209 
“OF HORTICULTURE. 
AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA 
Brachysema—continued. 3 t 
sub-compound racemes. Z. opposite, rarely alternate, ovate or 
ovate-lanceolate, entire, silky Ppa beneath. A. 3ft. Swan River, 
1848. (B. M. ) 
B. latifolium (broad-leaved).* /l. crimson-scarlet, large; vexillum 
oblong-ovate. April. J. ovate, flat, silky beneath. New Holland, 
1803. A handsome climber. (B. R. 118.) i 
ms melanopetalum (black-petaled), Synonymous with B. undu- 
atum: r 
B. undulatum (undulated).* /f. deep violet-maroon, solitary or 
twin ; vexillum oblong, cordate, convolute, and bluntish above. 
March. i. oblong-ovate, mucronate, undulated. New South 
Wales, 1820. A tall sub-scandent plant. SYN. B. melanopetalum. 
(B. R. 642.) 
BRACHYSPATHA (from brachys, short, and spatha, 
a spathe; the spathe is much shorter than the spadix). 
ORD. Aroidew. Stove tuberous perennial, allied to, and 
requiring the same cultivation as, Amorphophallus (which 
see). 
B. variabilis (variable).* fl. exhaling an abominable feetor, 
which is, however, of very short duration ; spathe much shorter 
than the spadix, qoe en se sharply acuminate, and many- 
nerved ; spadix whitish, with female flower at the base, and 
above contiguous to them are the males without any interme- 
diate neutral flowers; anthers orange red; the naked apex of 
the spadix is very long, wrinkled, and pitted on the surface. 
l. solitary, 18in. across; the spotted petiole divides at the top 
into three main divisions, each of which is again forked and 
deeply pinnately cut; the segments alternate, ile, or decur- 
rons very unequal in size, ovate or oval-lanceolate, acuminate, 
glabrous, shining. A. 3ft. India, 1876. (G. C. 1876, 129.) 
‘BRACHYSTELMA (from brachys, short, and stelma, 
a crown; in reference to the short coronal processes of 
the flowers). ORÐ. Asclepiadacew. Extremely curious 
little suffruticose, tuberous, twining, greenhouse peren- 
nials. Corolla campanulate, having angular sinuses; corona 
simple, five-cleft, lobes opposite the anthers, simple on 
the back. Leaves opposite, membranous. ‘They thrive 
best in fibry loam. Propagated by cuttings, which will 
root in sandy soil, in heat; also by divisions of the root. 
B, Arnotti gpa ees jl. brown, green. l. in opposite pairs, 
nearly sessile, crisped, ovate, dull green above, densely grey, 
pubescent beneath. h. 4in. South Africa, 1868. (Ref. B. i., 9.) 
B. Barbers: (Mrs. Barber's). fl. dingy purple, speckled with 
yellow. August. l large, Hisor ablons: nets: tie Gia South 
— Africa, y 
1866. (B. M. 5607 ? 
B. ovata (ovate-leaved), . yellowish-green. l ovate, shortly- 
stalked, pubescent. etre gouth Africa, 1872. (Ref. B. 226.) 
spathulate-leaved) green. June. l u- 
“hs A. lft. Cape ot Ged Hope, 1026. R. 
te, Í 
) n 
iate. E UA “Cape oF doii. B EM BB 
- BRACTEOLATE. Having secondary bracts between 
the true bracts and the flowers. 
BRACTS. Modified leaves placed near the calyx on 
the peduncle or pedicel. 
BRAHEA (named after Tycho Brahe, the celebrated 
astronomer). ORD. Palme. A small genus of dwarf 
palms, with fan-shaped leaves, and hermaphrodite, greenish 
flowers. They require rich light loam and fibrous peat, 
in equal parts, to which may be added a good portion of 
ashed sand; thorough drainage and liberal supplies of 
water are also absolutely necessary. Propagated by seeds. 
During summer, they may be removed to the greenhouse, 
and can be employed with much success for sub-tropical 
gardening. a 
B. dulcis (sweet),* i bright shining green; 
petioles clothed mith woolly tomentumn, armed at the edges with 
Perm o and enveloped at the base in a network of 
loping species TN Mexico, 1865. A rare and slow deve- 
B. filamentosa (filamentose). A synonym of Washingtonia filifera. 
BRAINEA (commemorative of ©. J. Braine, Esq., of 
Hong Kong, China). pe aE: Sori continuous along 
verse veins, near the midrib, and also produced along 
e veins in the direction of the edge of the frond. 
