210 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Brasaia — cont inued. 



B, caudata (tailed).* fl., sepals and petals yellow, barred with 

 brown, fruni 4in. to 6in. long ; lip broad and yellow, spotted 

 with greenish-brown. AVhen the plant is large and healthy, it 

 produces numerous drooping spikes, 18in. long, and many-tlowered, 

 h. 1ft. West Indies, 1823. (B. R. 832.) 



B. Gireoudiana (Gireoud's). .rt., sepals and petals bright 

 yellow, spcttetl and blotched with deep red, produced in many- 

 flowered scapes of singular and beautiful flowers during spring 

 and early summer. This species much resembles B. Lanceana, 

 but has larger flowers Costa Rica. (R. X. O. 1, 32.) 



Fig. 275. Single Flower of Brassia Lanceana. 



B. Lanceana (Lance's).* Jl., sepals and petals lanceolate and 

 tapering, bright yellow, blotched with brown, or sometimes witli 

 deep red ; lip wholly yellow, slightly spotted at the base, and 

 much waved, deliciously fragrant ; scapes radical, niany-fiowered. 

 In the typical species, the lip is rather more than half as long 

 as the sepals, l. rich dark green, k. 9in. Surinam, 1843. See 

 Fig. 275. (B. R. 1754.) 



B. Ii. macrostachya (large-spiked).* fl., sepals and petals bright 

 rich yellow, sparingly spotted with brown, as in the type ; sepals 

 lengthened out into tail-like appendages, which are sometimes 

 nearly Sin. in length ; lip wholly of a clear pale yellow. Deme- 

 rara. 



B. L. pnmila (dwarf), fl., sepals pale yellow, ^vithont spots or 

 markings; petals of the same colour, tinged witli purple near the 

 base ; lip almut half the length of the sepals, slightly contracted 

 in the middle, yellow, with abrownish-yeUow base. Caraccas. 



B. Iiawrenceana (Lawrence's).* fl. large, sweet-scented; sepals 

 and petals bright yellow, spotted with cinnamon and green ; lip 

 yellow, tinged^with green. June to August, h. 1ft. Brazil, 

 1£39. (B. R. 27, 18.) 



B. Ii. longissima (long-sepaled).* fl., sepals deep orange-yellow, 

 blotched and spotted, esjiL^cially towards the base, with reddish- 

 purplf, and kngtlu'ned out into tail-like appendages, which, in 

 well-grown examples, measure 7in. in length ; petals about 2iin. 

 long and Jin. broad at the base, marked in the same manner as 

 the sepals ; lip about 3in. long, pale yellow, dotted and spotted 

 towards the base with purple. August and September. Costa 

 Rica, 1868. A magnificent variety. 



B. macnlata (spotted).* fl. large ; i>,^pals and petals pale yellow, 

 irregularly spotted with lirown ; tlie former being short compared 

 with those of the other species ; lip white, spotted about and 

 below the centre with brown and purple. Spring and early 

 summer. Jamaica, 1806. See Fig. 276. (B. M. 1691.) 



B. m. guttata (spotte<l).* fl. on spikes 2ft. or 3ft. long; sepals 

 and petals yellnwish-gi-cen. blotched wjtli brown ; lip broad, yellow, 

 spotted with brown. May to August. Guatemala, 1842. Syn. 

 B. Wmi/cs. (B. ^L 4003.) 



Brassia— cont in ned. 

 B. verrucosa(waity-lipped).* fl. large; sepals and petals greenish, 



blutched witli bhukish-purple ; lip white, ornamented with 



numerous little green protuberances or warts, hence the specific 



name; scai)e many-flowered. May and June. (Juatemala. 

 B. V. grandiflora (large-flowered).* fl. twice the size of, and a 



lighter colour than, the type. This variety is very rare, and i^ 



said to be the best of the genus. 

 B. Wrayse (Wray's).* A synonym of B. macxdata guttata. 



BRASSICA (old Latin name used by Pliny ; from 

 BresiCy the Celtic name for Cabbage). 

 Cabbage. Ord. Crucifercs. Herba- 

 ceous, usually biennial, rarely annual 

 or perennial, or suffrutescent plants, 

 usually with a short caudes. Flowers 

 yellow, rarely white, but never purple 

 nor 'veined. Eadical leaves usually 

 stalked, lyrate, or pinnatifid ; cauline 

 ones sessile or stem-clasping, entire; 

 racemes elongated ; pedicels bractless, 

 filiform. Full cultural details will be 

 found under the popular garden name 

 of each variety. 



B. olcracea (herb-like), fl. pale yellow, 

 large. i\Iay and June. /. glaucous, waved, 

 lulled, smooth. Root-stem cylindrical, 

 fleshy. A. 1ft. to 3ft. England. Biennial. 

 B. o, acephala (headless). Borecole or 

 Kale. Stem round, elongated. I. ex- 

 panded, racemes punicled. 

 B. O. tootrytis asparagoides (Asparagus-like). The Broccoli- 

 fl. aliortive. Stein taller than that of the Cauliflower. I. 

 greyish-glaucous, elongated. Branchleta fleshy, bearing small 

 flower-buds at the top. 

 B. o. b, cauliflora (Cauliflower). Heads of flower- buds 

 thick, terminal. Stem short. I. oblong, of a g:i'ey is h -glaucous 

 colour. 

 B. o. buUata gemmifera (bud-bearing). Brussels Sprouts. 

 Heads small, numerous, rising from the axils of the leaves along 

 an elongated stem. 

 B. o. b. major (larger). Savoy Cabbage. Heads of leaves loose, 



thick, terminal, roundish. I. blistered. 

 B. o. capitata (headed). The Cabbage. Stem round, short. I. 

 concave, not blistered, crowded into a head before flowering; 

 racemes panicled. 

 B. o, Gaulo-rapa (Kohl-Rabi). Stem tumid and somewhat glo- 

 bose at the origin of the leaves. 

 B. Rapa (Rape). The Turnip. Radical leaves lyrate, destitute 

 of glaucous bloom, green, covered with bristly hairs; middle 

 cauline ones cut ; upper ones quite entire, smooth. 



Fig. 276. Single Flower of Brassia mac i lata. 



BRASSICACE.S:. See Cruciferae. 



BB>AVOA (named after Bravo, a Mexican botanist). 

 Ord. AmnryUidacecv. A pretty little graceful bulbous 



