AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



153 



BACKHOUSIA (commemorative of the late James 

 Backhouse, a botanical traveller in Australia and South 

 Africa). OBD. Myrtacece. A greenhouse evergreen shrub, 

 requiring a compost of fibry peat, loam, and a little white 

 sand. Propagated, in April, by half-ripened cuttings, in- 

 serted in sand, under a bell glass, in a cool house. 

 B. myrtifolia (Myrtle-lea yed).* Jl. white, disposed in corymbs, 

 and often produced on cuttings soon after having struck root 

 May. L ovate, acuminate, smooth. Branches slender, h. 16ft 

 New South Wales, 1844. (B. M. 4131) 



BACONIA. A synonym of Pavetta (which see). 

 BACTRIS (from baktron, a cane ; the young stems being 

 used for walking sticks). ORD. Palmes. Very orna- 

 mental, slender growing, and prickly stove Palms. Pe- 

 duncle of the spadix bursting through about the middle of 

 the leaf sheath. Drupes small, ovate, or nearly round, and 

 generally of a dark blue colour. Leaves pinnatisect ; seg- 

 ments generally linear and entire. Instead of being con- 

 fined to the apex of the trunk, the leaves are scattered over 

 nearly the whole surface, and the lower ones retain their 

 verdure long after the upper ones have fully developed. 

 Stems slender, varying from 2ft. to 10ft. in height. Some 

 of the species are of easy culture in a compost of loam, 

 peat, leaf mould, and sand, in equal parts ; but most of 

 them are very difficult to manage. Propagation may be 

 effected by suckers, which are very freely produced. Many 

 species are ornamental only when in a young state. 



B. bacnlifera (cane-bearing). I. pinnate, bifid at the apex, 2ft. to 

 6ft long ; pinna? arranged in clusters about 1ft long and 2in. 

 broad, dark green above, paler below ; petioles sheathing and 

 densely clothed with sharp brown and black spines, IJin long. 

 South America. 



B. caryotsefolia (Caryota-leaved).* /., spathe ovate, prickly ; 

 branches of spadix simple, flexuous. I., pinnre wedge-shaped, 

 three-lobed, and erose ; rachis, petioles, and candex prickly. 

 h. 30ft. Brazil, 1825. 



B. flavlspina (yellow-spined). Synonymous with B. paUidispina. 



B. major (greaterX JL greenish-yellow, with a broadly ovate 

 spathe. A.lJ5ft Carthagena, 1800 



B. Maraja (Maraja). Maraja Palm. JL yellow, with a prickly 

 spathe. A. 30ft to 50ft. Bahia, 1868. 



B. pallidisplna (pale-spined). I. pinnate, bifid at the apex ; 

 pinnae clustered, 6in. to 12in. long, lin. wide, dark ; petioles 

 sheathing at the base and furnished with a profusion of long, 

 yellow spines, which are tipped with black. Brazil. SYN. 

 B. flavispina. 



BACULARIA (from baculum, a walking-stick). OBD. 

 Palmce. A small genu containing a couple of stove 

 species, which are amongst the smallest Palms of the Old 

 World. Both are confined to the east coast of tropical 

 Australia. B. monostachya in allusion to its slender stem, 

 which rarely exceeds in _ thickness that of the thumb is 

 known as the Walking-stick Palm. 

 B. minor (lesser). L attaining 34ft Stems, several from same 



rhizome, 2ft. to 5ft. high, $in. thick. Queensland. 

 B. monostachya (one-spiked). 1. pinnate, pendent, 6in. to 12in. 

 long, bifid at the apex ; pinnae about 4in. across, broad, irregular 

 in shape, with ragged and irregular ends; dark green. Stem 

 Blender, petioles sheathing, A. 10ft New South Wales, 1824. 

 SYN. Areca monostachya. (B. M. 6644.) 



BADGER'S BANE. See Aconitiun meloctonum. 

 BJEA (commemorative of Eev. Dr. Beau, of Toulon, 

 brother-in-law to Commerson, the discoverer of the genus). 

 STN. Dorcoceras. OBD. Gesneracece. Curious and pretty 

 greenhouse herbaceous perennials, requiring a rich sandy 

 loam. They are easily propagated by seeds. Probably the 

 only species in cultivation is the following : 

 B. hygrometrlca (hygrometric).*/!. pale blue-coloured, yellowish 

 at the throat ; segments of the limb more or less reflexed ; 

 corolla five-lobed, somewhat resembling that of the Violet; 

 scapes numerous, naked, few-flowered. Summer. I. in a rosette, 

 thinly covered with coarse whit* hairs, ovate acute at both ends, 

 crenate serrate, h. 6in. North China, 1868. (B. M. 6468.) 

 B.ECKEA (named after Abraham Back, a Swedish 

 physician, and an esteemed friend of Linnaeus). OBD. 

 HyrtaceoB. Very pretty greenhouse evergreen shrubs. 

