An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



193 



Black Ply — continued. 

 more or less dangerous, especially in the hands of the in- 

 experienced. Black Fly is, however, one of the most 

 difficult insects to eradicate, especially if allowed to 

 multiply. A syrinp^in^ of clean water should follow either 

 of the above applications. See also Aphides. 



BLACK JACK OAK. See Qnercns nigra. 



BI.ACE MAIBBNHAZR SFLBBNWORT. See 

 Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum. 



BLACK FINE. Sec Finns anstriaca. 



BLACKTHORN. See Frunus spinosa. 



BLACK VARNISH TRBB. See Melanorrhcea. 



BLACK WATTLE. See Callicoma serratifolia. 



BLABBER CATCHPLT. See Silene inflata. 



BLABBER KETMIA. See Hibiscus Tiionnm. 



BLABBER NUT. See Staphylea. 



BLABBER SENNA. See Colntea. 



BLABBER WORT. See Utricularia. 



BLABE. The lamina or expanded part of a loaf. 



BLJERIA (named after Patrick Blair, M.D., F.R.S., 

 who practised medicine at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and was 

 author of "Miscellaneous Observations," 1718; "Botanic 

 Essays," 1820, &c.). Ord. Ericacece, Pretty little green- 

 bouse evergreen shrubs, natives of Southern and Tropical 

 Africa. Flowers terminal, glomerate ; corolla short-tubu- 

 lar, with a four-cleft limb, very freely branched. Leaves 

 verticillate, with revolute margins. For culture, see Erica. 



B. artlculata (jointed).* Jl. reddish ; heads drooping. May. 

 L four in a wliorl, ovate or linear, glabrous, and shining ; bracts 

 solitary. A. 1ft. 1795. 



B. ericoldes (Heath-like). Jl. pui-plish-red. August. I. four in a 

 \vhi>rl, oblong, obtuse, ringed ; bracts three, length of the calyx. 

 h. 2lt. 1774. 8yn. Eru^a orbicularis. (L. B. C. 155.) 



B. purpurea (purple), y!. purple; heads drooping. June. J. fonr 

 in a whorl, ovate, sub-ciliated. Stem flexuous, erect, h, 2ft. 1791. 



BLAKEA (named after Martin BlaVe, of Antigua, a 

 great i)r(>m(iter of useful knowledge). Ord. Melastonnacem. 

 Handsome stove evergreen shrubs or trees. Flowers red, 

 large, showy; peduncles axillary, terete, one-flowered, naked, 

 opposite or solitary, shorter tlian the leaves, usually with 

 brown tomentiim. Leaves potiolate, three to five-nerved, 

 coriaceous, glabrous above and shining, but usually densely 

 clothed with rusty tomontnm beneath. They thrive well 

 in peat, or a mixture of loam and peat, and require to bo 

 liberally supplied with water, particularly in spring and 

 Bummer. Cuttings root freely if taken from shoots that 

 are quite ripe (otherwise they are apt to rot), planted in a 

 pot of sand, and plunged in a moist heat, under a hand 

 glass. 



B. qulnqnenervla (five-nerved). /. flesh-coloured, large, with 

 white disks; peduncles twin, shorter than the petioles. June. 

 I. elliptic, acuminated, naked, and shining on both surfaces, live- 

 nerved, h. 10ft. to 16ft. Guiana, 1820. (A. G. 210.) 



B. trinervia (three-nerved). Ji. rose colour, large ; peduncles 

 solitary, longer than the petioles. June. I. oval-oblong, three- 

 nerved, glabrous and shinuig on both surfaces in the adult state, 

 and when young serrulated ; petioles and branchlets clothed with 

 rusty tomentum. Hoots issuing from the branches and stems. 

 A. 4ft. to 8ft. Jamaica, 1789. (B. M. 451.) 



BLANCHING. This process is effected for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining crispnesa, and for converting what would, 

 under ordinary circumstances, be a dangerous plant — in 

 the case of Celery especially so — into a highly popular 

 delicacy. Blan<;hing can only be accomplished by entirely 

 excluding the light from the plants, thus depriving tho 

 colouring matters of their power to decompose water 

 and carbonic acid gas. It is also termed Etiolation. 



BLANBFOBDIA (named after George, Marquis of 

 Blandford). Okd. Liliacece. A very beantifnl genus of 

 greenhouse bulbous plants, natives of Australia. Flowers 

 solitary, on recurved pedicels ; perianth funnel- Bhaped, six- 



Blandfordia — rontinued. 

 cleft ; stamens six. Leaves linear, elongate, striate ; radical 

 ones dilated, and somewhat sheathing at tho base ; others 

 shorter and more distant, appearing on the flower-stem. Tlie 

 best soil in which to grow them is loam and peat in equal 

 proportions, with a little rough silver sand added. They 

 should be repotted moderately firm in the autumn, allow- 

 ing good drainage, and should then be placed under the 

 greenhouse stage, or in any other position where they will 

 be free from water drippings. Water must only be given 

 when dry, until they commence to grow, when it may be 

 gradually increased, and they may be introduced into a 

 higher temperature, if necessary, there to remain till after 

 flowering. When the foliage is ripened off, they may be 

 stored away until the time for re-potting. Propagated 

 by seeds and offsets, or by division of the old plants, 

 which must be done when repotting. 