Brainea—continued. e i 
B. insignis (remarkable), which is the only species, has a trunk 
šin. to 4in, thick; scales linear, nearly lin. long. sti. firm, Zin. 
to 4in. long, scaly only at the base. fronds 2ft. to 3ft. long, Bin. 
- to 12in. broad, simply pinnate ; pinne close, numerous, linear, 
finely serrated. ong Kong, 1856. A very handsome and 
interesting greenhouse tree fern, requiring a soil of loam and 
t, in equal parts, with the addition of some sharp sand, and 
horough drainage. 
BRAMBLE. See Rubus. 
BRASSAVOLA (named in honour of A. M. Bras- 
savola, a Venetian botanist). Orn. Orchidew. A genus 
of epiphytal orchids, requiring the heat of an intermediate 
house. Flowers large, usually with narrow acuminate 
greenish petals and sepals, and a white lip, which is some- 
times broad ; column having a pair of great falcate ears on 
each side of the front, and eight pollen masses. Leaves 
solitary, succulent. They are of easy culture on blocks of 
wood, with a little moss, suspended from the roof. Water 
should be plentifully given during the growing season; 
at other times, a very small quantity will suffice. About 
seventeen or eighteen species have been introduced, of 
which the following only are worth growing: 
B. acaulis (stemless : petals 
greenish Bs nony. Sheet ak for wpe ly yar gall 
white ; base of tube spotted with dull rose. mber. l, very 
my rush-like. A. 4in. Central America, 1 (P. F. G. ii, 
B. Digbyana (Digby’s).* /l. solitary, 4in. across, uced from 
the top of E - Poi ani Diak creamy-white; lip same 
colour, streaked with Daeg down the centre, and beautifully 
fringed. Winter. A. Sin. Honduras, 1844. A compact-growing 
evergreen. (B. M.%474.) 
B. Gibbsiana (Gibbs’s).” 
large, three on each spike. s 
This rare, erect-growing species must be potted in 
sphagnum. . 
B. glauca (glaucous).* fl. solitary, produced from a sheath at the 
top of the bulb; sepals and petals yellow; lip orange, with a 
white throat. cory emt l. of a milky-green. h., lft. Vera 
Cruz, 1837. A very handsome fragrant species, somewhat difficult 
to flowér, but this obstacle may be overcome by liberall growing 
403850 the proper season, and giving be bovete dry vest. (B. M. 
lineata (lined).* , very fragrant; sepals and petals 
P ereamy whit ; ip lige, puro wii, E longi ga America, 
Vi > 
1850." (BoM. 4734.) T : 
venosa (veined).* small and com ; sepals and 
Mereamcntoured s Tip w te, stro n a pretty free 
ing species. Honduras, 1839. (B. R. 26, 39.) com 
BRASSIA (named after Mr. William Brass, who was 
sent by Sir Joseph Banks to Cape Coast and the neigh- 
bouring districts as a botanical collector, at the end of 
the last century). Orp. Orchidee. A genus of tropical 
neri orchids, very nearly allied to Oncidium, with 
lich, indeed, Rei unites it. From this genus, 
however, Brassia may be distinguished by its simple in- 
florescence, elongated tail-like sepals, and short column, 
which is quite destitute of the side lobes or ears that form 
a marked feature in the species of Oncidium. There are 
about seventeen species, of which many are not sufficiently 
attractive to deserve the cultivator’s attention. They will 
succeed either in pots or in baskets, the drainage of which 
must be perfect. They require to be potted in good 
fibrous peat, broken in pieces not less in size than a © 
walnut, placed in the warm end of a Cattleya or Brazilian — 
house, and supplied liberally with water during summer. — 
In winter, they must still be kept in a tolerably warm 
place, and given sufficient water to keep the pseudo-bulbs 
from shrivelling. It is useless to dry off until shrivellin; 
takes place, for experience assures us that when a plant 
shrivels it is generally safe to assume that it has been 
tried beyond its powers of endurance, and that its con- 
stitution has given way. Propagated by dividing the 
plants, when growth has co “a 2 
(brilliant).* Jin. in diameter from ti tip 
Oar: sepals a eins yellow, penres e an e we 
bar date E 
sath.” Tropical 1879. 
jl. white, spotted with chocolate, 
l. rather broad and very thick. 
peat and 
er- 
