An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



153 



BACKKOXTSIA (commemoratiTe of the late James 

 Backhouse, a botanical traveller in Australia and South 

 Africa). Okd. Myrtacece. A greenhouse cTorgreen shrub, 

 requiring a compost of fibry peat, loam, and a little white 

 sand. Propagated, iu April, by half-ripened cuttings, in- 

 serted in sand, under a bell glass, iu a cool house. 



B. myrtlfolia (Myitle-Ieaved).* jl. white, ili.sposed in fnryinlis, 

 and often produced on cuttinys soon after having;; stiuck root 

 May. I. ovate, aenniiiiate, smooth. Brandies slender. /(. 16ft. 

 New South Wales, 1844. (B. M. 4133.) 



BACOKIA. A synonym of Favetta (which nee). 

 BACTHilS (from balctron. a cane ; the young stems being 

 used for walking sticks). Ord. Palmacece. Very orna- 

 mental, slender growing, and prickly stove palms. Pe- 

 duncle of the spadix bursting through about the middle of 

 the leaf sheath. Drupes small, ovate, or nearly round, and 

 generally of a dark blue colour. Leaves pinnatisect ; seg- 

 ments generally linear and entire. Instead of being con- 

 fined to the apex of the trunk, the leaves are scattered over 

 nearly the whole surface, and the lower ones retain their 

 verdure long after the upper ones have fully developed. 

 Stems slender, varying from 2ft. to 10ft. iu height. Some 

 of the species are of easy cultm-e in a compost of loam, 

 peat, loaf mould, and sand, in equal parts ; but most of 

 them are very difficult to manage. Propagation may be 

 effected by suckers, which are very freely produced. Many 

 species are ornamental only when in a young state. 



B. bacnllfera (cine-bearing). I. pinnate, bifid at the apex, 2ft. to 

 6ft. long ; pitmcE arranged in clusters about 1ft. long- and 2in. 

 broad, dark green above, paler below ; petioles sheathing and 

 densely clothed with sharp brown and black spines, l^in long. 

 South America. 



B. caryotsefolla (Caryota-leaved).* Jl, spathe ovate, prickly ; 

 branches of spadix simple, flexuous. I., pinn.-e wedge-shaped, 

 three-lobed, and erose ; rachis, petioles, and caudex, prickly. 

 h. 30ft. BrazU, 1825. 



B. flavlsplna (yellow-spined). Synonymous with B. pallidisplna. 



B. major (greater), d. greenish-yellow, with a broadly ovate 

 spathe. h. 25ft. Carthagena, 180O. 



B. Maraja (Maraia). Maraja Palm. Jl. yellow, with a prickly 

 spathe. h. 30ft. to 50ft. Bahia, 1868. 



B. pallidisplna (pale-spined).» I. pumate, bifid at the >apex ; 

 pinnip clustered, 6in. to 12in. long, lin. wide, dark ; petioles 

 sheathing at the base and furnished with a profusion of long, 

 yellow spines, which are tipped with black. Brazil. SVN. 

 £. Jiavispina. 



BACTTIiARIA (from iaculum, a walking-stick). Obd. 

 Palmacecs. A small genus containing a couple of stove 

 species, which are amongst the smaDest palms of the Old 

 World. Both are confined to the east coast of tropical 

 Australia. B. monostacTiya — in allusion to its slender stem, 

 which rarely exceeds in thickness that of the thumb — is 

 known as the Walking-stick Palm. 



B. minor (lesser). I. attaining 3Jft. Stems, several from same 

 rhizome, 2ft. to 5ft. high, ^in. thick. Queensland. 



B. monoataohya (one-spiked). I. pinnate, pendent, 6in. to 12in. 

 long, bifid at the apex ; pinnje about 4in. across, broad, irregular 

 in shape, with ragged and irregidar ends ; dark gi'een. Stem 

 slender, petioles sheathing. A. lOft. New South Wales, 1824. 

 SvN. Areca rnonostachi/a. (B. M. 6644.) 



SABGER'S BANi:. See Aconitnm. meloctonnm. 



B.ZBA (commemorative of Rev. Dr. Beau, of Toulon, 



brother-in-law to Commerson, the discoverer of the genus). 



Stn. Dorcoceras. Ord. Gesnera^ecc. Ctu'ious and pretty 



grecnhou.=o herbaceous perennials, requiring a rich sandy 



loam. They are easily propagated by seeds. Probably the 



only species in cultivation is the following : 



B. hygrometrlca (hygrometric).*/. pale blue-coloured, yellowish 



at the throat ; segments of the limb more or less reflexed ; 



corolla five-lobed, somewhat resembling that of the Violet ; 



scapes numerous, naked, few-flowered. Summer. I. in a rosette, 



thinly covered mth coarse white hairs, ovate acute at both ends, 



crenate serrate. A. 6in. North China, 1868. (B. M. 6468.) 



B2SCKZSA (named after Abraham Eaeok, a Swedish 

 physician, and an esteemed friend of Linnajus). Okd. 

 Myrtacece. Very pretty greenliouse evergreen shrubs. 