B. aurca(goIden).» Jl. l^in. to 2in. long ; scape bearing an umbellate 

 cluster of three to five pure golden-yellow drooping bell-shaped 

 flowers. Summer, l. narrow, linear, keeled or channelled, from 

 the base of which the flower-scape arises. A. 1ft. to 2ft. New 

 South Wales, 1870. (B. M. 5809.) 



B. Cunninghamll (Cunningham's).* /!. rich coppery red, the 

 upper part yellow ; about 2in. long, bell-shaped, pendulous ; from 

 twelve to twenty, terminating in a stout scape 3ft. high. June. 

 I. linear, slijghtly keeled at the back, about iin. broad. New South 

 Wales. This magnifioent species should have a little charcoal 

 mixed with the soil already mentioned. (B. M. 5734.) 



B. C. hybrlda (hybrid). Jl. red, margined with clear yellow, 

 bell-shaped, in a dense drooping umbel. 



B. flammea (fiery).* Jl. dullish yellow, in dense umbel-like 

 clusters; bracts ovate-lanceolate, stiff; perianth inversely conical. 

 June. I. linear, bluntly keeled, h. 2ft. Australia, 1849. 



B. f, elegans (elegant).* Jl. crimson, tipped with yellow, large, 

 funnel-shaped. Summer. I. long, iinear-ensiform. This very 

 handsome form is often* taken for the type. 



B. f. prlnceps (magnificent).* Ji. rich orange-red externally, 

 and bright yellow within, about 3in. long, tubular, borne on a 

 scape about 1ft. high, slightly pendulous, and arranged near the 

 summit. Sunnner. l. stiff, sub-erect, long, bright green, disposed 

 in a distichous manner. This is a very splendid greenliouse 

 plant, and should be in every colleetion. Australia, 1873. SVN. 

 B. princeps. See P^ig. 255. (B. M. 6209.) 



B. grandlflora (large-flowered).* Jl. crimson, very large ; bracts as 

 long as the pedicels, the inner much tho shortest. July. h. 2ft. 

 New South Wales, 1812. (B. R. 924.) 



B. Intermedia (intermediate), fl. yellow, pendulous, funnel- 

 shaped, in sixteen to twenty-flowered racemes ; bracts leaf- 

 fnrnied. Septemljer. L channelled, acutely keeled, scabrous on 

 tho marjiins. h. l^ft. Australia. 



B. marginata (margined). Jl. orange-red, conical, in lon^ pen- 

 <liduus racemes; bracts narrow, foliaceous, about equalling in 

 length the pedicels. July. I. stiH', sub-erect, with scabrous 

 margins, h. 2ft. Tasmania, 1842. (B. R. 31, 18.) 



B. nobllis (noble).* Jl. orange with yellow margins, on long 

 pedicels, drooping, disposed in a terminal raceme; bracts twice 

 as short as the pedicels. July. I. very narrow, h. 2ft. New 

 South Wales, 1803. (B. M. 2003.) 



B. princeps (magnificent). Synonymous with B. Jlammea princeps. 



BIiATTA. See Cockroaches. 



BIiBABBRRY. See Vaccininm Mjrrtillus. 



BL£ACHINCr POWDER. See Chloride of Lime. 



BIiCCHNUM (from Blerhnon, the Greek name of a 

 fern). Ord. Filices. A very attractive genua of stove 

 and greenhouse ferns, thriving in a compost of peat, loaf 

 soil, and loam. Sori linear, continuous, or nearly so, parallel 

 with, and usually contiguous to, the midrib. Involucre 

 distinct from the edge of the frond. Fronds uniform, 

 generally pinnate or pinnatifid. Veins usually free. For 

 general culture, see Ferns. 



B. anstrale (southern).* cau. stout, creeping:, scaly; sti. erect, 

 4in. to 6in. long, fronds 9in. to ISin. lonp, and from 2lu. to 3in. 

 broad, lanceolate, narrowed towards both ends; pinnre numerous, 

 the barren ones lin. to liin. long, Jin. to gin. broad, linear, 

 hastate-cordate, or auricled at the base, especially on the upper 

 side, with a very coriaceous texture ; fertile pinnai narrower, sori 

 in a continuous or slightly broken line, close, but not contiguous, 

 to the midrib. South Africa, &c., 1691. Greenhouse species. 



B. boreale See Lomarla Spicant. 



B. braziliense (Brazilian).* can. erect, stout, sub-arborescent, 

 1ft. or more long, densely clothed at the crown with dark brown 

 scales, ati. short, stout, densely scaly, fronds oblong-lanceolate, 



2 c 



