Part 57

=B. Saundersii= (Saunders').* _fl._ about 2in. long, disposed in a loose pendulous inflorescence; sepals crimson, half the length of the petals, which are yellow outside and blue within. _l._ tufted, ligulate, rounded at the apex, terminated by a short mucro, saw-toothed, green above, purple beneath, and spotted white on both surfaces. Brazil, 1868. SYN. (according to Morren) _B. chlorosticta_. (F. M. n. s. 106.)

=B. thyrsoidea= (thyrsoid). _fl._ dense, in thyrsoid spikes, almost without bracts. June. _l._ green, ligulate, shortly acuminate, the margin toothed. _h._ 1ft. Brazil, 1850. (B. M. 4756.)

=B. vittata= (striped). _fl._ indigo blue, with crimson calyces and bracts; racemes nodding. _l._ banded, ligulate, elongate, shining. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Brazil, 1843. (B. H. 1871, 14, 15.)

=B. Wioti= (Wiot's). Synonymous with _B. pallescens_

=B. zebrina= (zebra-streaked).* _fl._ greenish; scape clothed with large, pale, salmon-coloured bracts; inflorescence gracefully curved downwards. Early spring. _l._ sheathing for about half their length, forming thus a sort of tube, deep green, with zones of grey, the whole deepening with age. _h._ 1-1/2ft. South America, 1826. SYN. _Helicodea zebrina_. (L. B. C. 1912.)

=BILOBATE.= Two-lobed.

=BINATE.= In pairs.

=BINDING.= The process of securing a graft or bud in its place by means of Raffia or Bast. The same term is applied to hard clay or other soil impervious to water, in summer.

=BINDWEED.= _See_ =Convolvulus=.

=BIOPHYTUM= (from _bios_, life, and _phyton_, a plant; the leaves of one species being sensitive to the touch). TRIBE _Oxalideæ_ of order _Geraniaceæ_. A genus of pretty and interesting perennials, differing from _Oxalis_, in which genus it has been included, in the valves of the capsule being patent and separate to the base. They will thrive in a mixture of loam and peat. Propagated by seeds, which should be sown in spring, on a hotbed. Probably the only species in cultivation is the following:

=B. sensitivum= (sensitive). _fl._ yellow, small. July. _l._, leaflets oblong, obtuse, mucronate. _h._ 6in. India and China, 1823. The leaves of this plant contract on the slightest touch. SYN. _Oxalis sensitiva_. (B. R. 31, 68.)

=BIOTA.= _See_ =Thuja=.

=BIOTIA.= _See_ =Aster corymbosus=.

=BIPARTITE.= Divided into two nearly to the base.

=BIPINNATE.= Twice pinnate.

=BIPINNATIFID=, or =BIPINNATIPARTED=. Having both primary and secondary segments of a leaf divided, but not to the base.

=BIPLICATE.= Having two folds or plaits.

=BIRCH.= _See_ =Betula=.

=BIRD-CHERRY.= _See_ =Cerasus Padus=.

=BIRDLIME.= A preparation made from Mistletoe berries and Holly bark. It is used for catching birds.

=BIRD-PEPPER.= _See_ =Capsicum baccatum=.

=BIRDS.= As a class, Birds are very much more useful than hurtful in gardens. Owls are of great use in catching mice, and Night-jars in catching night-flying insects. Rooks are very useful in lessening the numbers of wire-worms, and of hurtful insects in general; but, if very numerous, they may be driven to eat potatoes and other vegetable food, and may then do harm. The same may be said of Starlings. Blackbirds and Thrushes feed much on snails and worms, but they also feed on the ripe fruits in gardens. As a rule, slender-billed birds feed almost wholly on insects or other animals, and are to be encouraged in gardens at all seasons. Among these may be enumerated the Tree-creeper, Wryneck, Warblers, and Wrens of various kinds, Chats, Hedge-sparrow, Larks, Redstart, Robin, Titmice, and Wagtails. Swifts, Swallows, and Martins, are also great destroyers of insects. The Finches feed, in part, on insects, but also eat large quantities of seeds, and often do considerable damage among plants grown for seed, _e.g._, Cabbages, and in the seed-beds. Sparrows are about the most troublesome, though they are often assisted by Buntings, Chaffinches, Linnets, and others. When seed-beds or fruits have to be protected, this may be done by nets; or, more simply, by threads tied to sticks a few inches above the surface of the ground, or in front of the trees.

