BESCHORNERIA 



in 



BETULA 



BESCHORNE RIA. (Named after H. Beschorner, a 

 German botanist. Nat. ord. Amaryllids [Amaryllidaceae]. 

 Related to Agave.) 



Warm greenhouse succulents of an evergreen charac- 

 ter. They require similar treatment to the American 

 Aloe (Agave americana). 



B. bractea'ta(bT3iCteated). 2. Reddish. March. Mexico. 



(B. M.. t. 6641.) 



cohnia'na (Cohnian). See B. TUBIFLORA. 

 decosteria" na (Decosterian). 7. Green and tinted 



red. Mexico. 1880. (B. M., t. 6768.) 

 du'bia (doubtful). 3. Green. Mexico. 1877. (R. H., 



1877, 153-156.) 

 pube'scens (pubescent). Scape, 4 to 5. Green, fading 



to yellow. Mexico. 1906. 

 supe'rba (superb). Mexico. 

 tonelia'na (Tonelian). 4. Red, green. Mexico. 1872. 



(B. M., t. 6091.) 

 tubiflo'ra (tube-flowered). 5. Green, red. Mexico. 



1845. Syns. B. cohniana and Furcrcea tubiflora. 

 Wri'ghtii( Wright's). 8. Green. Mexico (?). 1901. 

 ,, yuccoi'des (Yucca-like). 4. Green. Mexico. 1860. 



BESLE RIA. (Named after Besler, an apothecary at 

 Nuremberg. Nat. ord. Gesnerworts [Gesneraceae]. Linn. 

 H-Didynamia, 2-Angiospermia. Allied to Gesnera.) 



Stove evergreen under-shrubs, except where other- 

 wise specified. Cuttings, slightly dried, and placed in 

 sweet soil ; peat and loam. Summer temp., 60 to 80 ; 

 winter, 50 to 60. 



B. cocci'nea (scarlet-berried). See ALLOPLECTUS cocci- 



NEUS. 



crista'ta (crested). See ALLOPLECTUS CRISTATUS. 



di'chrus( two-coloured). See ALLOPLECTUS DICHROUS. 



grandifo'lia (large-leaved). 3. Yellow. August. 

 Brazil. 1823. 



Imra'yi (Imray's). Yellow. W. Ind. 1862. Her- 

 baceous. 



incarna'ta (flesh-coloured-6rif). 3. Yellow. 

 Guiana. 1820. Stove herbaceous perennial. 



leuco'stoma (white mouth). i. Orange. New 

 Grenada. 



lu'tea (yeUovr- flowered). 3. Yellow. July. W. Ind. 

 1739. 



mo'llis (soft). 3. Yellow. S. Amer. 1823. 



pulche'lla (neat). See TUSSACIA PULCHELLA. 



., serrula'ta (finely saw-edged). See DRYMONIA SERRU- 



LATA. 



tigri'na (tiger-spotted). 4. White, crimson. De- 

 cember. Caraccas. 1853. 



viola 'cea (purple-berried) . 6. Yellow. Guiana. 1824. 

 Stove evergreen climber. 



BESOM, or BROOM, received its second name from 

 being often made of the broom-plant ; but the best, 

 both for flexibility and durability, are made of the ling, 

 or heath. Birch-brooms are the most common, and are 

 those to which the name besom applies, and the most 

 useful for all garden purposes ; beso, in the Armorican 

 language, being the birch. But whatever the material, 

 they will endure much longer if soaked in water for 

 some time before using. If kept constantly in water, 

 they would be still less brittle. Where walks are liable 

 to become mossy, a broom made of wire is frequently 

 employed for sweeping them. If the wire be iron, it 

 ought to be well dried and dipped hi oil before and after 

 being used, or it is soon destroyed by the rust. Small 

 Rakes now take the place of these. 



BESSE RA. (Named after Dr. Besser, professor of 

 botany at Brody. Nat. ord. Lilyworts [Liliaceae]. Linn. 

 6-Hexandria, i-Monogynia. Elegant little Mexican bulbs, 

 allied to the Brodiaeas.) 



Offsets ; sandy peat ; kept dry and cool, but secure 

 from frost when not growing ; kept moist when grow- 

 ing and flowering. They require a cold pit or green- 

 house. 



B. e'legans (elegant). 2. Scarlet. September. Mexico. 



,, fistulo'sa (hollow-stalked). i. Purple. Sep- 

 tember. Mexico. 1831. 



Herbe'rli (Dr. Herbert's). Purple and white. 

