500 



The Dictionary of Gardening. 



BIGNONZA. This genua embraces about 120 species, 

 all American, and mostly tropical. To those described on 

 p. 189, Vol. I., the following should now be added : 



B. rcgalis (royal), fi. bright yellow and red, large and ex- 

 ceedingly beautiful. I. opposite, elliptic-lanceolate, British 

 Guiana, 1885. A very handsome climber. 



BILLBERGIA. Tropical America is the home of the 

 score species included in this genus. To the species and 

 varieties described on pp. 190-1, Vol. I., the following 

 should now be added : 



B. andegavensis (Angers), fi. having a spreading limb, the 

 tube and centre dark red, broadly burdered with violaceous- 

 indigo ; bracts bright red ; flowoT-stem arching, mealy-white. 

 I, broad, obtuse, pale green. 1886, A garden hybrid between 

 B, thyrsoidea and B. Moreli, 



B. Breaut6ana (Breaut^'s). /. pale flesh-colour, with violet 

 tips; bracts bright rose, lanceolate; stem shorter than the 

 leaves, recurving, glabrous. /. 2ft. long, 2in. broad, recurving, 

 lorate, obtuse, alightly channelled, rather* thin, bordered with 

 five distant teeth, bnght'green above, striated and with mealy- 

 white zones below. 1884. A garden hybrid between B. pallescens 

 and n. viUata. (R. H. 1885, p. 300.) 8VN. B. Cappei. 



B. Bruautl (Bruant*s). /., calyx very pale green, tipped with 

 idue ; contlla very pale yellowish-green ; bracts dark red ; stem 

 rosy, slender, nearly as long as the leaves. L green, obtuse, 

 toothed, forming a cup-like rosette. 1885. A garden hybrid 

 between B. palleacens and 7>. decora, 



B. Cappei (Cappe*s). A synonym of B. BreauUana. 



B. decora (comely), ft.y petals greenish, 2in. long, curling up 

 snirally fiom the base ; spike dense, pendulous, simple, 3in. to 

 4in. long, aluiost hidden by the large, bright red, oblong-lanceo- 

 late bracts ; peduncle 1ft. long. January. I eight or ten in a 

 rosette, Inrate, acute, lift, to 2ft. long, 2in. broad in the middle, 

 dilated mid clasping at base, with transverse, mealy bands, the 

 margins spiny. Amazon Valley, 1864. (B. M. 6937.) 



B. Eudori (Kiider's). jl. blue, 3in. long ; bracts bright coral-red ; 

 Hpiko short, few-flowered ; scape longer than the leaves, the 

 oheatlis bright coral-red. 1. 1ft. to l^ft. long, liin. to 2in. broad, 

 ascending. Brazil, 1886. (R. G. 1217.) 



B* Euphemiae (Mme, Morren's). /, six to twelve in a lax, droop- 

 ing raceme, nearly sessile, the lower ones subtended by large 

 bracts ; sepals reddish, horny ; petals about 2in. long, with 

 greenish-yellow claws and bright violet tips, f., produced ones 

 five or six in a closely convolute rosette, about 1ft. long, l^in. to 

 2in. broa<l, horny, narrowed to an acute point, lepidote-scaly, the 

 margins minutely prickly. Brazil. (B. M. 6632.) 



B. Glrcoudlona (Gireoud's). /. on an upright spike ; calyx with 

 triangular sepals, rose, faintly bluish towards the tips ; petals 

 twice as long as the sepals, linear-lanceolate, blunt, the claw 

 reddish-white at the base, azure-blue at the tip ; scape white, with 

 a number of narrow-ovate, carmine-red bracts. L broadly strap- 

 shaped (the inner ones rolled round each other into a wide tube), 

 fluely serrated, bright green above, beset with numberless whitish 

 Msales, the lower surface striped red, deep blackish -purple 

 towards the base. A garden hybrid, of which B. thyrsoidea is 

 one of the parents. 



