During the season of growth, a good supply of water is needed, and in hot weather it may be applied three or four times daily; the blocks and plants are best immersed in water; but when at rest, a slight watering twice or three times a week will suffice. Propagated by divisions, just previous to the commencement of new growth.

=B. elegans= (elegant).* _fl._ in loose racemes, four or five in each; each blossom about 2in. across; sepals and petals dark rose; lip reddish crimson, spotted and edged with a lighter colour. Winter. _h._ 2ft. Mexico, 1836. Of this beautiful slender-growing species, there are two or three varieties in cultivation. (B. M. 4784.)

=B. Lindleyana= (Lindley's).* _fl._, raceme 2ft. long, very slender, bearing from five to seven blossoms near its apex; sepals and petals rosy purple; lip white, with a deep purple blotch at its apex. September, remaining in beauty for a considerable time. _h._ 2ft. Costa Rica, 1842. (B. M. 6098.)

=B. L. Centeræ= (Center's).* _fl._ rosy lilac; lip oblong; margins crenulated or crisped; apex blotched deep purple. Costa Rica, 1873.

=B. melanocaulon= (dark-stemmed).* _fl._ on an erect spike; sepals and petals rosy lilac; lip broader at the base than at the top, reddish-purple, having a blotch of green in the centre. August. _h._ 1ft. Costa Rica, 1848. Very rare.

=B. Skinneri= (Skinner's).* _fl._ deep rose-coloured; spikes 6in. to 9in. long, from the apices of the ripened growth, often branched, forming a dense mass of deep purple blossoms, which, if kept dry, lasts from eight to ten weeks. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Guatemala. (P. M. B. 15, 1.)

=B. S. superbum= (superb).* _fl._ dark rose; lip somewhat deeper tinted, and marked towards the base with yellow streaks. Guatemala. This far surpasses the type in size and number of flowers, as well as in brilliancy of colour. (W. S. O. 38.)

=B. spectabilis= (showy).* _fl._ quite 2in. across, produced eight or ten together, on a spike issuing from the top of the pseudo-bulb; sepals and petals oblong, acuminate, rosy lilac; lip white, margined with deep lilac or rosy purple, and dotted or spotted with crimson. This very distinct and desirable species lasts from eight to ten weeks in beauty, and forms a very handsome object when placed in the drawing-room and covered over with a large glass shade. Guatemala, 1843. (B. M. 4094.)

=BARKING-IRONS.= Instruments used in taking off the bark of trees.

=BARKLYA= (named after Sir H. Barkly, formerly Governor of South Australia). ORD. _Leguminosæ_. A large greenhouse tree, thriving in a compost of loam and leaf mould. Propagated by seeds and cuttings; the latter should be half ripened, and placed in sandy soil, under a bell glass, in a cool house.

=B. syringifolia= (Syringa-leaved). _fl._ golden yellow, numerous, disposed in axillary or terminal racemes. _l._ alternate, simple, coriaceous. _h._ 30ft. Moreton Bay, 1858.

=BARK STOVE.= A hothouse adapted for moisture-loving exotics, and having a pit from 2ft. to 4ft. deep, containing fermenting matter, chiefly tanners' bark, by which means a steady heat is maintained for a considerable time. The Bark Stove is now almost obsolete. Bark is, however, still largely used in pine pits, and in some propagating beds; but such beds are generally superseded by hot-water or hot-air tanks.

=BARLERIA= (named after J. Barrelier, a French botanist of the seventeenth century). ORD. _Acanthaceæ_. A genus of interesting and ornamental stove evergreen shrubs. Flowers axillary or terminal; calyx four-sepaled, the two outer larger than the others. They thrive best if grown in loam and peat, with a little rotten dung added. Propagated by cuttings made of the young wood, and placed in a similar compost, under a bell glass, in stove temperature, with bottom heat.

=B. flava= (yellow).* _fl._ yellow, aggregate, terminal, tubular; bracts very narrow, setose. Summer. _l._ lanceolate, hairy, entire. Plant unarmed. _h._ 3ft. India, 1816. SYN. _B. mitis_. (B. M. 4113.)

=B. Gibsoni= (Gibson's). _fl._ pale purple, rather large, sub-terminal. Winter. _l._ ovate or oblong-lanceolate. India, 1867. A glabrous stove shrub, of branched habit. (B. M. 5628.)

