156 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Bambnsa — continued. 



vin^orous-growing species can be cultivated out of doors during 

 summer, and, in most localities, it may be left out all the year. 



B. nana (dwarf).* (. lanceolate, acute, glaucous, stoutish, with the 

 footstalks slightly downy, h. 6ft. to 8ft. India, 1826. A rather 

 tender species, requiring to lie grown in the stove or greenhouse. 

 •SV.NS. />. (tlauca and B. viridi-r/taucescens. See Fig. 204. 



B. nigra (black). See PhyUostachys nigra. 



B> tlagamowslti (Rag.amowsk's).* I. 9in. to IBin. long, and about 

 lin. to Sin. broad. China and Japan. This species " can readily 

 be recognised by the tomentose line on one side of the midrib, 

 running nearly the whole length of the leaf on the underside, this 

 line being always on the longer side of the leaf." Hardy. Syn. 

 H. tesscUata. 



B. Simonii (Simon's).* (. naiTOw, nearly 6in. to lOin. long, occasion- 

 ally striped with white. Stems gi-owing with great rapidity, 

 mealy -glaucous at the joints ; branchlets numerous, rather closely 

 crowded, h. 10ft. China and Japan, 1866. 



B. striata (striated).* L linear-oblong ; culms striped yellow and 

 green, h. 6ft. to 20ft. Cliina, 1874. A very slender and graceful, 

 rather tender, species. May be grown in the open air during 

 summer, and in very favoured spnts it is probably hardy, espe- 

 cially if covered with a mat in winter. It makes an excellent 

 pot plant. SVN. n. viridi-striata. (B. M. 6079.) 



B. tessellata (tessellated).* A synonym of B. Ragamoioski. 



B. violescens (nearly-violet).* I. green above, bluish-grey beneath, 

 with an elongated ligule, suiTounded by a bundle of black hairs. 

 Stems much branched, blackish-violet. China, 1869. This hand- 

 some and vigorous species is intermediate between Plnjllostachys 

 nigra and B. nana. It requires protection during winter. 



B. viridi-glaucescens (glaucous-green). A synonym of B. nana. 



B. Tiridi-striata (sreen-striped). A synonym of E. striata. 

 BANANA, or PLANTAIN. See Slusa. 

 BANBBERRY. See Actesa. 



BANISTBBIA (named after John Baptist Banister, a 

 traveller in Virginia in the seventeenth century, author of 

 a catalogue of Virginian plants, inserted in Bay's " Historia 

 Plantarum"). Ord. Malpighiacew. Stove trees or shrubs, 

 frequently climbing. Flowers yellow ; calyx five-parted ; 

 petals furnished with long stalks ; stamens ten. Leaves 

 simple, stalked. They are for the most part very orna- 

 mental, bnt are not often seen in flower in this country. 

 They will grow in a mixture of loam, leaf soU, and peat, 

 with some sharp sand added. Cuttings, made from ripened 

 wood, wUl root freely in sandy soU, under a hand glass, in 

 stove heat, taking about three or four weeks to do so. 

 B. chrysopbylla (golden-leaved).* Jl. deep orange, axillary, 

 corymbose. I. ovate, oblong, acutish, somewhat sinuated towards 

 the top, clothed beneath with golden shining down. Brazil, 1793. 

 Climber. 

 B. ciliata (ciliated).* Jl. large, orange-coloured, umbellate. June. 



I. cordate, orbicular, smooth, ciliated. Brazil, 1796. Twiner. 

 B. ferruginea (rust-coloured). JI. yellow ; racemes panicled. 

 June. I. 2in. long, ovate, acuminated, smooth above, and shining, 

 rusty beneath, and are, as well as the petioles, clothed with 

 close pressed hairs. Brazil, 1820. Climber. 

 B. fulgens (glowing).* Jl. yellow, in umbellate corymbs. I. ovate, 

 acuminated, smooth above, and clothed with silky pubescence 

 beneath, as well as the petioles. Branches dichotomous. West 

 Indies, 1759. Climber. 

 B. Humboldtiana (Humboldt's).* fl. yellow ; umbels lateral and 

 terminal, sessile. I. roundish ovate, cordate, mther acuminated, 

 mucronate, membranaceous, smoothish above, clothed beneath 

 with soft hoary down as well as the branchlets. South America, 

 1824. Climber. 

 B. sericea (sUky). fl. yellow, racemose. July. I. ovate, obtuse, 

 with a mucrone; younger ones downy on both surfaces, adult ones 

 only on the under surface ; down of a golden shining colour. Brazil, 

 1810. Climber. 

 B* splendens (splendid).* Jl. yellow ; racemes axillary, dicho- 

 tomous, umbellate. Floral leaves orbicular, and nearly sessile. 

 I. cordate, kidney-shaped, orbicular, clothed with silky down 

 beneath. Soutli America, 1812. Climber. 



BANKS. These are usually formed with a view to 

 increasing the amount of surface ground, and for the 

 acceleration or retarding of vegetable crops, such as straw- 

 berries, &o. They should be from 6ft. to 12ft. apart, ac- 

 cording to the depth of soil, and run from east to west. 

 In constructing Banks of a uniform size, great care, and 

 a constant use of the garden line, wUl be found necessary. 