B, Glazioviana (Glaziou's). Jl. in a dense, ovate-oblong spiko ; 

 sepals white-woolly, elliptic-oblong ; petals at first violet-rose, at 

 length reddish-brown, oblong, erect, cucu Hate-obtuse towards 

 the apex ; bracts elliptic-oblong, imbricated ; scape red, white- 

 woolly, one-third shorter tluui the leaves. I. coriaceous, 

 channelled, ligulate, acuminate, 2^ft. to 3ft. long, 2iin, broad, 

 dark green and -labrous above, dark green with silvery-lepidote 

 horizontal zones beneath, the margins shortly spiny-toothed 

 Bm!:ll. 1B85, (R.G. 1203.) 



B* Porteana (Porte's), fl., petals green, lanceolate, above 2in 

 long, roUiUij up spirally and di^icluaing the violet-purple filaments ; 

 Bpiko loose, simple, drooping, 6in. to Bin. long; peduncle 2ft. 

 long, with several bright red bract leaves. Summer. I. pro- 

 duced ones live or six in a rosette, erect, lorate, 3ft. to 4ft. long, 

 dull green, tinted on the back with claret-purple, and trans- 

 Jf jsefy banded with white. BrazU. Plant stemless. (B. M. 

 6670.) 



B, Kancougnel (Rancougne a), /..corolla bluish-green, tipped 

 wUh inni,:ro, 2m. long; stamens indigo; bracts rosy woolly- 

 tomentose at the base, together with the ovary and calyx ; stem 

 3ft, high. /.3ft. long, 2iin. broad, spreading- recurved, Hnely 

 toothed, 1885. A hybrid, of which B, Liboniana is one of the 

 parents. 



B. rliodopyanoa (red and blue). /. arranged in a capitate 

 thyrse, clothed with numerous rose-coloured bracts ; petals at 

 first rose-coloured, then white, gradually passing into blue the 

 petals slightly convolute. /. radical; outer ones fft. to lift, long 

 the inner ones gradually shorter and more upri.:;ht, all ligulate 

 ^btuse, with an acuminate mucro, tinged purple and transversely 

 Banded with whitish lines, the sides incurved, the margins 

 .K„^,„ prickly. (B. M. 4883; F. d. S. 207; R, h. " " 



aha ^ , 



p. 4^) 



1857, 



B. r. purporea (purple). This plant is distinguished from the 

 type m having all its parts red instend of light green. 



Billbergia — continued. 



B. Sanderiaua (Sander's). Jl. 2in. long ; calyx and corolla green, 

 tipped with blue ; bracts rosy, with one to three flowers to each ; 

 panicle pendulous. I. erect, broad, green, coriaceous, obtuse, 

 mucronate, armed with stout spines on the margins. Brazil, 

 1885. A fine plant. (B. II. 1884, 1-2.) 



B, thyrsoidea splendida (splendid) Jl. scarlet, tipped with 

 violet; bracts scarlet, large. Brazil, 1883. A handsome form, 

 (B. H. 1885, p. £00.) 



B. Windii (Wind's). Jl. few, racemose, about Sin. long ; sepals 

 iridescent, reddish at base, blue at the tips, Jin. long ; corolla 

 greenish-yellow, the lobes 2in. long, circinately rolled up ; bracts 

 rich, bright rosy-crimson, boat-shaped, broadly lanceolate, acu- 

 minate; peduncle cylindrical, glabrous, pendulous, 1ft. long. 

 Belgian gardens, 1884. A pretty hybrid between B. Bara- 

 quiiiiana and B. nutaiis. 



B. Worleana (Worlee's). /. about a dozen ; calyx rosy and blue ; 

 corolla dark blue ; scape adorned with numerous rosy bracts, 

 long, slender, arching. 1885. A graceful and ornamental hybrid 

 between B. nutans and B. Moreli, having the outer leaves narrow, 

 as in B, nutans, and the inner ones broader, as in B. Moreli. 