=B. Leichtensteiniana= (Leichtenstein's).* _fl._ very curious; spikes axillary, 2in. to 3in. long, ovoid or oblong, consisting of a large number of closely packed overlapping bracts, all turned to the fore or lower part of the spike; bracts ovate-acuminate, mucronate, spine-toothed, one-ribbed, with prominent and curved veins, and 1in. to 1-1/2. long. _l._ opposite, 1in. to 2in. long, linear-lanceolate, entire, mucronate, tapering at the base into a very short stalk. Branches slender, virgate, sub-angular. South Africa, 1870. This plant is covered over its whole surface with close, white, hoary down. (G. C. 1870, p. 73.)

=B. longifolia= (long-leaved). _fl._ white; spines of whorls six. Summer. _l._ ensiform, very long, rough. _h._ 2ft. India, 1781. This is a biennial.

=B. lupulina= (Hop-headed). _fl._ yellowish; spikes ovate; bracts ovate, concave, imbricated. August. _l._ lanceolate, quite entire; spines simple, spreading. _h._ 2ft. Mauritius, 1824.

=B. Mackenii= (MacKen's).* _fl._ purple, large, in a terminal raceme. Spring. _l._ recurved, narrow-ovate, or elliptic-lanceolate, sub-acute, petioled. Natal, 1870. (B. M. 5866.)

=B. mitis= (small). Synonymous with _B. flava_.

=B. prionitis= (Prionitis-like). _fl._ orange; spines axillary, pedate, in fours. Summer. _l._ quite entire, lanceolate-ovate. _h._ 3ft. India, 1759.

=BARLEY.= _See_ =Hordeum vulgare=.

=BARNADESIA= (named after Michael Barnadez, a Spanish botanist). ORD. _Compositæ_. Pretty greenhouse deciduous shrubs, requiring a dry atmosphere. They should be grown in peat, loam, and sand, in equal proportions. Propagated either by seeds, sown in hotbeds in March, or by cuttings, made of half-ripened wood in April, and placed in sand under a bell glass.

=B. rosea= (rosy).* _fl.-heads_ rose-coloured, solitary, ovate-cylindrical, downy, sessile; florets bilabiate, one lip oblong-emarginate, villous, the other filiform; hairs on receptacle twisted; pappus stiff, plumose. May. _l._ alternate, ovate, acute at both ends. _h._ 1-1/2ft. South America, 1840. See Fig. 206. (B. M. 4232.)

=BARNARDIA.= Included under =Scilla= (which _see_).

=BAROMETER.= An instrument for measuring the density of the atmosphere, and hence determining the probable changes of weather, or the height of any ascent. To the gardener the Barometer is indispensable as a warning to take due precaution.

=BAROSMA= (from _barys_, heavy, and _osme_, smell; referring to the powerful scent of the leaves). Name often incorrectly spelt _Baryosma_. SYN. _Parapetalifera_. ORD. _Rutaceæ_. Very pretty small, Heath-like, greenhouse evergreen shrubs, from the Cape of Good Hope. Calyx equally five-parted; petals five, oblong; stamens ten. Leaves opposite or scattered, coriaceous, flat, dotted, with their margins sometimes glandularly serrulated, sometimes almost entire or revolute. They thrive in a mixture of sand, peat, and a little turfy loam, with good drainage and firm potting. Cuttings, taken from ripened wood, inserted in a pot of sand, and placed in a shady position in a cool house, with a bell glass over them, will root readily in a few weeks.

=B. betulina= (Birch-leaved). _fl._ white, axillary, solitary. February to September. _l._ opposite, obovate, serrulate, sessile, spreading. _h._ 1ft. to 3ft. 1790. (B. M. Pl. 45.)

=B. dioica= (diœcious).* _fl._ purplish; peduncles axillary, usually in threes, shorter than the leaves. April. _l._ scattered; upper ones ternate, lanceolate, tapering to both ends, full of glandular dots, spreading. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. 1816. (B. R. 502.)

=B. latifolia= (broad-leaved). _fl._ white, usually solitary, lateral. July. _l._ opposite, ovate-oblong, sessile, serrulated, smoothish, without glandular dots; branches villous. _h._ 1ft. 1789.

=B. pulchella= (pretty).* _fl._ pale red or purple; peduncles axillary, usually solitary, exceeding the leaves. February. _l._ crowded, ovate, quite smooth, with thickened, crenate-glandular margins. _h._ 1ft. to 3ft. 1787.

=B. serratifolia= (saw-edged-leaved).* _fl._ white; peduncles axillary, sub-divided. March to June. _l._ nearly opposite, lanceolate, stalked, glandularly serrulated, smooth. _h._ 1ft. to 3ft. 1789. (B. M. 456, and B. Z. 1853, 12.)

