An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



30V 



Bicliardia — continued. 

 establish themselves, so as to flower early the following 

 season. Eichardias require a very rich soil ; a compost of 

 good loam and cow-manuie in nearly equal parts will suit 

 them when established. The suckers should be inserted 

 singly in pots proportionate to their size, and subjected 

 to a little heat to start them. When under glass through 

 the summer, they should be placed in a situation fully 

 exposed to light, and about the end of July it is well 

 to transfer them to the open air, in order to get the 

 growth matured and well ripened — an essential towards 

 free-flowering. Before the appearance of frost, the plants 

 must be again housed ; exposure to anything below freez- 

 ing point proves very destructive to the foliage. An 

 excellent plan of treating Richardias, when established, 

 is that of planting them out each year in the open 

 garden; a piece of ground should be prepared by adding 

 a heavy dressing of manure, and the plants should then 

 be turned out of their pots, and divided, or kept intact, 

 according to their size and the quantity required. If 

 planted about ISin. apart, but little attention will be 

 necessary through summer, beyond supplying an abund- 

 ance of water, which Richardias require at all times. 

 About the middle of September, the plants may be lifted 

 and potted carefully without much injury being caused. 

 In this way, good, strong specimens may soon be obtained ; 

 they may be grown singly in Sin. or 6in. pots, or two 

 or three together in a pot of larger size. Aphides 

 are usually troublesome in spring, but an occasional fumi- 

 gation will destroy them. 



R. SQthiopica (.\frican). A synonym of B. a/ricana. 



Fig. 380. RicHARUiA africana. 



R. africana (African).* Lily of the Nile ; White Arum or 

 Trumpet Lily. /!., spathe usually dead-white, large, rolled 

 round below, but flattened and bent backwards above ; spadix 

 bright yellow, completely covered with flowers. Spring and 

 summer. I. sagittate, about halt as broad as they are long, 

 deep green, unspotted, cuspidate-apiculate at apex, borne on long 



Bicliardia — continued. 



petioles, h. 2ft. 1731. A very elegant and popular plant. See 

 Fig. 380. SVNS. /;. tethiopica, Caila alhiopica (B. M. 832). 

 R. albo-maculata (white-spotted).* Jl., spathe greenish-white, 

 smaller and less expanded than in R. africana. Summer. I. 

 elongate-hastate, borne on rather short petioles, cuspidate-apicu- 

 late at apex, marked with oblong, white, translucent blotches 

 parallel with the nervation. *. 2ft. 1859. (B. M. 5140 ; F. d. S. 

 2258 ; I. H. 255 ; R. G. 462.) 

 R. bastata (halbert-leaved). rf., spathe greenish-yellow, with a 

 canipanulate tube, and a long-euspidate blade. Summer. I. sub- 

 flaccid, hastate-ovate, about half as broad as they are long, 

 cuspidate-apiculate at apex, unspotted, very similar to those of 

 R. afru-ana. h. 2ft. 1859. (B. M. 5176.) 

 R. melanoleuca (black and white).* fi., spathe pale yellow, 

 with a black-purple spot at the base, oblong, widely expanded, 

 terminating the tall, hispid stems ; spadix white, one-third 

 shorter than the spathe ; peduncle slender, dark bristly below. 

 Summer. L oblong or ovate, sagittate-hastate, marked with 

 oblong, translucent, white spots. I\. lift. 1869. (B. 11. 5765.) 

 BICHABDIA (of LinniBus). A synonym of Bichard- 

 SOUia (which iee). 



BICHABDSOITIA (named in honour of Richard 

 Richardson, an English botanist, who published a work 

 on horticulture, in 1699). Syn. Rieliardia (of Linnajus). 

 Obd. Rubiacece. A genus comprising five or six species 

 of stove, erect or prostrate herbs, with perennial roots, 

 natives of the warmer parts of America. Flowers 

 white or pink, small, densely capitate. Leaves opposite, 

 sessile, or shortly petiolate, ovate. R. scabra (Mexican 

 Coca Plant) has been employed in medicine under the 

 name of White Ipecacuanha, but its roots are smaller 

 than those of the true plant, and less certain in their 

 effects. Probably none of the species are now grown in 

 this country. 



BICHEA (named after CI. A. Riche, a French 

 naturalist, who died in 1791 when taking part in 

 the Australian Expedition of Entrecasteaux). In- 

 cluding Oijstanthe. Obd. Epacridem. A genua 

 comprising eighteen species of greenhouse shrubs 

 or small trees, inhabiting the mountains of Tas- 

 mania and South-eastern Australia. Flowers white 

 . , T or pink, in terminal spikes or panicles ; calyx of 

 five sepals, bracteate and bracteolate ; corolla ovoid 

 or conical, the lobes not separating ; stamens hypo- 

 gynous. Leaves sheathing at base, narrow, short 

 or elongated, concave, sometimes grass-like, entire 

 or serrulated. Branchlets marked with the scars 

 of fallen leaves. The following are the only 

 species introduced. For culture, xee Sprengelia. 

 R. pandanlfolia (I'andanus-Ieaved). /. small, in ovate 

 panicles, 2in. tci 3in. long, on peduncles 4iii. to 8in. 

 long. Trunk naked, simple or sparingly branched, 6in. 

 to Sin. in diameter, crowned by a large tuft of long, 

 wavy leaves, like those of a Pandanus, often 3ft. to 5ft. 

 long, tapering into a long point, and cartilaginously 

 toothed, h. 20ft. to 36ft. 1884. Tree. 

 R, sprengelioides (Sprengelia-like). jl. reddish, in ter- 

 minal, globular, leafy heads, each one nearly sessile 

 within a floral leaf. June. (. broadly nvate-lanceolate, 

 tapering to a short, rigid point, straight or slightly un- 

 dulated or twisted, iin. to Jin. long, the floral ones gra- 

 dually smaller. 1836. A husliy shrub, usually low, but 

 sometimes attaining a height of several feet. 

 BICHEA (of Labillardiere). A synonym of 

 Craspedia (which see). 



BICINXTS (from rkiwis, a tick ; which insects 

 the seeds are supposed to resemble). Obd. 

 EitphorbiaceiB. A monotypic genus. The species 

 is with us a well-known, tall, half-hardy, annual 

 herb, but, in warmer regions, it grows as an ar- 

 borescent shrub. Castor oil is yielded by the 

 seeds of this plant, which, together with the cap- 

 sules, are very variable. Any rich soil is suit- 

 able for the culture of Rieinas, and propagation 

 may be readily effected by seeds, which should be 

 sown and placed in heat early in March. It is best to 

 sow single seeds in small pots, as the roots quickly 

 become matted when there are many plants together, 

 and cannot be separated without causing a severe check. 