BIIiLIOTTIA (of Brown). A synonym of Agonis 

 (which see). 



BISMARCKIA (commemorative, in honour of the 

 great German statesman). Obd. Palmm. An imperfectly 

 known genus. B. nohilis, the only species, is an orna- 

 mental Palm, with somewhat the habit of a Pritchardia. 

 For culture, see Stevensonia, on p. 502, Vol. III. 



B» nobUis (noble). Jr. one-celled, with two rudimentary cells ; 

 seeds ovoid, deeply wrinkled. I. large, digitately divided into 

 from ei^ht to ten long-linear segments and several drooping, 

 thread-like ones. Madagascar, 1886. (R. G. 1220.) 



BIiECKNUM. This genua comprises about a score 

 species of closely resembling Ferns, widely diffused 

 throughout tropical and South temperate regions. To 

 those described on pp. 193-5, Yol, I., the following 

 should now be added : 



B. rugosum (wrinkled), sti. Sin. to 6in. long, densely glandular- 

 hairy above, as is tlie rachis. fronds linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 about 1ft. long, the surface wrinkled, glaudular-hairy ; pinnae 

 with a stalk-like base below, confluent above, oblong, blunt or 

 sometimes abruptly acute, falcately curved, sari linear, medial, 

 extending from the base nearly to the apex of the pinnae. 1884. 

 Greenhouse. 



BLBTIA. About a score species have been referred to 

 this genus ; they are mostly natives of tropical America, 

 with one Chinese and Japanese. To those described on 

 p. 196, Vol. I., the following should now be added : 



B. graminifolium (Grass-leaved). A synonym of Arundina 



hambuscefolia, 



B. hyacinthina albo - striata (white -striated). A pretty 

 variety, having all the nerves of the leaves white. It wiU thrive 

 in the cool house. 



B. Thomsoniana (Thomson's). A synonym of Schomhurglcla 



Thomsoniana. 



BOLLBA FITI1VZNAB.IS. This does not appear to 

 differ from Zygopetalunx coeleste (which see, on page 24-5). 



BOMAREA. Upwards of fifty species, all American, 

 have been referred to this genus. To those described on 

 p. 200, Yol. I., the following should now be added : 



B. Kalbreyeri (Kalbreyer's). Jl. pedicellate, in large, terminal 

 umbels, the three outer segments brick-red, about lin. long, 

 oblong- spat hulate, the three inner ones orange -yellow, spotted 

 red, longer than the outer ones, obovate-cuneate. L shortly 

 stalked, oblong, acuminate, glabrous above, doAvny beneath. 

 New Grenada, 1883. (R. H. 1883, p. 546.) 



B. vltellina (egg-yolk-colour). /. of a ricH, deep orange-yellow, 

 narrowly-campanulate, 2in. long, numerously disposed in large, 

 droopmg, umbellate cymes; outer and inner perianth segments 

 unequal m length t ovate-oblong, acute Stems smooth. 

 Columbia, 1882. A very beautiful, tuberous -rooted climber, 

 adapted for conservatory decoration. (G. C. n. s., xvii., p. 151.) 



BOOPUANB. 



home of this genus, 

 Only one plant calls 





See Buphaue- 



BOBONIA. Australia is the 

 which embraces about fifty species. 

 for addition to those described on p. 203, Yol. I. 



B. heterophylla brevipes(variable.leaved, short-stalked). /. 

 bright scarlet, whorled at the leaf axils, usually in fours or sixes, 

 droopmg, sub-globose, iin. to iin. in diameter ; petals broadly 

 ovate, concave, sub-acute. April. I very variable, sometmies 

 quite simple, lin. to IJin. long, narrowly linear, apiculate, some- 

 times with one or two pairs of linear leaflets. Western Australia, 

 Jo M A^o^J^^^ ^hvnh, "sviid to attain the height of a man." 



(i>. M, co45.) 