=BIRD'S-EYE PRIMROSE.= _See_ =Primula farinosa=.

=BIRD'S-FOOT.= _See_ =Ornithopus=.

=BIRD'S-FOOT FERN.= _See_ =Pellæa ornithopus=.

=BIRD'S-NEST FERN.= _See_ =Asplenium Nidus=.

=BIRTHWORT.= _See_ =Aristolochia=.

=BISCUTELLA= (from _bis_, double, and _scutella_, a saucer; in allusion to the form of the silicles). Buckler Mustard. ORD. _Cruciferæ_. Perennial or annual herbaceous plants, usually hispid, but sometimes downy or smoothish. Flowers yellow, scentless; pedicels filiform, bractless. Leaves oblong, entire, toothed or pinnatifid, somewhat radical or cauline. Stems round, erect, usually corymbosely branched at the top by racemes, which, when in flower, are short, but elongated at the time of fruiting. All the species produce seeds freely. The annuals should be sown in the open borders. Some of the perennial kinds are well adapted for ornamenting rockwork, in a dry, sunny situation. Of the annuals, _columnæ_, _lyrata_, _maritima_, and _obovata_, are best. Of the perennials, _coronopifolia_, _lævigata_, and _sempervirens_ are the most desirable, but none are worth cultivation outside botanical collections.

=BISERIAL=, or =BISERIATE=. Arranged in two parallel rows.

=BISERRATE.= Toothed in a saw-like manner, but with the primary teeth again serrated.

=BISULCATE.= Doubly furrowed.

=BITERNATE.= Twice ternate.

=BITTER ALMOND.= _See_ =Amygdalus communis amara=.

=BITTER APPLE.= _See_ =Cucumis Colocynthis=.

=BITTER-SWEET.= _See_ =Solanum Dulcamara=.

=BITTER VETCH.= _See_ =Orobus=.

=BITUMINOUS.= Clammy, adhesive.

=BIVONÆA= (named after Antonio Bivona-Bernardi, a Sicilian botanist, author of "Sicularum Plantarum Centuria I. et II.," Palermo, 1806). ORD. _Cruciferæ_. A pretty little monotypic genus, well adapted for ornamenting rockwork or the front of flower borders. A dry sandy soil is most suitable for its culture. Propagated by seeds, sown in spring where the plants are intended to remain, thinning-out being necessary to ensure full growth.

=B. lutea= (yellow).* _fl._ yellow, small; racemes terminal, elongated as they grow; pedicels filiform, bractless. April. _l._ alternate, lower ones stalked, the rest sessile, cordate, stem-clasping at the base, ovate, toothed, bluntish. Stem filiform, sparingly branched. _h._ 3in. to 6in. Sicily, 1823. An annual.

=BIXA= (its South American name). Arnatto. ORD. _Bixineæ_. Stove evergreen trees, with dichotomous panicles of large reddish flowers, broad cordate leaves, and prickly capsules. A compost of loam and peat is well adapted to their culture. Propagated by seed, sown when ripe in bottom heat; or by cuttings, which root freely in sand, under a hand glass, in heat; the latter is the better method. If grown from seed, the trees attain a large size before they flower; whereas cuttings, taken from a flowering plant and struck, may be brought to flower when small plants.

=B. Orellana= (Orellana). _fl._ pale peach-coloured; corymbs terminal, panicled; peduncles two, three, and four-flowered. May to August. _l._ cordate, ovate, acuminated, entire or angular, smooth on both surfaces. The drug called Arnatto is prepared from the red pulp which covers the seed of this species. It is used in the preparation of chocolate, and by farmers for colouring cheese, and also as an orange or yellow dye for silks. _h._ 30ft. West Indian Islands, 1690. See Fig. 253. (B. M. 1456.)

