An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



213 



Broccoli— -continued. 

 Purple Sprouting, Model, Willcove, Leamington, and Cat- 

 tell's Eclipse. 



BROSIJEA (named after J. J. Brodie, a Scotch crypto- 

 gamist). Stn. Hoohera. Obd. Liliacece. Pretty, slender, 

 hardy, or in some positions only halt-hardy, bnlbs. The 

 flowers are usually borne in large clusters or umbels ; the 

 prevailing colour is blue ; coccinea is, however, an exception, 

 the flowers being scarlet. The scape is usually straight and 

 slender, but strong. Leaves from two to four in number, 

 enveloping the part of the scape beneath the surface, and 

 procumbent thereon. Most of them are of easy culture in 

 rich sandy loam ; if grown in pots, a mixture of loam, leaf 

 BoU, and sand, suits them weU. Increased freely by offsets, 

 which should be left undisturbed with the parent bulbs till 

 they reach a flowering state, when they may be divided and 

 replanted in autumn. 

 B. capltata (headed).* Jl. deep violet-blue, funnel-shaped, dis- 



posea in a compact, many-flowered umbel ; valves of the spathe 



also deep violet. May. I. narrow, linear, h. 1ft. to 2ft. California, 



1871. 



Fio. 281. BRODii;A COCCINEA, showing Flower and Habit. 



B. coccinea (scarlet).* Jl. IJin. long, tubular, rich blood-red below, 

 the apex of the tube and the segments yeilo\vlsh-green ; umbels 

 composed of five to fifteen drooping flowers. June. t. linear, 

 loose, shorter than the scape, h. lift. California, 1870, Very 

 handsome, distinct from all other species, requiring a warm, well- 

 drained, and sunny position, and to remain undisturbed. Syn. 

 Erevonrtia coccinea. See Fig. 281. (B. M. 6857.) 



B. congesta (close-headed).* Jl. blue, with the crown paler ; seg- 

 ments cleft at the top j umbel bearing six to eight blooms. The 

 stamens in this species are metamorphosed into fleshy scales, 

 which adhere to the mouth of the perianth. Summer. I. few, 

 long, slender, channelled on the inside. Bulb small, roundish, 

 and much \\Tinkled. h. 1ft. Georgia, &c., 1806. A very tree- 

 growing and rapidly increasing species. 



B. c, alba (white).* Jl. white ; in other respects like the type, but 



not so vigorous. 

 B. gracilis (graceful).* Jl. deep yellow, with brown nerves, ^in. or 

 rather more long, in few-flowered umbels. July. I. solitary, 

 about iin. broad, longer than the scape, h. 5in. to 4in. California, 

 1876. A scarce and i-ather tender little species, but very pretty. 



B. ^randiflora (large-flowered).* /. bluish-purple, with entire 

 pointed se;xments ; umbels bearing two to seven somewli.at 

 scattered blooms. Summer. I. two to three or more, linear, 

 pointed, slender, grooved on the inside, furnished with a few 

 membranous scales. Bulb small, roundish, dry and wrinkled. 

 A. l*ft. North America, 1806. Sy.n. Hookcra coronaria. (B. R. 

 118J.) 



B. Howellii (Howell's).* Jl. purpUsh-blue, about |in. across, sub- 

 bell-shaped, in many-flowered umbels. July and August. I. 

 narrow acute, grooved, shorter than the scape, h. 18in. to 24in. 

 California, 1880. 



Bxodisea — continued. 



B. izloid.es (I-sia-like). See Calliprora latea. 



B, lactea (milky-white).* ;!. wbite, usually with green midribs, 

 *in. to Jin. across, saucer-shaped, in many-flowered umbels. Juno 

 and July. I. linear, acute, nearly as long as the scape, h. 1ft. 

 to 2ft. California, 1833. SVNS. Hesperoscordmn lacteum, ililla 

 hyacinthina. 



B. multlflora (many-flowered).* /. blue-purple, very numerous, 

 in sub ;;l^il"'<c heads. May. I. linear, elongate, 1ft. to 2ft. long, 

 rather fleshy, h. 1ft. to lift. California, 1872. (B. M. 5989.) 



B. volubilis (twining). /. rose-coloured, in dense umbels, each 

 containing fifteen to thirty blooms ; scape twining, sometimes 

 12tt. long. July. I. narrow, linear-lanceolate, 1ft. long, synan- 

 thous. California, 1874. Half-hardy bulb. (B. M. 6123.) 



BBODXHLIA (named after Bromel, a Swedish botanist). 

 Okd. Bromeliacex. A genus of stove herbaceous perennials, 

 allied to the Pineapple. Flowers, corolla three-petaled, 

 convolute, erect, or spreading at the top. Leaves densely 

 packed, rigid, lanceolate, with spiny margins. Stems short. 

 These plants require much the same treatment as Bill- 

 hergia. AUied genera are JEclimea, Ananassa, Billbergia, 

 Distegantlnis, Greigia, Karatas, Ruckia (which see). 



B. antiacantba (opposite-spined). jl. purple, scarlet. Brazil, 



1864. SVN. C sceptriun. 

 B. bicolor (two-coloured).* Jl. scarlet, in a close central sessile 

 head. March. I. numerous, narrow, ensiform, outer green, central 

 crimson ; elegantly radiate. Chili, 1872. SYH. B. Joinviltei, B. pit- 

 cainiicej'olia. (B. H. 14.) 

 B. bracteata (red-bracted).* Jl. pink ; scape elongated ; raceme 

 compound ; bracts red, ovate-lanceolate. September. I. serrate, 

 spiny, h. 2ft. Jamaica, 1785. 

 B. Fernandas (Fernanda's).* A. yellowish, in ovoid heads ; bracts 

 orange-red. July. I. linear-li'gulate, 24in. to 30in. long, recurved, 

 spinyedsed. Para, 1872. 

 B. Jolnvlllei (Joinville's). A synonym of jB. hicolor. 

 B. Karatas. See Karatas FlumlerL 



B. pitcaimisefolla (Pitcairnia-leaved). A synonym of B. bicolor. 

 B. Eceptrum (sceptre-like). A synonym of B. antiacantha and 

 Karatas Pliani^ri. 



BROMEIiIACEaj. An extensive order of stemless or 

 short-stemmed plants, having rigid, channelled, and usually 

 spiny leaves. Flowers very showy ; outer perianth three- 

 cleft, persistent, inner one of three withering segments ; 

 stamens six, inserted in the tube of the perianth. To this 

 order belongs the Pineapple. The genera best known in 

 gardens are Ananassa, jlchmea, Billbergia, Bromelia, and 

 Tillandsia. 



BBOMHEADIA (in honour of Sir Edward Finch 

 Bromhead). Okd. Orchidew. A small genus of stove 

 orchids, comprising a couple of species, with erect stems, 

 large flowers, and oucuUate lip, which is parallel with the 

 column. For culture, see Ansellia. 



B. palnstris (marsh).* Jl., sepals and calyx white; hp white ex- 

 ternally, within streaked with purple, and having a yellow blotch 

 in centre; spike terminal, distichous, flexuous, many-flowered, on 

 a long peduncle ; bracts short, stiff, tooth-like. June. I. dis- 

 tichous, oblong-linear, eniarginate. h. 2ft. Singapore, 1840. 

 (B. R. 30, 18.) 



Fig. 282. Bromus briz.eformis. 



BBOMTTS (from bromos, the Greek name for a wild 

 oat). Okd. Graminecc. B. brizaformis (see Fig. 282) is an 

 elegant biennial grass, with drooping panicles of spikelets. 