=BARRED.= Marked in spaces with a paler colour, resembling bars.

=BARREN FLOWERS.= The male or staminate flowers of many plants, such as the Cucumber, Melon, &c., are popularly known as Barren Flowers, _i.e._, they produce no fruit. This condition is, in some respects, similar to "blind" Strawberries or "blind" Cabbages, so far as fruition is concerned, but structurally and functionally it is widely different. The Barren Flowers of the Cucumber, Melon, &c., are produced by what are known as monœcious plants, _i.e._, having male and female organs in different flowers, but on the same plant. In the Strawberry, &c., Barren Flowers are generally the result of unfavourable surroundings, or unskilful cultivation. A good example of Barren Flowers is seen in the ray-florets of many Composite plants, which are frequently really neuter, having neither male nor female organs.

=BARREN SOILS.= A term signifying such soils as are normally unprofitable. The term can only be correctly applied in very few cases; as almost any soil may be rendered capable of affording a basis for some kind of vegetable life, arboreal or other. The question of planting up the enormous quantity of what is now waste land, might well engage the most practical consideration. Of course, the natural state of any land will, to a great extent, determine what would be its ultimate condition, after all that could be effected by mechanical agency has been accomplished. Drainage, irrigation, enrichment, pulverisation, are all matters which can only be considered upon a particular basis; but we doubt not that the thousands of acres of land now practically almost useless, might, by the adoption of proper means, be rendered fairly remunerative.

=BARREN-WORT.= _See_ =Epimedium=.

=BARRINGTONIA= (named after the Hon. Daines Barrington, F.R.S.). ORD. _Myrtaceæ_. A genus of stove evergreen trees and shrubs, very difficult to cultivate. Flowers large, racemose. Leaves opposite or whorled, generally obovate; margins toothed or entire. Fruit one-seeded, fleshy. They require a compost of two parts loam, one peat, and one sand. Water should be given in abundance, and a moist atmosphere at all times maintained, the temperature ranging from 65deg. to 95deg. Propagated by cuttings obtained from the lateral shoots; these, taken off at a joint when the wood is ripe, planted in sand, with a hand glass over them, root readily. The cuttings should not be stripped of any of their leaves.

=B. racemosa= (raceme-flowered). _fl._ red; racemes pendulous, very long. _l._ cuneate-oblong, acuminated, serrulated. _h._ 30ft. Malabar, 1822. (B. M. 3831.)

=B. speciosa= (showy).* _fl._ purple and white, large and handsome, disposed in an erect thyrse. _l._ shining, cuneate-oblong, obtuse, quite entire. _h._ 20in. to 30in. in England. This beautiful species seldom attains a height of more than 6ft. or 8ft. (G. C. 1845, p. 56.)

=BARROW.= Garden Barrows are very numerous, both with and without wheels. The Flower-pot Barrow has a wheel and a flat surface, on which plants, pots, or leaves are placed, either directly, or, when small, in shallow baskets. The Haum Barrow is an open box or case, of wicker or other work, placed on, or suspended from, a pair of handles, with or without a wheel, and is useful for carrying litter, leaves, &c. The Water Barrow, instead of a box, contains a barrel, tub, or cistern, in which fluid manure, or ordinary water, is conveyed to different parts of the garden. The Hand-barrow is a frame of wood, carried by two levers, which form four handles; for removing large pots or tubs of trees or shrubs it is very useful.

=BARTLINGIA.= A synonym of =Plocama= (which _see_).

=BARTONIA= (in honour of Benjamin S. Barton, M.D., formerly Professor of Botany at Philadelphia). ORD. _Loasaceæ_. Hardy annuals or biennials, downy, with stiff and bearded hairs. This genus is now placed under _Mentzelia_ in most standard botanical works. Flowers white or yellow, large, terminal, expanding in the evening, when they are very fragrant, and becoming reddish as they fade. Leaves alternate, interruptedly pinnatifid. The species are very showy, and well worth growing. Any ordinary garden soil suits them. Seeds should be raised in a gentle heat in spring; and, when the seedlings are sufficiently large, they should be potted singly into small, well-drained pots. In winter, they should be placed on a dry shelf in a greenhouse or frame. _B. aurea_ is one of the brightest of hardy annuals, and may be sown either in a frame, or in the open border in April.

=B. albescens= (whitish).* _fl._, petals ten, pale yellow, disposed in a leafy panicle. July. _l._ sinuately toothed. Stem with a white shining epidermis. _h._ 1ft. to 4ft. Chili, 1831. Annual or biennial. (S. B. F. G. ii., 182.)

