208 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Bowenia continued. 



B. s. serrulata (finely-toothed).* This differs from the type in 

 having the margins distinctly toothed or serrated. Rockingham 

 Bay, 1863. 



BOWIEA (named after J. Bowie, a botanical collector 

 for the Eoyal Gardens, Kew). OBD. Liliaceae. A very 

 interesting greenhouse or half-hardy twining bulbous 



FIG. 275. BOWIEA VOLUBILIS, showing Habit, Flower, and Fruit. 



perennial, thriving in a sunny border, tinder the wall of 



a greenhouse, where it will require protection during 



winter. It does well in any light well drained soil, and 



may be propagated by seeds or offsets. 



B. volubilis (twining). /. few, remote, pedicellate ; perianth 



six-partite, persistent; segments equal, green, lanceolate, Jin. 



long, at length reflexed. October. True leaves are frequently 



not developed for years; but the green, fleshy, mostly abortive 



inflorescence performs their functions. South Africa, 1866. 



See Fig. 273. 



BOX. See Bnxns. 



BOX ELDER. See Negundo. 



BOX THORN. See Lycium. 



BRABEIUM (from brabeion, a sceptre; in reference 



to the racemosed flowers). African Almond. OBD. Pro- 



teacece. An ornamental greenhouse evergreen tree. For 



culture, &c., see Banksia. 



B. stellatifolium (star-leaved), fl. white, sweet-scented, dis- 

 posed in elegant, axillary, spiked racemes. August. I. whorled, 

 simple, serrate, h. 15ft Cape of Good Hope, 1731. 



BRACHYCHITON (from brachys, short, and chiton, 

 a coat of mail ; plants covered with imbricated hairs and 

 scales). OBD. Sterculiaceae. A genus of tropical or sub- 

 tropical Australian trees or shrubs, allied to Sterculia, 

 from which it differs in very minor points. They are of 

 easy culture in a loamy soil. Propagated by young cut- 

 tings, planted in sandy soil, in gentle heat. 

 B. acerifollum (Acer-leaved), fl. bright red. I. long-stalked, 



deeply five to seven-lobed. h. from 60ft. to 120ft. 

 B. Bidwillii (Bidwill's).* fl. bright red, arranged in axillary 



bunches. I. stalked, heart-shaped, entire, or three-lobed, and 



covered with a soft pubescence. 1851. (B. M. 5133.) 

 B. diversifolium (various-leaved). I. coriaceous, obtuse, lanceo- 



late, entire, or three-lobed, glabrous ; lobes acuminate, h. 20ft. 



to 60ft. 1824. 



BRACHYCOME (from brachys, short, and Icome, hair). 

 Swan Eiver Daisy. OBD. Composite. A genus of beauti- 

 ful little half-hardy perennials or annuals, closely resem- 

 bling Bellis in structure. Involucral bracts membranous 

 at the margin ; receptacle pitted, naked. Fruit com- 

 pressed, surmounted by a very short bristly pappus. 

 B. iberidifolia is one of the prettiest of summer annuals, 

 and in the open border it flowers profusely, if in a dry, 



Brachycome continued. 



sunny spot. Towards the autumn, it may be removed 

 to the greenhouse, where it will still continue flowering 

 for several weeks. Seeds may be sown in a gentle hot- 

 bed, early in the spring, and, when large enough, planted 

 out in borders or beds, Gin. apart; or they may be 

 sown thinly out of doors, late in April, and thinned out, 

 when they will flower a month later than those sown in 

 the hotbed. 

 B. Iberldifolla (Iberis-leaved).* fl.-heads blue or white, with 



a dark centre, about lin. in diameter. Summer and autumn. 



1. pinnate ; segments linear. Plant erect, glabrous, h. 1ft. 



Swan River, 1843. See Fig. 274. 



FIG. 274. BRACHYCOME IBERIDIFOLIA, showing Habit and 

 Flowering Branch. 



BRACHYL.2ENA (from brachys, short, and Icena, a 

 cloak or covering ; referring to the shortness of the invo- 

 lucre). OBD. Composites. A genus of South African ever- 

 green greenhouse shrubs, nearly allied to Baccharis. They 

 thrive in a compost of peat and loam. Propagated by 

 cuttings, made of half-ripened shoots, placed in a well- 

 drained pot of sandy soil, under a bell glass. 

 B. dentata (toothed), fl.-heads yellow. I. lanceolate, acute, en- 



tire, rusty beneath when young, when adult quite glabrous. 

 B. ncrifolia (Nerium-leaved).* fl.-hcads yellow, in branching ra- 

 cemes or panicles. August to November. I. lanceolate, serrated 

 with one or two teeth forward, h. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 

 1752. 



BRACHYOTUM (from brachys, short, and otos, the 

 ear ; in reference to the short appendages at the base of 

 the anthers). OBD. MelastomacecB. A handsome green- 

 house evergreen shrub, with a bushy habit. Allied, and 

 requiring similar culture, to Pleroma (which see). 

 B. confertnm (crowded).* fl. purple, terminal, nodding, with 



cream-coloured bracts. November. I. oblong or ovate, small, 



three-nerved, with adpressed hairs. Andes, Peru, 1873. (B. ML 



6018.) 



BRACHYSEMA (from brachys, short, and sema, a 

 standard ; the standard of the flower is very short). OBD. 

 LeguminoscB. Elegant procumbent or climbing greenhouse, 

 evergreen shrubs. Eacemes axillary and terminal, few- 

 flowered. Leaves alternate, oval or ovate, entire, mucro- 

 nate, silky on the under surface. They thrive in a compost 

 of peat, leaf soil, and loam, in equal proportions, made 

 porous, if necessary, by the addition of sand. Increased 

 by cuttings, made of half-ripened shoots in summer, placed 

 in sandy soil, under a bell glass, in a gentle bottom heat ; 

 or by layers. Seeds may be sown in March, in heat. 

 Brachysemas require thorough drainage, whether grown 

 in pots or planted out. B. latifolium does best under 

 the latter treatment, when it forms a magnificent climber 

 for pillars or the roof. 



B. lanceolatnm (lanceolate-leaved). fl. rich scarlet, with the 

 margin of the vexillum white, red at the disk, with a large yellow 

 spot in the centre, each about lin. long, disposed in axillary, 