 Flowers white, pedicellate, small. Leaves opposite, gla- 

 brous, dotted. They thrive in a compost of sandy peat, 

 leaf soil, and lumpy, fibrous loam. Cuttings, taken from 



Bffickea — continued, 

 young wood, root readily, if pricked in a pot of sand, with 

 a bell glass placed over them, in a cool house. 



B. diosmsefoUa (Diosma-leaved).* /. axillary, sulitary, approxi- 

 mate, sessile. August to tictober. I. olduTp^. rather cuneated, 

 keeled, acute, crowded, imbricate, and are, as well as the calyces, 

 ciliated. Ii. 1ft. to 2ft. New Holland, 1824. 



B. frutescens (shrubby).* jl. solitary; pedicels axillary. No- 

 veiidier. /. linear, aw nless. Ii. 2ft. to 3ft. China, 1806. (B. M. 2802.) 



B. parvula (little). Jl, peduncles axillary, umbelliferous. (. 

 elliptic-oblons:, obtuse, rather niucronate. h. 1ft. New Caledonia, 

 1877. This is'very close to B. virgata. (E. G. 886, 2.) 



B* virgata (twiggy),* _/?., peduncles axillary, umbelliferous. 

 August to Octolier. I. linear-lanceolate, h, 2ft. to 3ft. New 

 Caledonia, 1806. (B. M. 2127.) 



BiBKIA (named in honour of Professor Baer, of the 

 University of Dorpat). Okd. Compo.iita>. A genus con- 

 sisting of about half a dozen speoies. Probably the only 

 one in cultivation is that mentioned below ; it is a very 

 pretty plant, of easy culture in ordinary garden sod. Pro- 

 pagated by seeds, sown in spring. 



B. chrysostoma (golden-mouthed), il.-hetids bright yellow, soli- 

 tary, terminal, about lin. across ; involucre of about ten leaflets, 

 in two series. Early summer. (. linear, opposite, entire. Stems 

 erect, downy. A. 1ft. California, 1835. (S. B. F. G. ii. 395.) 

 BAGGED. Swelled like a sac or bag. 

 BAHIA (probably from Port of Bahia, or San Salvador, 

 iu South America). Stn. Phialis. Obd. Coynpositce. An 

 ornamental, hardy, herbaceous perennial, much branched 

 from the base of the stem, and having a greyish appear- 

 ance. It may be increased by seeds, or by divisions. 

 B, lanata (woolly). Ji. -heads yellow, solitary, produced in great 

 numbers. Summer. I. altern.ate, or with the lower ones some- 

 times opposite, deeply divided, and sometimes ligulate .and entire. 

 h. bin. to 15in. North America. This species thrives on borders 

 of lislit and well-drained sandy soil. (B. K. 1167.) 



BALANIUS. See Nut Weevil. 

 BALANTIUM (of Kaulfuss). See Dicksonia. 

 BALANTIUM (of Dosvaux). See Parinarium. 

 BAIiBISIA (commemorative of Giovanni Battista 

 Ballds, a Professor of Botany at Turin). Stn. Leducarpmn. 

 Ord. Geraniacem. A very ornamental half-hardy ever- 

 green shrub, requiring a cool, dry atmosphere. As it is 

 very liable to rot off, water must be applied with great 

 care. Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood, inserted 

 iu sand, under a hand glass ; or by seeds. 

 B. vertlclllata (whorled), jl. yellow, large, with a whorl of 

 narrow bracts beneath. Autumn. I. opposite, three-parted ; 

 segments linear-oblong. Branch .'s slender, glaucous. Ii. 3ft. to 

 6ft. Chili, 1846. (B. M. 6170.) 



BAIiCONY. A projection from the external wall of a 

 house, usually resting on brackets, and having the sides 

 encompassed by a balustrade. It should at all times be 

 prettily decorated with plants, which in the summer is a 

 comparatively easy matter. During winter, evergreens of 

 various kinds are most serviceable, the best being Arbutus, 

 Anoubas, Boxes, Euonymuses, Hollies, Irish and Goldon 

 Tew, Portugal Laurel, Eetinosporas, Vincas, &o. These 

 may be grown in pots, and when replaced by the summer 

 occupants, shotdd be plunged in some reserve quarter, 

 where they should receive plenty of water ; by this means, 

 they will increase in size, and keep in a healthy condition. 

 Very little water will he reipiired during tho winter. 

 Climbing plants, such as Ivy, Passion Flower, Virginian 

 Creeper, Climbing Hoses, &c., are indispensable for covering 

 tho trelli.ses, and draping tho pillars and arches. 



BALDINGERA. A synonym of Premua. 



BALIi. This term is used in reference to the roots and 

 mass of earth as they are moulded into form and pressed 

 into hardness by the pot. The masses of roots and earth 

 which, in the case of fibrous-rooted subjects (such as 

 Rhododendrons), must be taken intact when removing the 

 plants, are also termed Balls. 



BAIiM (Melissa officinalis). A perennial herb, often 

 used in the manufacture of a drink for sick persons, 

 and sometimes employed for culinary purposes. It may 

 be grown in ordinary garden soil, and is propagated by 



