An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 2i1 



Bravoa — continued. 

 plant, hardy in very sheltered positions, but in exposed 

 situations requiring a slight protection in winter. It is 

 an admirable plant for cool-house culture, and delights 

 in a compost of light rich loam, leaf mould, and sand. 

 Propagated by offsets, which are obtainable in autumn ; 

 or by seeds, which should be sown as soon as ripe. 



B. gemiaiflora (twin-flowered).* Twin Flower. _/!. rich oransje- 

 red, tubular, droopins, disposed in the upper part of the flower- 

 stems, which are sometimes 2ft. Ioue;. July. I. linear, ensiform, 

 pale green. Jlexieo, 1841. (IV M. 4741.) 



BRAZILIAN TEA. See Ilex paraguariensis and 

 Stacliytarpheta jamaicensis. 



BKAZIIi NUT. See BerthoUetia. 



BRAZIIa WOOD. See Caesalpinia brasiliensis. 



BREAD FRUIT. See Artocarpus. 



BREAD NUT. See Brosimum. 



BREDIA (named in honour of Professor J. G. S. van 

 Bred). Oed. Melastomacew. An ornamental greenhouse 

 shrub, thriving in rich light loam, leaf soU, and peat. Pro- 

 pagated by cuttings of the ripened shoots, inserted in sandy 

 loam, under a hand glass, in heat ; or by seeds. 



B. birsuta (hairy).* Jl. rose-pink, about iin. across, disposed in 

 loose, terminal, manv-flowered cymes. Autumn. I. ovate acumi- 

 nate, hairy. Japan, "1870. (B. M. 6647.) 



BREEZE. The small particles or refuse of gas coke. 

 It constitutes a very cheap fuel, but, unless mixed with 

 good coke, is only suitable for boilers of the saddle type, 

 having a good draught. Breeze must not, however, bo con- 

 founded with coke-dust. 



BREVOORTIA COCCINEA. See Brodiaea coc- 

 cinea. 



Fig. 277. Flowering Branch op Brexia madagascariensi;. 



BREXIA (from brexis, rain ; the large leaves afford 

 protection against rain). Ord. Saxifrariece. Excellent stove 

 trees. Flowers green, in axiUiiry umbels, surrounded by 

 bracts on the outside. Leaves alternate, simple, dotless, 

 and furnished with minute stipules. Stems nearly simple. 

 They require a compost of two parts loam and one of peat, 

 with the addition of a little sand, to keep the whole open. 

 A libcr.al supply of water must be given at all sea.sons. 



Brexia — continued. 

 Cuttings, with their leaves not shortened, strike readily in 

 sand under a hand glass, in heat ; or a leaf taken off with a 

 bud attached will grow. Leaves as in accompanying 

 illustration (Fig. 277), and long, narrow, spiny-toothed 

 ones, are often produced on the same plant. Probably the 

 two species enumer.ated below are simply forms of one. 

 Well hardened oif, strong growing plants of B. madagas- 

 cariensis .are very suitable for sub-tropical gardening. 

 B. madagascariensis (Madagascar).* I. obovate or oblong, 

 entire, while youm; minutely gland-toothed. A. 20ft. Madagas- 

 car, 1812. See Fis. 277. 

 B. spinosa (spinv). /. lanceolate, 20in. long, 2in. broad, spiny- 

 toothed, h. 20ft. Madagascar, 1820. 



BREXIACE.Si. A section of Saxifrages. 



BRIAR. See Rosa. 



BRICKS. In England, the standard thickness of 

 brick walls is a Brick and a-half, that is, the length of 

 one brick and the breadth of another. Thirty-two paving 

 bricks, laid flat, will form one square yard of flooring ; if 

 set on edge, eighty-foirr will be required for the same space. 

 The best Bricks for walls are those termed Stocks, which 

 are well burnt. Grizzells and Place Bricks, being only 

 partially burnt, are soft and not durable. In various parts 

 of the kingdom, different clays and methods of manufacture 

 cause a disparity in the weight and appearance of the 

 finished article. Several forms are made to suit varioiis 

 purposes, but the standard size is 9in. long by 4iin. wide, 

 by 2iin. thick, althoiigli, since the remission of the duty, 

 some slight variations occur, owing to shrinkage and other 

 causes. Fire Bricks are made of a particular kind of clay, 

 which will stand intense heat when once burnt, and are 

 used in furnaces and other places where durability imder 

 great heat is a desideratum. Fire-clay should always be 

 used in place of mortar in building with 

 these. 



BRILIiANTAISIA (named after M. 

 Brillant). Ord. Acanthacece. A very small 

 genus of erect, branching, stove evergreen 

 shrubs. Flowers large, in terminal pani- 

 cles ; corolla ringent; upper lip falcate and 

 overarching, with a trifid apex, the lower 

 one large, spreatling, shortly trifid. Leaves 

 ovate-cordate, on long petioles. For ctil- 

 ture, see ^Barleria. 



B. owariensis (Uwarian).* _fl. violet-blue ; 

 cymes sub-sessile, loose; panicles terniiual. 

 March. I. large, opposite, putiolate. /(. 3ft. 

 Western Africa, 1853. This plant, in its habit 

 of growth, resembles some of the largest species 

 of Salvia. (B. M. 4717.) 



BRISTLES. Stiff hairs. 



BRISTLT. Covered with stiff hairs. 



BRISTLY -TOOTHED. Fuiuished 

 with teeth like bristles, or with the teeth 

 ending each in a bristle. 



BRIZA (from briza, to nod). Quak- 

 ing Grass. Obd. Granxinece. A genus of 

 ornamental hardy grasses. Panicle loose; 

 calyx two-valved ; corolla two-valved, awn- 

 less ; exterior one ventrieose, interior small 

 and flat. Fruit adnate with the corolla. 

 These extremely graceful plants delight in 

 a soU composed of loam, leaf soil, and peat. 

 Seeds may bo sown in spring or autumn. 

 For decorative pirrposes, the branches shotdd 

 be gathered as soon as full grown, and loosely placed in 

 flower-stands, to dry. Tirfts of these plants look extremely 

 pretty on the rockery, or amongst hardy ferns. 



B, gracilis (graceful). Synonymous with D. minor. 



B. maxima (greatest).* yZ., spikelets oblong-cordate, thirteen to 

 seveuteeii-Howered ; panicle nodding at the end. June and July. 

 I. long, linear-acuminate, h. lift. South Europe, 1633. See 

 Fig. 278. 



