AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



179 



Begonia continued. 



NIMROD,* rich red-scarlet, very large and full, with a free and 

 verv vigorous habit ; PRESIDENT BURELLE,* glowing red, tinted 

 with scarlet, very free; QUEEN OP DOUBLES,* rich rosy-crimson, 

 very double and floriferous one of the best varieties ; ROBERT 

 BURNS,* brilliant orange-scarlet, tinted vermilion, very double 

 and free; SIR GARNET, deep orange-scarlet, very vigorous ; WM. 

 BEALBY,* deep velvety scarlet, immense size and perfect form, 



Kane-Coloured : ADA,* bright rosy-salmon, fringed at the edge, 

 very full and free ; COMTESSE H. DE CHOISEUL, pale rose, at first 

 nearly white, very handsome; ESTHER,* rich rosy pink, with a 

 distinct crimson margin ; FORMOSA,* rich rosy carmine, with a 

 white centre and crimson margin, very distinct and showy; 

 GLORY OK STANSTEAD,* deep rose, with a well-defined white 

 centre, very distinct and handsome ; JOHN T. POE,* bnght rose, 

 tinted with cerise, of excellent form and vigorous habit ; MADAME 

 COMESSE,* rich satiny salmon-rose, immense, and most profuse ; 

 MADAME LEON SIMON, soft pale rose, very full and free ; MARIE 

 LEMOINE, light salmon with a rose centre ; MRS. BUISSENDEN,* 

 salmon-rose, with a cream-white centre, of excellent form and 

 very free; P^EONIFLORA, flowers enormous, rich salmon-rose, very 

 full ; QUEEN OF SCOTS,* satiny-pink, salmon-shaded, of a perfect 

 form and very large, habit compact and very free ; ROSINA,* deep 

 rose, violet shaded, of exquisite form, very vigorous and free. 



White-Flowered: ANTOINETTE QUERIN,* pure white, cream, 

 shaded centre, very large and full, a magnificent variety ; 

 BLANCHE JEANPIERRE, pure white, cream tinted, of excellent 

 form and very free ; LITTLE G EM,* pure white, of the best form 

 and good size, habit dwarf and extremely floriferous; MRS. 

 LUDLAM,* white, tinted with pink, a very handsome variety ; 

 PRINCESS OF WALES,* flowers very full and profuse, almost pure 

 in colour, and immense. 



YelUne- Flowered : CANARY BIRD,* flowers large, of the finest 

 form, deep yellow, habit dwarf and very free ; GABRIEL LEOROS,* 

 pale sulphur, changing to yellow, very full and imbricated, ex- 

 tremely showy. 



BEGONIACE2E. An order comprising a large num- 

 ber of useful garden plants. The only genera are Beyonia 

 and Begoniella (which is not yet in cultivation). Flowers 

 apetalous; perianth single; pistillate flowers having the 

 perianth two to eight-cleft, staminate ones two to four- 

 cleft; stamens numerous, collected into a head. Leaves 

 alternate, stipulate. See Begonia. 



BEJARIA. See Befaria. 



BELLADONNA. See Atropa. 



BELLADONNA LILT. See Amaryllis Bella- 

 donna. 



BELLEVALIA (named in honour of P. E. Belleval, 

 a French botanist). ORD. Liliaceas. This genus is now 

 usually placed under Hyacinthus. Hardy, bulbous-rooted 

 plants, admirably adapted for spring bedding or forcing, 

 and invaluable as cut flowers. Flowers small, whitish, or 

 violet, tinged with green. Leaves few, radical, broadly 

 linear. They are of extremely easy culture in ordinary 

 garden soil. Propagated by offsets; also by seeds, which 

 should be sown as soon as ripe. 



B. operculata (lid-covered). Synonymous with B. romana. 



B. romana (Roman).* jl. white, racemose ; perianth campanulate ; 

 pedicels longer than the flowers. April. I. from 4in. to 5in. long. 

 A. 6in. Italy, 1596. A most desirable plant, and the best of the 

 genus for forcing purposes. SYNS. B. operculata and Uyaeinthitu 

 romanus. (B. M. 959, under the name of Scilla romana.) 



B. syriaca (Syrian).* fl. white ; peduncles spreading, racemose. 

 May. L glaucous, 1ft long, channelled, rather scarious on the 

 margins. A. 1ft. Syria, 1840. 



BELL-FLOWER. See Campanula. 



BELL GLASSES, or CLOCHES. These are used 

 for the purpose of protecting or accelerating the growth of 

 a plant or plants. The French Cloche (see Fig. 237) is 

 largely employed for this purpose. Ordinary Bell Glasses 

 (see Fig. 238) are exceedingly useful for propagating pur- 

 poses, especially for hard-wooded plants ; or for placing over 

 subjects which require a very moist atmosphere, such as 

 Filmy ferns, Cephalotus, &c. ; or for covering half-hardy 

 plants or rare alpines, and thus protecting them from ex- 

 cessive moisture. Large Bell Glasses, inverted, serve as 

 miniature aquaria, and many small aquatics are easily 

 grown in them. 



BELLIDIASTB.TJM (from bellis, a daisy, and astrum, 

 a star ; flower-heads being star-like). OED. Composite. A. 



fretty dwarf, hardy, herbaceous perennial, allied to Aster. 

 t thrives in a compost of loam, leaf soil, and peat. In- 

 creased by divisions in early spring, or directly after 

 flowering. 



B. Miohelil (Michel's).* jl.-heads white ; scape one-headed, naked ; 

 involucre with equal leaves ; pappus simple. June. I. in a rosette, 

 shortly stalked, obovate, repand. h. 1ft. Austria, 1570. 

 BELLIS (from bellus, pretty; in reference to the 

 flowers). Daisy. ORD. Composites. A genus of hardy her- 

 baceous perennials, distinguished from allied genera in 

 having conical receptacles and an absence of pappus. 

 They grow well in all loamy soils. The garden varieties 

 are increased by division after flowering, each crown 

 making a separate plant. The soil must be pressed about 

 them moderately firm. Seeds may also be sown in March, but 

 the plants thus obtained are seldom of sufficient floricul- 

 tural merit to perpetuate. 



FIG. 239. BELLIS PERENNIS FLORE-PLENO. 



B. perennis (perennial).* Common Daisy. Jl.-heads white. June. 

 i. numerous, lying flat on the ground, obovate, crenate, slightly 

 hairy, tapering at the base. h. Sin. England. The varieties 

 are very numerous, the double ones being particularly fine. See 

 Fig 239 The handsome variegated form, aucubcefolia, has its 



FIG. 237. FRENCH BELL GLASS, 

 OR CLOCHE. 



FIG. 238. ENGLISH BELL 

 GLASS. 



Fio. 240. HEN AND CHICKENS DAISY (BELLIS PERENNIS PROLIFERA). 

 leaves richly stained and veined with yellow. There are both 

 red and white-flowered forms of this variety. The Hen and 

 Chickens Daisy is a proliferous form, rather more quaint than 