=BIXINEÆ.= An order of smoothish tropical trees or shrubs, not remarkable for any particular beauty. Flowers with or without petals, when present five and sepal-like; stamens indefinite in number, inserted in the receptacle or at the bottom of the calyx; peduncle axillary or terminal, bracteate, one or many-flowered, usually forming terminal panicles. Fruit fleshy or dry. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, or slightly lobed, generally full of pellucid dots. The genera best known are _Azara_, _Bixa_, and _Flacourtia_.

=BLACK BEARBERRY.= _See_ =Arctostaphylos alpina=.

=BLACK BEETLES.= _See_ =Cockroaches=.

=BLACK BRYONY.= _See_ =Tamus communis=.

=BLACK BULLACE.= _See_ =Prunus insititia=.

=BLACKBURNIA.= _See_ =Xanthoxylum=.

=BLACK FLY or BEAN FLY= (_Aphis rumicis_), also called Collier and Black Dolphin. This Fly (see Fig. 254) is found on many herbaceous plants. It is very injurious to Beans; hence, immediate means of destruction must be employed directly the insect appears. Its extermination is an extremely difficult matter; but the following remedies are very effectual:

_Tobacco Water._ This, made and applied as recommended for Aphides (which _see_) is a good remedy; but it is rendered more certain by the employment of soapsuds, instead of clear water, in its manufacture.

_Paris Green_ (Arseniate of Copper). Owing to its poisonous nature, this should not be used where there is fruit on the trees or vegetables under them; but there is no better destroyer of hard-dying insects. Its application is very simple. Mix 1lb. of the green with 30gals. of water, and well wet the infested parts of the trees, using a fine-rosed watercan or garden engine for the purpose. The operator's hands should be free from sores and scratches, or dangerous ulcerations may ensue.

_Gas Liquor._ If this can be obtained from a gas-house, it should be diluted with twice its bulk of water, and applied in the same manner as Paris Green, being washed off with clean water in a few hours. If the process be repeated on two or three consecutive nights, it will be found certain in its effects; moreover, it is not very poisonous. The finger or thumb, or the Aphis brush, applied early, will often exterminate these obnoxious insects at once. The first of the methods above described is perhaps the most accessible and the safest to use. Poisonous insecticides are more or less dangerous, especially in the hands of the inexperienced. Black Fly is, however, one of the most difficult insects to eradicate, especially if allowed to multiply. A syringing of clean water should follow either of the above applications. _See also_ =Aphides=.

=BLACK JACK OAK.= _See_ =Quercus nigra=.

=BLACK MAIDENHAIR SPLEENWORT.= _See_ =Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum=.

=BLACK PINE.= _See_ =Pinus austriaca=.

=BLACKTHORN.= _See_ =Prunus spinosa=.

=BLACK VARNISH TREE.= _See_ =Melanorrhœa=.

=BLACK WATTLE.= _See_ =Callicoma serratifolia=.

=BLADDER CATCHFLY.= _See_ =Silene inflata=.

=BLADDER KETMIA.= _See_ =Hibiscus Trionum=.

=BLADDER NUT.= _See_ =Staphylea=.

=BLADDER SENNA.= _See_ =Colutea=.

=BLADDER WORT.= _See_ =Utricularia=.

=BLADE.= The lamina or expanded part of a leaf.

=BLÆRIA= (named after Patrick Blair, M.D., F.R.S., who practised medicine at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and was author of "Miscellaneous Observations," 1718; "Botanic Essays," 1820, &c.). ORD. _Ericaceæ_. Pretty little greenhouse evergreen shrubs, natives of Southern and Tropical Africa. Flowers terminal, glomerate; corolla short-tubular, with a four-cleft limb, very freely branched. Leaves verticillate, with revolute margins. For culture, _see_ =Erica=.

=B. articulata= (jointed).* _fl._ reddish; heads drooping. May. _l._ four in a whorl, ovate or linear, glabrous, and shining; bracts solitary. _h._ 1ft. 1795.