 Flowers white, pedicellate, small. Leaves opposite, gla- 

 brous, dotted. They thrive in a compost of sandy peat, 

 leaf soil, and lumpy, fibrous loam. Cuttings, taken from 



Baeckea continued. 



young wood, root readily, if pricked in a pot of sand, with 



a bell glass placed over them, in a cool house. 



B. diosmse folia (Diosnia-leaved).* Jl. axillary, solitary approxi- 

 mate sessile. August to October. I. oblong, rather cuniated, 

 Keeled, acute, crowded, imbricate, and are, as well as the calyces 

 ciliated. A. 1ft. to 2ft New Holland, 1824. 



B. frntescens (shrubby).* JL solitary ; pedicels axillary No- 

 vember. 1. linear, awnless. A. tft to 3ft China, 1806. (B. >1 2802 ) 



B. parvula (little), fl., peduncles axillary, umbelliferous. I. 

 elliptic-oblong, obtuse, rather mucronate. A. 1ft. New Caledonia, 

 1877. This is very close to B. virgala. (R. G. 886, 2.) 



B. virgata (twiggy).* a., peduncles axillary, umbelliferous. 

 August to October. L linear-lanceolate. A. 2ft to 3ft New 

 Caledonia, 1806. (B. M. 2127.) 



BJEB.IA (named in honour of Professor Baer, of the 

 University of Dorpat). OBD. Composites. A genus con- 

 Bisting of about half a dozen species. Probably the only 

 one in cultivation is that mentioned below; it is a very 

 pretty plant, of easy culture in ordinary garden soil. Pro- 

 pagated by seeds, sown in spring. 

 B. Chrysostoma (golden-mouthed). fi..headt bright yellow, soli- 



tary, terminal, about lin. across ; involucre of about ten leaflets, 



in two series. Early summer. I. linear, opposite, entire. Stems 



erect, downy. A. 1ft California, 1835. (S.B. F. G. ii. 395.) 



BAGGED. Swelled like a sac or bag. 



BAHIA (probably from Port of Bahia, or San Salvador, 

 in South America). STN. Phialis. ORD. Composites. An 

 ornamental, hardy, herbaceous perennial, much branched 

 from the base of the stem, and having a greyish appear- 

 ance. It may be increased by seeds, or by divisions. 

 B. lanata (wholly). JL-headt yellow, solitary, produced in great 



numbers. Summer. 1. alternate, or with the lower ones some- 

 times opposite, deeply divided, and sometimes Ululate and entire. 



A. 6in. to 15in. North America. This species thrives on borders 



of light and well-drained sandy soil (B. II. 1167.) 



BA.LANINUS. See Nut Weevil. 



BALANTIUM (of Kaulfuss). See Dicksonia. 



BALANTIUM (of Desvaux). See Parinarinm. 



BALBISIA (commemorative of Giovanni Bittista 

 Balbis, a Professor of Botany at Turin). SYN. Ledocarpum. 

 OBD. Geran.ia.cec3. A very ornamental half-hardy ever- 

 green shrub, requiring a cool, dry atmosphere. As it is 

 very liable to rot off, water must be applied with great 

 care. Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood, inserted 

 in sand, under a hand glass ; or by seeds. 

 B. vertlcillata (whorled). Jl. yellow large, with a whorl of 



narrow bracts beneath. Autumn. I. opposite, three-parted ; 



segments linear-oblong. Branches slender, glaucous. A. 3ft. to 



6ft Chili, 1846. (B. M. 6170.) 



BALCONY. A projection from the external wall of a 

 house, usually resting on brackets, and having the sides 

 encompassed by a balustrade. It should at all times be 

 prettily decorated with plants, which in the summer ia a 

 comparatively easy matter. During winter, evergreens of 

 various kinds are most serviceable, the best being Arbutus, 

 Ancubas, Boxes, Euonymuses, Hollies, Irish and Goldon 

 Tew, Portugal Laurel, Retinosporas, Vincas, Ac. These 

 may be grown in pots, and when replaced by the summer 

 occupants, should be plunged in some reserve quarter, 

 where they should receive plenty of water ; by this means, 

 they will increase in size, and keep in a healthy condition. 

 Very little water will be required during the winter. 

 Climbing plants, such as Ivy, Passion Flower, Virginian 

 Creeper, Climbing Roses, &c., are indispensable for covering 

 the trellises, and draping the pillars and arches. 



BALDINGERA. A synonym of Fremna. 



BALL. This term is used in reference to the roots and 

 mass of earth as they are moulded into form and pressed 

 into hardness by the pot. The masses of roots and earth 

 which, in the case of fibrous-rooted subjects (such as 

 Rhododendrons), must be taken intact when removing the 

 plants, are also termed Balls. 



BALM (Melissa officinalis). A perennial herb, often 

 used in the manufacture of a drink for sick persons, 

 and sometimes employed for culinary purposes. It may 

 be grown in ordinary garden soil, and is propagated by 



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