152 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Babiana contin ued. 



portionately increased as the plants develop. Very weak 

 liquid manure, applied twice a week, just as the spikes are 

 pushing up, will be beneficial. When the flowers fade, 

 and the stems show signs of decay, the supply of water 

 must be gradually decreased, thus inducing the thorough 

 maturation of the conns, upon which the next season's dis- 

 play depends. When quite down, store the pots in a dry 

 place till the time for repotting arrives, when the conns 

 should be carefully cleaned, and all offsets separated, the 

 latter being potted up in the same way as the parent 

 corms in order to produce flowering specimens; or they may 

 be kept in a pot of sand and planted in a warm border out- 

 side in March. Outdoor culture: A sheltered, sunny, and 

 well-drained situation is most essential to success. Al- 

 though not absolutely necessary, it is preferable to replant 

 every year in early spring, placing the bulbs about Sin. or 



FIG. 200. BABIANA STKICTA RUBRO-CYANEA. 

 6in. deep, with a little sand sprinkled about them. Plant- 

 ing may, of course, be done in autumn, when it will be 

 necessary to cover with cocoa nut fibre refuse to the depth 

 of 5in. or Gin. In warm, sheltered situations, the corms 

 may remain undisturbed ; but, as a rule, it is desirable to 

 remove them late in autumn, when the leaves are dead, and 

 store them in dry sand through the winter in a cool, airy 

 position, free of frost. Mixed Babianas may be purchased 

 from dealers at a cheap rate, and, for general purposes, 

 they are best to plant. Propagation may be effected by 

 offsets and seeds. The former is the best and quickest 

 method. The offsets should be grown in boxes or planted 

 out in light rich soil until large enough for flowering. 

 Seeds sown in pans, and placed in a gentle heat, will grow 

 at almost any time ; the young plants will require to be 

 carefully transplanted each season until they develop into 

 flowering corms. 



B. ccerulescens (bluish). Synonymous with B. plicata. 



B. dlstlcha (two-ranked).* fl. with a Hyacinth-like fragrance ; 



perianth pale blue; divisions narrow; margins undulated or 



crisped. June, July. 1. lanceolate, acute, h. 6in. 1774. (B. M. 626.) 



B. plicata (folded).* fl, with a very fragrant clove carnation-like 



Babiana continued. 



perfume ; perianth pale violet-blue ; anthers blue, and stigmas 

 yellow. May, June. I. lanceolate, distinctly plicate. A. 6in. 

 1774. SYNS. a. ccerulescens, B. reftexa. (B. M. 576.) 



B. rcflexa (reflexed). Synonymous with B. plicata. 



B. ringens (gaping).* fl. scarlet, irregular in form, gaping, very 

 handsome. May, June. I. narrow, acute, deep green, h. 6in. 

 to 9in. 1752. (L. B. C. 1006.) 



B. sambucina (Elder-scented). /. bluish -purple, with an Elder- 

 like fragrance; perianth divisions spreading. April, May. /. 



SYN. Gladiolus 



\ ; penan 



lanceolate, slightly plicate. A. 6in. to 9in. 17 

 gambucinus. (B. M. 1019.) 



B. Stricta (strict).* fl., perianth segments narrow, acute, outer 

 three white, inner three lilac-blue, with a dark blotch near the 

 base of each. May. I. broadly lanceolate, obtuse, ciliated. 

 h. 1ft. 1795. (B. M. 621.) 



B. 8. angnstifolia (narrow-leaved), fl. fragrant ; perianth bright 

 blue, slightly pink in the tube. May and June. I. linear, acute, 

 light green, h. 1ft. 1757. (B. M. 637.) 



B. s. rubro-cyanea (red-and-blue).* fl. 2in. or more in diameter ; 

 upper half of the perianth very brilliant blue, and the lower part 

 rich crimson, forming a central zone, in striking contrast to the 

 blue portion. May, June. I. broad, acuminated, downy on the 

 under surface, h. 6in. to Sin. 1796. See Fig. 200. (B. M. 410.) 

 B. 8. sulphurea (sulphur-coloured).* fl. cream-coloured, or pale 

 yellow ; anthers blue, and stigmas yellow ; segments spreading. 

 April, May. I. narrow-obtuse, h. 9in. 1795. SYNS. Gladiolus 

 sulphureus, O. plicatus. (B. M. 1053.) 



B. 8. villosa (villous).* fl., perianth smaller than the last, with 

 the narrower segments rather more widely spreading than in B. s. 

 rubro-cyanea, brilliant crimson, with violet-blue anthers. Au- 

 gust h. 6in. 1778. (B. M. 583.) 



BABINGTONIA (named after C. C. Babington, Pro- 

 fessor of Botany at Cambridge, and a distinguished 

 botanical author). OBD. Myrtacece. A very pretty green- 

 house evergreen shrub, allied to Bceckea, from which it 

 differs in having the stamens collected in groups opposite 

 the sepals. Cuttings of the young nnflowering shoots may 

 be planted in sand under a bell glass, and kept in a 

 moderate heat until rooted, when they should bo placed 

 singly in small pots, in a compost of equal parts loam 

 and peat, with the addition of a little sand. As the 

 small pota fill with roots, the plants should be removed 

 into larger ones, and the compost have less sand in it; 

 but this should not be done until the next February. The 

 established plants must have a good shift about March 

 or April, and should be kept in a light, airy greenhouse ; 

 the first shoots may be topped to moderate their vigour, 

 and to produce a greater profusion of less luxuriant ones. 

 In May, when most plants are removed from the green- 

 house, these should be set to grow under a frame which, 

 while shielding them from heavy rains, and supporting 

 Borne slight shading in the hottest parts of the sunny days, 

 will not prevent a free circulation of air. To this end, tho 

 frame should be elevated from the rests or supports at its 

 corners ; the lights should be left off at night in fine, mild 

 weather, and on doll, cloudy days, being only replaced 

 during heavy rains, and when shading is necessary. To- 

 wards autumn, the plants must be returned to the green- 



B. Camphorasmse (camphor-smelling).* fl. pinkish-white, in 



little cymes, disposed in long terminal racemes. Summer. I. 



linear, opposite, nerved, h. 7ft. Australia, 1841. (B. It 28, 10.) 

 BACCATE. Berried, fleshy ; having a pulpy texture. 

 BACCHARIS (from Bacchus, wine; referring to the 

 spicy odour of the roots). Ploughman's Spikenard. ORD. 

 Composites. A genus of hardy, stove, or greenhouse herbs, 

 shrubs, or trees. Flower-heads many-flowered, dioecious, 

 terminal. Involucre sub-hemispherical or oblong, in many 

 series, imbricated. Leaves simple, alternate, exstipnlate, 

 deciduous, oblong-lanceolate, notched, serrated, or entire. 

 Shrubs of short duration. These plants are neither beautiful 

 nor ornamental, but are of easy cultivation in ordinary soil. 

 Propagated by cuttings. 

 B. halimifolia (Halinius-leaved). Groundsel Tree, fl.-heads 



white. July. 1. oblong-cuneate, obovate, coarsely toothed ; 



branches angular, h, 6ft. to 12ft. Northern United States, 



1683. Hardy. 



BACHELORS' BUTTONS. The double-flowered 

 forms of Ranunculus acris, Lychnis diurna, &o. 