=B. ericoides= (Heath-like). _fl._ purplish-red. August. _l._ four in a whorl, oblong, obtuse, ringed; bracts three, length of the calyx. _h._ 2ft. 1774. SYN. _Erica orbicularis_. (L. B. C. 153.)

=B. purpurea= (purple). _fl._ purple; heads drooping. June. _l._ four in a whorl, ovate, sub-ciliated. Stem flexuous, erect. _h._ 2ft. 1791.

=BLAKEA= (named after Martin Blake, of Antigua, a great promoter of useful knowledge). ORD. _Melastomaceæ_. Handsome stove evergreen shrubs or trees. Flowers red, large, showy; peduncles axillary, terete, one-flowered, naked, opposite or solitary, shorter than the leaves, usually with brown tomentum. Leaves petiolate, three to five-nerved, coriaceous, glabrous above and shining, but usually densely clothed with rusty tomentum beneath. They thrive well in peat, or a mixture of loam and peat, and require to be liberally supplied with water, particularly in spring and summer. Cuttings root freely if taken from shoots that are quite ripe (otherwise they are apt to rot), planted in a pot of sand, and plunged in a moist heat, under a hand glass.

=B. quinquenervia= (five-nerved). _fl._ flesh-coloured, large, with white disks; peduncles twin, shorter than the petioles. June. _l._ elliptic, acuminated, naked, and shining on both surfaces, five-nerved. _h._ 10ft. to 16ft. Guiana, 1820. (A. G. 210.)

=B. trinervia= (three-nerved). _fl._ rose colour, large; peduncles solitary, longer than the petioles. June. _l._ oval-oblong, three-nerved, glabrous and shining on both surfaces in the adult state, and when young serrulated; petioles and branchlets clothed with rusty tomentum. Roots issuing from the branches and stems. _h._ 4ft. to 8ft. Jamaica, 1789. (B. M. 451.)

=BLANCHING.= This process is effected for the purpose of obtaining crispness, and for converting what would, under ordinary circumstances, be a dangerous plant--in the case of Celery especially so--into a highly popular delicacy. Blanching can only be accomplished by entirely excluding the light from the plants, thus depriving the colouring matters of their power to decompose water and carbonic acid gas. It is also termed Etiolation.

=BLANDFORDIA= (named after George, Marquis of Blandford). ORD. _Liliaceæ_. A very beautiful genus of greenhouse bulbous plants, natives of Australia. Flowers solitary, on recurved pedicels; perianth funnel-shaped, six-cleft; stamens six. Leaves linear, elongate, striate; radical ones dilated, and somewhat sheathing at the base; others shorter and more distant, appearing on the flower-stem. The best soil in which to grow them is loam and peat in equal proportions, with a little rough silver sand added. They should be repotted moderately firm in the autumn, allowing good drainage, and should then be placed under the greenhouse stage, or in any other position where they will be free from water drippings. Water must only be given when dry, until they commence to grow, when it may be gradually increased, and they may be introduced into a higher temperature, if necessary, there to remain till after flowering. When the foliage is ripened off, they may be stored away until the time for repotting. Propagated by seeds and offsets, or by division of the old plants, which must be done when repotting.

=B. aurea= (golden).* _fl._ 1-1/2in. to 2in. long; scape bearing an umbellate cluster of three to five pure golden-yellow drooping bell-shaped flowers. Summer. _l._ narrow, linear, keeled or channelled, from the base of which the flower-scape arises. _h._ 1ft. to 2ft. New South Wales, 1870. (B. M. 5809.)

=B. Cunninghamii= (Cunningham's).* _fl._ rich coppery red, the upper part yellow; about 2in. long, bell-shaped, pendulous; from twelve to twenty, terminating in a stout scape 3ft. high. June. _l._ linear, slightly keeled at the back, about 1/3in. broad. New South Wales. This magnificent species should have a little charcoal mixed with the soil already mentioned. (B. M. 5734.)

=B. C. hybrida= (hybrid). _fl._ red, margined with clear yellow, bell-shaped, in a dense drooping umbel.

=B. flammea= (fiery).* _fl._ dullish yellow, in dense umbel-like clusters; bracts ovate-lanceolate, stiff; perianth inversely conical. June. _l._ linear, bluntly keeled. _h._ 2ft. Australia, 1849.

