An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



191 



Billberifia — continued. 



beneath, witli transverse bars. h. IJft. Brazil, 1856. vSyns. B. 

 pallida and B. Wioti. 



B. pallida (pale). Synonymous witli i>. pallcuceris. 



B. pyramldalis (p>Taniicial). Jl. red, with purple margin, in 

 erect spikes ; bracts liinceolate, rosy. February. /. curvoil, Hk'i- 

 late-lancHolate, with white bands beneath. A. 1ft. Peru, 1822. 

 (B. H. 1873. 16.) 



B. Quesneliana (Quesnel's).* /!. deep y>urp]e ; bracts flesh- 

 coloured ; upper ones variegated with white, /i. 6ft. riuiana, 

 1874. An erect growinp; species, possessing: the same habitus B. 

 rosea-Tnartjinata^ but havin^:: the leaves more acuminate, aiul deep 

 ftTeen in colour. SvN. Qne^iulia riija. (F. d. S. 10, 1026.) 



B> rosea-marginata (rose-niarsined).* /?., inflorescence a dense 

 oblong spike of light blue, subtended by large, broad, deep, rose- 

 coloured bracts, with scaiious margins. January. I. sheathing 

 at the base, about 2ft. long, channelled, spiny on the margin, and 

 marked with transverse mealy bands, h. l^ft. Tropical America, 

 1880. Syns. B. rvhro-marginata and Qxicsnelia ro.seo-marginata. 



B. rubro-marglnata (red-margined). Synonymous with B, 

 rogea-mar'/liiala. 



B. Saundersil (Saunders').* Jl. about 2in. long, disposed in a 

 loose pendulous inflorescence ; sepals crimson, half the length of 

 the petals, which are yellow outside and blue within. /. tufted, 

 ligulate, rounded at the apex, terniiiiated by a short macro, saw- 

 toothed, green above, purple beneath, and spotted white on both 

 surfaces. Brazil, 1868. Syn. (according to Morren) B. cklorO' 

 ntwta. (F. M. n. s. 106.) 



B. thyrsoidea (thyrsoid). Jl. dense, in thyrsoid spikes, almost 

 mthout bracts. June. l. green, ligulate, shortly acuminate, the 

 margin toothed. A. 1ft. Brazil, 1850. (B. M. 4756.) 



B. Tlttata (striped). 7?. indigo blue, with crimson calyces and 

 bracts ; racemes nodding. /. banded, ligulate, elongate, shining. 

 h. im. Brazil, 1843. (B. H. 1871, 14, 15.) 



B. Wlotl (Wiot's). Synon>Tnous with B. pallcscens. 



B. zebrina (zebra-streaked).* il. greenish ; scape clothed ^vith 

 large, pale, salmon-coloured hracts ; inflorescence gracefully 

 curved downwards. Early spring. I. sheathing for about half 

 their length, forming thus a sort of tube, tleep green, with 

 zones of grey, the whole deepening with age. h. l^ft. South 

 America, 1826. SVN. Helicodea zebrina. (L. B. C. 1912.) 



BILOBATB. Two-Iobed. 



BIKATB. In pairs. 



BINDING. The process of eecarin^ a graft or bud 

 in its place by means of Raffia or Bast. The same term 

 is applied to bard clay or other soil impervious to water, 

 in sammor. 



BINBWBBD. See ConvolTnlns. 



BIOFHTTUSI (from hios, life, and pUyton, a plant ; 

 the leaves of one species bein^ sensitive to the touch). 

 Tribe OxalidecB of order Geraniacece. A genus of pretty 

 and interesting perennials, differing from Oxalis, in which 

 genus it has been included, in the valves of the capsule 

 being- patent and separate to the base. They will thrive in 

 a mixtui'e of loam and peat. Propag-ated by seeds, which 

 should be fovm in spring, on a hotbed. Probably the only 

 species in cultivation is the foUovring : 



B. sensltlvnm (sensitive). Jl, yellow, small. July. I, leaflets 

 oblong, obtuse, mucronate. h. 6in. India and China, 1825. The 

 leaves of this plant contract on the slightest toucli. Syn. Ozalis 

 sensitiva. (B. R. 31, 68.) 



BIOTA. See Tliuja. 



BIOTIA. See Aster corymbosns. 



BIFARTITB. Divided into two nearly to the base. 



BIPINNATE. Twice pinnate. 



BIFINNATIFIB, or BIPINNATIPARTED. 

 Having both primary and secondary segment.s of a leaf 

 divided, but not to the bise. 



BIFIilCATE. Having two folds or plaits. 



BIKCH. SVv Betula. 



