BROOM. 69 



St. Pierre evidently alludes to the Furze-bush in the 

 following passage : " I saw in Brittany a vast deal of un- 

 cultivated land ; nothing grows upon it but Broom, and a 

 shrub with yellow flowers, which appeared to me a com- 

 position of thorns. The country-people called it Lande, 

 or San : they bruise it, to feed their cattle. The Broom 

 serves only to heat their ovens. It might be turned to 

 better account. The Romans made cord of it, which 

 they preferred to hemp, for their shipping." — St. Pierre's 

 Voyage to the Isle of France. 



It is also called in different parts of France, Jonc Marin 

 [Sea-rush] ; Pore Marin [the Sea-hog] ; Lande Epineuse 

 [Thorny Heath]. Its botanical name is Ulex. 



BROWALLIA. 



BROWALLIE^. DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 



So named by Linnaeus, from Job Browallius, Bishop of Aboa. 



This is but an annual plant, and must be raised in 

 a hot-bed; but it is worth procuring for its short-lived 

 beauty, on account of the extreme brilliancy of the co- 

 lours. " We cannot," says Mr. Curtis, " do justice to it 

 by any colours we have." There are but two kinds : the 

 Upright, and the Branching, The former is the hand- 

 somest. It is a native of Peru, and flowers from July to 

 September. It should be kept within doors till June ; 

 and, in dry and hot weather, should be frequently, but 

 sparingly, watered. 