=B. f. elegans= (elegant).* _fl._ crimson, tipped with yellow, large, funnel-shaped. Summer. _l._ long, linear-ensiform. This very handsome form is often taken for the type.

=B. f. princeps= (magnificent).* _fl._ rich orange-red externally, and bright yellow within, about 3in. long, tubular, borne on a scape about 1ft. high, slightly pendulous, and arranged near the summit. Summer. _l._ stiff, sub-erect, long, bright green, disposed in a distichous manner. This is a very splendid greenhouse plant, and should be in every collection. Australia, 1873. SYN. _B. princeps_. See Fig. 255. (B. M. 6209.)

=B. grandiflora= (large-flowered).* _fl._ crimson, very large; bracts as long as the pedicels, the inner much the shortest. July. _h._ 2ft. New South Wales, 1812. (B. R. 924.)

=B. intermedia= (intermediate). _fl._ yellow, pendulous, funnel-shaped, in sixteen to twenty-flowered racemes; bracts leaf-formed. September. _l._ channelled, acutely keeled, scabrous on the margins. _h._ 1-1/2ft. Australia.

=B. marginata= (margined). _fl._ orange-red, conical, in long pendulous racemes; bracts narrow, foliaceous, about equalling in length the pedicels. July. _l._ stiff, sub-erect, with scabrous margins. _h._ 2ft. Tasmania, 1842. (B. R. 31, 18.)

=B. nobilis= (noble).* _fl._ orange with yellow margins, on long pedicels, drooping, disposed in a terminal raceme; bracts twice as short as the pedicels. July. _l._ very narrow. _h._ 2ft. New South Wales, 1803. (B. M. 2003.)

=B. princeps= (magnificent). Synonymous with _B. flammea princeps_.

=BLATTA.= _See_ =Cockroaches=.

=BLEABERRY.= _See_ =Vaccinium Myrtillus=.

=BLEACHING POWDER.= _See_ =Chloride of Lime=.

=BLECHNUM= (from _Blechnon_, the Greek name of a fern). ORD. _Filices_. A very attractive genus of stove and greenhouse ferns, thriving in a compost of peat, leaf soil, and loam. Sori linear, continuous, or nearly so, parallel with, and usually contiguous to, the midrib. Involucre distinct from the edge of the frond. Fronds uniform, generally pinnate or pinnatifid. Veins usually free. For general culture, _see_ =Ferns=.

=B. australe= (southern).* _cau._ stout, creeping, scaly; _sti._ erect, 4in. to 6in. long. _fronds_ 9in. to 18in. long, and from 2in. to 3in. broad, lanceolate, narrowed towards both ends; pinnæ numerous, the barren ones 1in. to 1-1/2in. long, 1/4in. to 3/8in. broad, linear, hastate-cordate, or auricled at the base, especially on the upper side, with a very coriaceous texture; fertile pinnæ narrower. _sori_ in a continuous or slightly broken line, close, but not contiguous, to the midrib. South Africa, &c., 1691. Greenhouse species.

=B. boreale.= _See_ =Lomaria Spicant=.

=B. braziliense= (Brazilian).* _cau._ erect, stout, sub-arborescent, 1ft. or more long, densely clothed at the crown with dark brown scales. _sti._ short, stout, densely scaly. _fronds_ oblong-lanceolate, 2ft. to 4ft. long, 6in. to 16in. broad, narrowing downwards very gradually; pinnæ close, linear, 4in. to 8in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, narrowed gradually towards the point, finely toothed or undulated, connected at the base. Brazil and Peru, 1820. See Fig. 256. (H. S. F. 3, 157.) There is a very pretty variety met with in gardens under the name of _Corcovadense crispum_, which is not quite so strong-growing as the type, with wavy, crispy edges. They will all thrive in the cool of a stove fernery.