BIKD-CHBB.RY. .See Cerasus Fadus. 



BIRDLIME. A preparation made from Mistletoe 

 berries and Holly bark. It is used for catching birds. 



BIRB-FEFFER. See Capsicum baccatum. 



BIRBS. As a cla.sa, liirds are very nmua inuiu useful 

 than hurtful in gardon.s. Owls are of great usy in catch- 

 ing mice, and Night-jars in catching night-flying insects. 



Birds — cojUinued. 

 Rooks are very useful in lessening the numbers of wire- 

 worms, and of hurtful insects in general ; but, if very 

 numerous, they may be driven to eat potatoes and other 

 vegetable food, and may then do harm. The same may 

 be said of Starlings. Blackbirds and Thrushes feed 

 much on snails and worms, but they also feed on the 

 ripe fruits in gardens. As a rule, slender-billed birds 

 feed almost wholly on insects or otlicr animals, and are 

 to be encouraged in gardens at all seasons. Among 

 these may be enumerated the Tree-creeper, Wryneck, 

 Warblers, and Wrens of various kinds, Chats, Hedge- 

 sparrow, Larks, Redstart, Robin, Titmice, and Wagtails. 

 Swifts, Swallows, and Martins, are also great destroyers 

 of insects. The Finches feed, in part, on insects, but 

 also eat large quantities of seeds, and often do consider- 

 able damage among plants grown for seed, e.g., Cabbages, 

 and in the seed-beds. Sparrows are about the most 

 troublesome, though they are often assisted by Buntings, 

 Chaffinches, Linnets, and others. When seed-beds or 

 fruits have to be protected, this may be done by nets ; 

 or, more simply, by threads tied to sticks a few inches 

 above the surface of the ground, or in front of the trees. 



BIRD'S-EYE PRIMROSE. See Primula fari- 

 nosa. 



BIRD'S-FOOT. See OmithopTis. 



BIRD'S-FOOT FERN. *SVe Pellsea omithopus. 



BIRD'S-NEST FERN. See Aspleninm Nidus. 



BIRTHWORT. -^ee Aristolochia. 



BISCUTEIiIiA (from ?ns, double, and scutella, a, sancer; 

 in allusion to the form of the silicles). Buckler Mustard. 

 Ord. CntcifercB. Perennial or annual herbaceous plants, 

 usually hispid, but sometimes downy or smoothish. Flowers 

 yellow, scentless ; pedicels filiform, bractless. Leaves ob- 

 long, entire, toothed or pinnatifid, somewhat radical or 

 cauline. Stems round, erect, usually corymbosely branched 

 at the top by racemes, which, when in flower, are short, 

 but elongated at the time of fruiting. All the species pro- 

 duce seeds freely. The annuals should be sown in the 

 open borders. Some of the perennial kinds are well adapted 

 for ornamenting rockwork, in a dry, sunny situation. Of the 

 annuals, columnoB, lyrata^ maritima, and ohovata, are best. 

 Of the perennials, coronopifoliay Urvigata, and sem.pervirens 

 are the most desirable, but none are worth cultivation out- 

 side botanical collections. 



BISERIAIi, or BISERIATE. Arranged in two 

 parallel rows. 



BISERRATE. Toothed in a saw-like manner, but 

 with the primary teeth again serrated. 



BISUI.CATE. Doubly furrowed. 



BITERNATE. Twice ternate. 



BITTER ALMOND. See Amyg^dalus communis 

 am.ara. 



BITTER APPLE. See Cucumis Colocynthis. 

 BITTER-SWEET. See Solanum Dulcamara. 

 BITTER VETCH. See Orobus. 

 BITUMINOUS. Clammy, adhesive. 



BIVONJEA (named after Antonio Bivona-Bernardi, 

 a Sicilian botanist, author of '" Sicularum Plantarum Cen- 

 turia I. et II.," Palermo, 1S06). Ord. Crxiciferce. A pretty 

 little monotypic genus, well adapted for ornamenting 

 rockwork or the front of flower borders. A dry sandy 

 soil is most suitable for its culture. Propagated by seeds, 

 sown in spring where the plants are intended to remain, 

 t)iinniug-out being necessary to ensure full growth. 



B. lutea (yellow).* /?. yellow, small; racemes terminal, eloniE3,ted 

 as they jjrow ; pedii-els filiform, bractless. April. I. alternate, 

 lower ones stalked, the rest sessile, cordate, stem-clasping at the 

 hase, ovate, tootlied, bluntish. Stem tiliform, sparingly branched. 

 h, 3in. to 6in. Sicily, 1823. An annual. 