=B. aurea= (golden).* _fl._ two or three together, terminal, bright golden yellow, as large as a half-crown; petals five. June. _h._ 1ft. California, 1834. Annual. See Fig. 207. (B. M. 3649.)

=B. nuda= (naked) and =B. ornata= (adorned) are two very pretty white-flowered biennial species. _h._ 2ft. Missouri, 1811.

=BARYOSMA.= _See_ =Barosma=.

=BASAL=, or =BASILAR=. Situated at the base of anything; as the embryo, when situated at the bottom of the seed.

=BASELLA= (its Malabar name). Malabar Nightshade. ORD. _Basellaceæ_. Annual or biennial stove trailers, with white or pinkish flowers, of no great horticultural value. In India, and elsewhere throughout the tropics, some of the species are cultivated as pot herbs, and are used as a substitute for Spinach.

=B. alba= (white).* _fl._ white. August. _l._ heart-shaped, pointed. _h._ 8in. India, 1688. This plant, either when allowed to fall in festoons from the roof of a warm house, or treated as a basket plant, forms an elegant object when in flower.

=BASELLACEÆ.= A series of usually herbaceous climbers, and considered a tribe of _Chenopodiaceæ_.

=BASIL, SWEET= (_Ocymum basilicum_). This is a tender annual from India, and must be raised in gentle heat. The foliage is somewhat largely used for flavouring purposes. Seeds should be sown in April, the seedlings pricked out into boxes to strengthen, and finally planted out about 8in. asunder, in beds of light rich soil, in June, being well watered until fully established. As soon as they bloom, they should be cut down to within a few inches of the ground, and the portions cut off should be tied up in small bunches and dried in the shade for winter use. Some of the plants can be lifted in September, potted up, and placed in a warm greenhouse for the winter, when the fresh green leaves will be found very useful. Bush Basil (_Ocymum minimum_) is a dwarfer plant, but may be treated in the same way. Wild Basil is botanically known as _Calamintha Clinopodium_.

=BASIL-THYME.= _See_ =Calamintha Acinos=.

=BASI-NERVED.= When the nerves of a leaf spring from the base.

=BASING-UP.= The raising of a small bank of earth entirely round a plant, so as to retain water immediately about the root. The term is sometimes used to signify =Earthing= or =Moulding=, which _see_.

=BASKETS.= Few objects contribute more to the adornment of a window, or the decoration of the diningroom, drawing-room, or glass-house, than Hanging Baskets, tastefully filled with handsome foliaged and flowering plants. Baskets are made in different forms and of various materials, such as wire, terra-cotta, wood, and cork. The Wire Baskets have a very light and elegant appearance, and are generally used. In filling Baskets, the inside should be lined with a thick layer of moss, or _Selaginella Kraussiana_, next to which a layer of coarse sacking must be placed, to prevent the soil from working through. Terra-cotta Baskets are very pretty, and are extensively employed in domestic rooms, but they should always have one or more holes at the bottom, to facilitate drainage. Rustic Baskets, of cork or wood, are also very suitable for floral arrangements; those composed of teak-wood are very generally used for orchids. The compost should be prepared according to the requirements of the plant or plants intended to be grown, which can be easily ascertained on reference to such plants in this work. The soil should not be allowed to get dry; in the event of this happening, however, a thorough soaking by immersion must be given. As a rule, attention should be given in the matter of watering every other day, and light syringing every morning and evening during the spring and summer months will be most beneficial. The Baskets should be examined every week, all dead or decaying leaves being removed, and any insects, which are so likely to get a foothold, destroyed. In arranging the subjects, the centre plant should be the tallest, the next outer ones shorter, and the marginal ones of a trailing or drooping habit, so that the whole may present a symmetrical, and at the same time a natural, appearance. Wickerwork Baskets are used for carrying or transferring plants, and are generally made 18in. wide by 20in. deep; they are extremely useful, and should be in every garden. Split wood and withes are largely employed in making Baskets. The Planter's Basket, described by Loudon as a flat, rectangular utensil of wickerwork or boards, partitioned into three or more parts, for the purpose of carrying with the gardener when about to plant or remove plants, is now, unfortunately, almost obsolete. One division is for the plants, another for those taken up, and a third for the tools to be made use of, and for any decayed parts of plants, stones, weeds, or other refuse which may be collected. By using this Basket, order, accuracy, and neatness are secured. The Sussex "Truck" Baskets, made of willow-wood, are very useful, being both light and durable. _See also_ =Measures=.