 September. Mexico. 1846. 



minia'ta (vermilion). Scarlet, white. Mexico. 

 1850. 



BE TA. Beet Root. (From belt, the Celtic word for 

 red ; in reference to the red colour of the beet. Nat. 

 ord. Chenopods [Chenopodiaceae]. Linn. $-Pentandria. 

 2-Digynia.) 



Hardy biennials, except where otherwise described. 

 Seeds in March or April ; deep soil. See BEET. 



B. Ci'cla (Sicilian white-beet). 6. Green. August. 



Portugal. 1670. 

 ,, cri'spa (curled). 6. Green. August. South of 



Europe. 1800. 



korte'nsis meta'llica (metallic garden). Leaves blood- 

 red. 

 macrorhi'za (long-rooted). 6. Green. August. 



Caucasus. 1820. 



mari'tima (sea), i. Green. August. Britain. 

 pa'tula (spreading). Green. Madeira. 

 tri'gyna (three-styled). 3. White. July. Hungary. 



1796. Hardy herbaceous perennial. 

 vulga'ris (common red-beet). 4. Green. August. 



Europe. 1548. 

 lu'tea (yellow-rooted). 4. Green. August. South 



of Europe. 



,, macroca'rpa (large- fruited). 

 ,, ru'bra (red-rooted). 4. Green. August. South 



of Europe. 

 vi'ridis (green). 4. Green. August. South of 



Europe. 



BETCKEA. (Named after M. Betcke, a botanist. 

 Nat. ord. Valerian worts [Valerianaceae]. Linn. 3-Trta- 

 dria. i-Monogynia. Now referred to Plectritis.) 



For all practical purposes, they may be taken as a 

 common Valerian. Hardy annuals. Seeds in warm 

 situations, in middle of May ; or, better, in a slight 

 hotbed, in the middle of March, and transplanted into 

 common garden-beds. 



B. ma'jor (larger). See P. SAMOLIFOLIA. 

 ,, samolifo'lia (Samolus-leaved). See P. SAMOLIFOLIA. 



BETLE NUT. Pi' per Be- tie. 



BETO NICA. Betony. (This genus, named after the 

 Celtic title, Bentonic, is now united to Stachys.) 



B. spica'ta robu'sta (spiked, robust). See STACHYS 



GRANDIFLORA ROBUSTA. 



BE"rONY. Sta'chys and Teu'crium beto'nicum. 



BE'TULA. Birch. (From its Celtic name, betu. Nat. 

 ord. Birchworts [Cupuliferae]. Linn. 2i-Moncecia, 4- 

 Tetrandria.) 



Hardy deciduous trees and shrubs, except where other- 

 wise specified. Seeds sown as soon as ripe, or kept 

 dry, and sown in the April following, in fine soil, and 

 scarcely more than covered ; deep, dry soil suits them 

 best. Shrubs and particular species by suckers and 

 grafting. The flowers of all are inconspicuous, having 

 no petals. There are many which are very ornamental 

 when grown as standards, grafted on the common sorts. 



B. a'lba (common white). 40. April. Britain. 

 ,, ,, daleca'rlica (Dalecarlian). 40. May. Europe. 

 fastigia'ta (upright). 



fo'liis variega'tis (variegated-leaved). May. 

 macroca'rpa (large-fruited). 40. June. Europe. 

 pe'ndula (pendulous). April. Britain. 

 pe'ndula You'ngi (Young's Weeping Birch). 

 ,. ., purpu'rea (purple-leaved). 

 pyramida'lis (pyramidal). 



a'lba, subspecies pube'scens, varieties as follows : 

 ,, fo'liis au'reis (golden-leaved). 

 latifo'lia (broad-leaved). 

 ,, po'ntica (Pontic). 70. May. Turkey. 

 ,, pube'scens (pubescent). 30. May. Britain. 

 ,, undula'ta (wavy-leaved). 30. May. 

 ,, urticifo'lia (nettle-leaved). 40. May. 

 alnoi'des pyrifo'lia (alder-like, pear-leaved). Central 



China. 



alpe'stris (alpine). N. Europe. 

 Bhojpa'ttra (Bhojpattra). See B. UTILIS. 



glanduli' fera (gland-bearing). See B. UTILIS. 

 carpinifo'lia (horn-beam-leaved). See B. LENTA. 

 corylifo'lia (hazel-leaved). Japan. 

 davu'rica (Daurian). 30. July. Siberia. 1785. 



,, parvifo'lia (small-leaved). July. Siberia. 

 Erma'ni (Ennan's). Japan. 1894. 



