AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



55 



BOU 



BouBsinga'ultia. Madeira Vine. Named in 

 honor of J. B. BoussingauU, a celebrated nat- 

 uralist and traveler. Nat. Ord. Chenopodiacea. 

 The only species, B. haselloides, is an ele- 

 gant climbing tuberous- rooted plant from 

 the Andes, a rapid grov/er and profuse 

 bloomer. The flowers are nearly white and 

 deliciously fragrant. It grows readily in any 

 garden soil, and is readily increased by divi- 

 sion or by seed. Introduced in 1836. 



Bouva'rdia. Named after Dr. Bouvard, curator 

 of the Botanic Garden, Paris. Nat. Ord. 

 CinchonacecB. 



Green-house evergreen shrubs, introduced 

 from Mexico. They are amongst the most im- 

 portant plants cultivated for winter flowers, 

 owing to the yearly increasing variety of color, 

 and their excellent adaptation for that purpose. 

 They are also effective as bedding plants for 

 the flower garden, beginning to bloom in 

 August and continuing until frost. Many 

 very superior varieties have originated in this 

 country, notably the pure white free-growing 

 and free-flowering B. Davisoni, and the rich 

 crimson B. elegans, both sports from B. 

 Hogarth, a brilliant scarlet variety; the 

 double white B. Alfred Neuner, and double red 

 B. Pres. Garfield, with many other excellent 

 free-flowering sorts. Propagated by root cut- 

 tings, or by cuttings of young wood in sand. 



Bowe'nia. In honor of TT. G. Boicen, a gover- 

 nor of Queensland. 



A remarkable genus of Cycadaceoe, consist- 

 ing of but one species, which was discovered 

 in Australia in 1819. The species is described 

 in the Botan ical Magazine as follows : ' ' The 

 most prominent character of Bowenia is the 

 compound leaf, its general characters (all but 

 shape), texture and venation; the leaflets do 

 not differ from those of Macrozamia, and are 

 so very similar to those of the West Indian 

 Zamia that it is diflBcult to distinguish them 

 generically, except that in Bowenia the leaflet 

 is decurrent by the petiole, and not articulated 

 with rachis." The fern-like aspect presented 

 by this plant is very remarkable and interest- 

 ing, giving it a prominent position among 

 green-house plants. Propagated by seeds or 

 from suckers. 



Box. The common name of Buxtis sempervirens, 

 a plant at one time much used for edgings in 

 ornamental gardening. It is a native of 

 Europe and Asia, and is readily increased by 

 cuttings. 



Boxberry. A name sometimes applied to the 

 Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens. 



Box Elder. See Negundo. 



Boxes for Seeds. Seeds, particularly flower 

 seeds, when sown under glass, do much 

 better when sown in shallow boxes than 

 in flower-pots. A convenient size is the 

 ordinary soap box, cut into four, making a 

 depth of from one and a half to two inches. 

 Or, what is even more convenient, the shallow 

 boxes in which tin is imported. These are 

 filled nearly full with finely-sifted soil, which 

 is made as level and smooth as possible. On 

 this smooth surface the seeds are sown, and 

 then pressed down level into the soil, and 

 over the seeds is sifted dry moss, leaf mould, 

 or cocoanut fiber (which has been run through 

 a sieve as fine as mosquito wire), in quantity 

 enough to fairly cover the seeds. This, from 



BRA 



its spongy nature, retains moisture, while its 

 lightness offers but little resistance to the 

 tender seed germ. The same style of box is 

 used for "pricking off." See "propagation." 



Box Thorn. See Lycium harbarum. 



Box--wood. West Indian. Vitex umbrosa. 



Brabei'um. African Almond. From brabeion, 

 a sceptre, in reference to the racemosed 

 flowers. Nat. Ord. Proteacecs. 



An ornamental green-house evergreen, with 

 white, sweet-scented flowers, disposed in 

 elegant, axillary, spiked racemes. Its seeds 

 are called Wild Chestnuts and Wild Almonds, 

 and are both roasted and eaten, and used as 

 a substitute for coffee. Introduced from the 

 Cape of Good Hope in 1751. 



Brachychi'ton. From fcrac/iys, short, and chiton, 

 a tunic ; plant covered with imbricated hairs 

 and scales. Nat. Ord. SlercuUacece. 



A genus of tropical and sub-tropical trees 

 from Australia. B. a^Krifoliura is called the 

 Flame Tree about lUawarra, on account of its 

 bright scarlet flowers, which make the tree a 

 conspicuous object at a distance. B. Bidwillii, 

 a native of the Wide Bay district, has bright 

 crimson flowers, produced in axillary 

 bunches. B. Delabechia, Syn. Delabechia 

 rupestris, is a very interesting species, popu- 

 larly known as the Bottle Tree of Australia. 



Brachyco'me. From brachys, short, and home, 

 hair. Nat. Ord. Composites. 



This beautiful annual is found on the banks 

 of the Swan Eiver, in Australia, and has there 

 the very appropriate name of Swan River 

 Daisy, as the flower closely resembles the 

 Daisy. The plant grows from six to ten 

 inches high, and has a closely compact 

 branching habit, producing an abundance of 

 flowers. It is well adapted for small beds 

 or rockeries. Propagated by seeds. Intro- 

 duced in 1840. 



Brachyse'ma. From brachys, short, and aema, 

 standard ; the flowers having the standard 

 petal short. Nat. Ord. LeguminoscB. 



A genus of handsome green-house shrubs, 

 mostly climbing, from Australia. B. aphyllum, 

 is, as its name would imply, a leafless plant, 

 the branches being singularly compressed 

 and winged, so as to perform the functions of 

 leaves. Small brown scales are found scat- 

 tered over these branches, and from these the 

 flowers grow. They are single, large, and of 

 a bright blood-red color. B. lanceolatum is a 

 very handsome species, and well adapted for 

 the green-house, flowering, as it does, in 

 winter or the early spring months. Its leaves 

 are ovate or lanceolate in form, with a glossy 

 upper surface, and covered with a silvery 

 pubesence underneath. The flowers are in 

 axillary clusters, large and rich scarlet. 



Bracteae or Bracts. The leaves placed imme- 

 diately below a calyx, if they are at all altered 

 from their usual form. 



Bracted Bindweed. See Calystegia. 



Bra'hea. Named after Tycho Brache, the cele- 

 brated astronomer. Nat. Ord. Palmacecs. 



A genus of medium-sized Palms, with fan- 

 like leaves and spiny leaf-stalks. B.filamen- 

 tosa, a native of Lower California, is largely 

 cultivated in our green-houses for decorative 

 purposes. It is of graceful habit and rapid 

 growth, succeeding well with but little care in 



