208 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Bowenia — continued. 



B. s. serrulata (flnelj'-ti)othed).* Tliis differs from the type in 

 having tile luargius distinctly toothed or serrated. Eockinirh:im 

 Bay, 1863. 



BOWIEA (named after J. Bowie, a botanical collector 

 for the Royal Gardens, Kew). Ord. Liliaceiv. A very 

 interesting greenhouse or half-hardy twining livdbous 



Fig. 273. Bowiea volubilis, showing Habit, Flower, and Fruit. 



perennial, thriving in a sunny border, under the wall of 

 a greenhouse, where it will require protection during 

 winter. It does well in any light well drained soil, and 

 may be propagated by seeds or offsets. 



B, volnbilis (twining), fl. few, remote, pedicellate ; perianth 

 six-partite, persistent ; segments equal, green, lanceolate, Jin. 

 long, at length reflexed. October. True leaves are frequently 

 not developed for years; but the green, fleshy, mostly abortive 

 inflorescence peifornis their functions. South Africa, 1366. 

 See Fig. 273. 



BOX. See Buxas. 



BOX BLBBR. See Negnndo. 



BOX THORN. See Lycium. 



. BRABEIUDI (from braheion, a sceptre; in reference 

 to the racemosed flowers). African Almond. Okd. Pro- 

 teacete. An ornamental greenhouse evergreen tree. For 

 culture, &e., see Banksia. 



B. stellatlfolinm (star-leaved), jl. white, sweet-scented, dis- 

 jioseil in ulriiant, axillary, spiked racemes. August. I. whorled, 

 sinijile, senate, h. 15ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1731. 



BRACHYCHITON (from Irachys, short, and chiton, 

 a coat of mail ; plants covered with imbricated hairs and 

 scales). Ord. Sterculiacew. A genus of tropical or sub- 

 tropical Australian ti-ees or shrubs, allied to Sterculia, 

 from which it differs in very minor points. They are of 

 easy ctilture in a loamy soil. Propagated by young cut- 

 tings, planted in sandy soil, in gentle heat. 

 B. acerifoUum (.\cer-leaved). /. bright red. I. long-stalked, 



deeply five to seven-lobed. A. from 60ft. to 120ft. 

 B. Bldwillii (liidwill's).* Jl. bright red, arranged in axillary 

 bunches. I. stalked, heart-shaped, entire, or three-lobed, and 

 covered with a soft pubescence. 1851. (B. M. 6133.) 

 B. diversifollum (various-leaved). I. coriaceous, obtuse, lanceo- 

 late, entire, or three-lobed, glabrous ; lobes acuminate, h. 20ft. 

 to 60ft. 1824. 



BBACHYCOMB (from brachys, short, and lome, hah-). 

 Swan River Daisy. Ord. Composites. A genus of beauti- 

 ful little half-hardy perennials or annuals, closely resem- 

 bling Bellis in structure. Involucral bracts membranous 

 at the margin ; receptacle pitted, naked. Fruit com- 

 pressed, surmounted by a very short bristly pappus. 

 B. iberidifolia is one of the prettiest of summer annuals, 

 and in the open border it flowers profusely, if in a dry. 



Bracliycoxne — contimied. 

 sunny sjiot. Towards the autumn, it may be removed 

 to the greeiJiouse, where it wUl still continue flowering 

 for several weeks. Seeds may be sown in a gentle hot- 

 bed, early in the spring, and, when large enough, planted 

 out in borders or beds. Gin. apart ; or they may bo 

 sown thinly out of doors, late in April, and thinned out, 

 when they will flower a month later than those sown in 

 the hotbed. 



B. iberidifolia (Iberis-leaved).* fl. -heads blue or white, with 

 a dark centre, aljout lin. in diameter. Sununer and autumn. 

 (. pinnate ; segments linear. Plant erect, glabrous, h. lit. 

 Swau River, 1843. See Fig. 274. 



Fig. 274. Brachycome iberidifolia, showing Habit and 

 Flowering Branch. 



BRACHTIiSSITA (from brachys, short, and Icena, a 

 cloak or covering ; referring to the shortness of the invo- 

 lucre). Ord. CoinjMsitie. A genus of South African ever- 

 green greenhouse shrubs, nearly allied to Baccliaris. They 

 thrive in a compost of peat and loam. Propagated by 

 cuttings, made of half-ripened shoots, placed in a well- 

 drained pot of sandy soil, under a bell glass. 



B. dentata (toothed). Jl. -heads yellow. I. lanceolate, acute, en- 

 tire, rusty beneath when young, when .adult quite glabrous. 



B. nerifolia (Nerium-leaved).* fl. -heads yellow, in branching ra- 

 cemes or panicles. August to November. I. lanceolate, serrated 

 with one or two teeth forward. A. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 

 1752. 



BRACHTOTUra (from brachys, short, and ofos, the 

 ear ; in reference to the short appendages at the base of 

 the anthers). Ord. Melastomacece. A handsome green- 

 house evergreen shrub, with a bushy habit. Allied, and 

 requiring similar culture, to Pleroma (which see). 



B. confertum (crowded).* fl. purple, tei-minal, nodding, with 

 cream-coloured bracts. November, l. oblong or ovate, small, 

 three-nerved, with adpressed hairs. Andes, Peru, 1873. (B. M. 

 6018.) 



BRACHYSBlVtA (from brachys, short, and sema, a 

 standard ; the standard of the flower is very short). Obd. 

 Leguminosce. Elegant procumbent or climbing greenhouse, 

 evergreen shrubs. Racemes axillary and terminal, few- 

 flowered. Leaves alternate, oval or ovate, entire, mucro- 

 nate, silky on the under surface. They thrive in a compost 

 of peat, leaf soil, and loam, in equal proportions, made 

 porous, if necessary, by the addition of sand. Increased 

 by cuttings, made of half -ripened shoots in summer, placed 

 in sandy soil, under a bell glass, in a gentle bottom heat ; 

 or by layers. Seeds may be sown in March, in heat. 

 Brachysemas require thorough drainage, whether grown 

 in pots or planted out. B. lati/oliiun does best under 

 the latter treatment, when it forms a magnificent climber 

 for pillars or the roof. 



B. lanceolatum (lanceolate-leaved). /. rich scarlet, with the 

 margin of the vexiUum white, red at the disk, with a large yellow 

 spot in the centre, each about lin. long, disposed in axillary. 