 For the warmest side of the Banks, Dwarf French Beans, 

 Peas, Vegetable Marrows, Cucumbers, New Zealand Spinach, 

 Capsicums, &c., may be grown. On the opposite side, and 



Banks — continued. 

 when a prolonged supply is desired. Cauliflower, Broccoli, 

 Lettuce, Turnip, Spinach, &o., may be sown thinly in di-ills, 

 to be thinned out, and remain. It needs but little dis- 

 cretion to produce valuable crops by this method. 



BANKSIA (named in honour of Sir Joseph Banks, 

 once President of the Royal Society, and a distinguished 

 patron of science, particularly of Natural History). OuD. 

 ProteacecB. Greenhouse evergreen shrubs, natives of Aus- 

 tralia, principally grown for the beauty of their foliage. 

 Leaves variable in form, usually dark green, clothed with 

 wliite or rufous down beneath ; margins deeply serrated or 

 spinous, rarely entire. The following is the mode of cul- 

 ture recommended many years ago by Sweet. The pots 

 should be well di'ained, by placing a potsherd about half 

 way over the hole at the bottom of the pot, then laying 

 another piece against it that it may be hollow, afterwards 

 putting some smaller pieces all around tliem, and on the 

 top of these some others broken very small. All the 

 plants belonging to the order Proteacece should be drained 

 in a similar manner, as the roots are very fond of running 

 amongst the broken potsherds, and consequently tliere ia 

 less danger of their being overwatered. Care must also be 

 taken not to allow them to flag, as they seldom recover if 

 once allowed to get very dry. The plants should be placed 

 in an airy part of the house when indoors. Cuttings are 

 generally supposed to be diffloult to root, but this is not 

 the case if properly managed. Let them be well ripened 

 before they are taken off ; then cut them at a joint, and 

 place them in pots of sand, without shortening any of the 

 leaves, except on the part that is planted in the sand, where 

 they should be taken off quite close. The less depth the.y 

 are planted in the pots the better, so long as they stand 

 firm when the sand is well closed round them. Place them 

 under hand glasses in the propagating house, but do not 

 plunge them in heat. Take the glasses off frequently to 

 give them air, and dry them, or they will probably damp 

 off. When rooted, transfer to small pots ; after which, 

 place them in a close, unheated frame, and harden by 

 degrees. Seeds are a very unsatisfactory means of multi- 

 plying the stock. 



B. semula (rivalling).* I. 6in. to lOin. long, lin. broad, linear- 

 oblnng, tapering slightly at the base : edges deeply toothed, deep 

 green on both sides ; midrib of under surface clothed with rich 

 brown hairs, h. 20ft. 1824. Sv.N. B. elatior. (B. M. 2671.) 



B. australis (southern). A synonym of B. marginaia. 



B. Caleyi (Caley's). I. 6in. to 12in. long, linear, deeply and 

 regularly toothed from base to apex, dark gi*een above, paler 

 below, h. 5ft. to 6ft. 1850. Said to be an elegant species. 



B. CoUina (liill-loving).* l.2\n. to Sin. long, Mn. broad, linear ; 

 apex prjemorse, as if bitten straight off ; upper surface dark green, 

 silvery below, h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1822. This forms a dense and 

 handsome shrub, especially with its large head of yellow flowers. 

 Sv.N'S. B. Cunninghami, B. ledifolia, and B. littoralis. (B. M. 3060.) 



B. Cunninghami (Cunningham's). A synonym of 2,. collina. 



B. dryandroides (Dryandra-like).* I. 6in. to lOin. long, Jin. 

 liroad, piiinatifid, divided almost to the midrib ; lobes triangular, 

 deep green above, and reddish-brown below. Stem clothed with 

 reddish-brown hairs, h. 6ft. 1824. This plant is extremely 

 graceful and elegant as a table decoration. 



B. elatior (taller). Synonymous with B. cemula. 



B. integrifolia (wliole-leavcd). I. cuneate-oblong, 6in. long, 

 nearly lin. wide at tlie broadest part ; edges entire ; upper side 

 dark green, silvery white beneath, /i. 10ft. to 12ft. 1788. Syns. 

 B. macrophglla, B. oleijolia. (B. M. 2770.) 



B. 1. compar (well-matched). I. very densely set upon the 

 branches, oblong, tapering at the base, blunt at the apex ; edges 

 serrulate ; upper side dark olive green, silvery white beneath. 

 h. 6ft., finely branching. 1824. 



B. latifolia (broad-leaved). (. 5in. to lOin. long, 3in. broad, 

 obovate-oblong ; edges serrated ; upper surface deep green, 

 beneath clothed with woolly greyish hairs, those on the midrib 

 bright brown. A. 20ft. 1802. (B. M. 2406.) 



B. ledifolia (Ledum-leaved). Synonymous with B. collina. 



B. llttoralis (shore). Synonymous with B. collina. 



B. macrophylla (large-leaved). Synonymous with B. integrifolia. 



B. marginata (margined). I. lin. to 2in. long, jin. broad, blunt 

 at the apex, armed with several short spines, and tapering at the 

 base, deep green on the upper surface, snowy white beneath. 

 /.. 5ft. to 6ft. 1822. Syn. B. australis. (B. JI. 1947.) 