=B. cartilagineum= (cartilaginous). _cau._ oblique, densely scaly at top. _sti._ strong, erect, 4in. to 6in. long, scaly, muricated in the lower part. _fronds_ ovate-oblong, 2ft. to 3ft. long, 6in. to 12in. broad; pinnæ numerous, linear, 4in. to 6in. long, about 1/2in. broad, narrowed gradually towards the point, margin finely toothed, dilated, and connected at the base. _sori_ in a broad line close to the midrib. Temperate Australia, 1820. Greenhouse species.

=B. hastatum= (halbert-shaped).* _rhiz._ short, stout, scaly. _sti._ 4in. to 6in. long, nearly naked. _fronds_ from 9in. to 18in. long, and 2in. to 4in. broad, lanceolate, with twenty to forty pinnæ on each side; the barren ones 1in. to 1-1/2in. long, lanceolate, falcate, narrowed gradually to a point, the lower side slightly truncate, and slightly lobed, the upper cordate, with a large hastate auricle; fertile pinnæ narrower. _sori_ midway between the midrib and margin; rachis and surfaces naked or slightly pubescent; texture coriaceous. Temperate South America, 1841. Greenhouse species.

=B. Lanceola= (lance-leaved). _rhiz._ slender, creeping, stoloniferous. _sti._ slender, erect, 2in. to 4in. long. _fronds_ lanceolate, undivided, 4in. to 6in. long, 1/2in. broad, or less, narrowed gradually from the centre towards each end. Tropical America, 1820. Stove species.

=B. L. trifoliatum= (three-leaved). _fronds_ furnished with one or two pairs of small oblong-obtuse lateral pinnæ at the base of the large terminal one. Stove variety. (H. S. F. 3, 94.)

=B. longifolium= (long-leaved).* _rhiz._ slender, creeping. _sti._ firm, erect, nearly naked, 6in. to 12in. long. _fronds_ 6in. to 9in. long, with a terminal pinna, and three to six lateral ones on each side, which are 3in. to 5in. long, and 1/2in. broad, narrowed gradually towards the point. _sori_ in broad lines close to the midrib; texture coriaceous. Tropical America, 1820. _B. l. fraxineum_ is a variety found in gardens under the name of _B. fraxiniifolium_, with a habit more close than the type; pinnæ six to eight on a side, sometimes 1in. broad. _B. intermedium_ (Link.) and _B. gracile_ (Kaulf.), often seen in gardens, are slender-growing varieties of this rather variable stove species.

=B. nitidum= (shining).* _sti._ stout, erect, naked, 3in. to 4in. long. _fronds_ oblong-lanceolate, 1ft. or more long, 4in. to 6in. broad; pinnæ numerous, sub-falcate, linear, 3in. to 4in. long, 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad, narrowed gradually towards the point, dilated and connected at the base; edge undulate-dentate; texture coriaceous; both surfaces smooth. Stove species. The variety _contractum_, often seen in gardens, has its pinnæ contracted, and the edge much undulated. Brazil. (H. S. F. 3, 55.)

=B. occidentale= (western).* _cau._ stout, erect, scaly at the top. _sti._ 6in. to 12in. long, erect, scaly below. _fronds_ ovate-acuminate, 9in. to 18in. long, 4in. to 8in. broad, with twelve to twenty-four linear pinnæ on each side, which are 2in. to 4in. long, and about 3/4in. broad, narrowed gradually to a point, truncate or cordate; texture coriaceous. West Indies, southwards to Chili and South Brazil, 1823. A very handsome stove or greenhouse fern.

=B. o. multifidum= (much-cut).* A pretty variety, said to have been introduced from Dominica; the apices of the pinnæ are copiously crested and tasselled, rendering it very desirable. Stove variety.

=B. orientale= (oriental).* _cau._ stout, erect, clothed at the crown with dark brown scales. _sti._ 4in. to 8in. long, strong, erect, scaly below. _fronds_ 1ft. to 3ft. long, 6in. to 12in. broad, ovate, with very numerous nearly contiguous pinnæ on each side, which are 4in. to 8in. long, and about 3/4in. broad, narrowed to a long point. Australia, northwards to South China and the Himalayas. Greenhouse.

=B. polypodioides= (Polypodium-like). A synonym of _B. unilaterale_.