BLECHNUM 



BLOOMERIA 



167 



roots, with a drier atmosplierp than most other Perns re • 

 quire, to prevent fruiHls from tiiriiiiii,' Iiruwn duiinjL,' win- 

 ter months. Aveni^'c temp. 'KMi,")*^ F. Scil, t-qual parts 

 of rich loam and h-af-mold or peat. Tht- spon's itf most 

 Blechnums germinate very freely if sown on 

 a compost of loam and leaf -mold or peat in 

 equal parts, and plaeed in a moderately 

 moist and sliadv position in a teni]). of 00- 

 eS'^F. Some of tIm- sp.<-i.-s smd out ert-ep- 

 ing rhizomes, wlii-'h <lrvilo[i youn^ plants at 

 the ends. When of sulliciunt'size these may 

 he detached and potted, and in a short time 

 they will develop into good specimens. 

 Some very attractive spe- 

 cies are found among the 

 hardy British Blechnums. 

 Cult, by N. N. Bruckner. 



A. Plnnie strongly decurrent 

 at the base, joining with 

 the one next below. 

 Brasili6nse, Desv. Grow- 

 ing from a stout, slightly ar- 

 Imnr'sci'nt trunk 1 ft. or more 

 long : Ivs. 2-3 ft. long, 1 ft. 

 or more wide, with the pinnee 

 set at an acute angle with 

 the rachis, the lower much 

 shorter and more distant. 

 Braz. S. 2:4. 

 ^ jL^s^ J,/ nitidum, Presl. Habit of 



^~=^^^;r^^^{Z^ ^/ B. Brusiliense, but much 

 smaller: Ivs. pinnate; pinnie 

 oblong-falcate, thickish, 2-4 

 in. long, serrate. Braz.— 

 Plant 1-2 ft. high. 



Corcovad^nse, R a d d i . 

 Pinnae not cut to the rachis, 

 much crowded and shorter 

 than the last; longest pinnte 

 less than 6 in. long, attenu- 

 ate at the tips; Ivs. crimson 

 when young, and gradually 

 turning to a metallic hue 

 before becoming perma- 

 :idcntale. nently green. By some con- 

 sidered a variety of B. Bra- 

 siliense. Braz. Var. crispum, Hort., with wavy edges, 

 may be commoner in cult, than the type. 



AA. Pinn(p contracted at the base to the midrib, 

 forming a vert/ short stalk. 



occidentale, Linn. Lvs. from an erect caudex, which 

 is covered with brownish scales: lvs. 9-18 in. long, 4-6 in. 

 wide, with the pinnae truncate or even cordate at the 

 base and slightly falcate. Mex. and W. Ind. to Braz. 

 See Fig. 240. 



serrulfltum, Rich. Growing from an ascending nearly 

 naked rootstock : lvs. 1-2 ft. long, 6-15 in. wide, with 

 numerous narrow pinnae, which are contracted at the 

 base and of nearly uniform width throughout : margins 

 finely serrulate; texture coriaceous. Fla. to Braz. 



Ji. orientdle, Linn., is a large East Indian and Polynesian 

 Fern, with lvs. often 3 ft. long : well worthy of cultivation. 

 L. M. Underwood. 



BLEEDING HEART, ^q^^ Dicentra. 



BL^PHARIS (Greek, eyelash; referring to fringed 

 bracts). Acinithficece. An unimportant genus of dwarf, 

 often spiny shrubs and herbs, allied to Acanthus, and of 

 similar culture. 



cardulfdlia, T.Anders. {Acanthus carduifoliiis, Linn. 

 Acanthddium carduifdJius, Nees). Plant villous: lvs. 

 lanceolate, sinuate-dentate, spiny : spike terminal, 

 cylindrical : bracts roundish, palniately 5-spined at 

 the apex. 



BL£TIA (Louis Rli-t. Si.aiiish botanist). Orchiddcew. 

 trilte L'/'iflf'tidn'r. 'ri-rr.-stri;il orepiphyta! herbs, widely 

 distributtMl : lvs. iilicatc. mi-iiil)ranaceous, sheathing the 

 St., erect. This genus lends itself x-eadily to cultivation, 



Blechni 



but is not showy enough to be popular. They need a 

 long scas.tn of rest. The commonly cult, kinds are ter- 

 restrial, and thrive in ordinary orchid loam. 



hyacinthina, R. Br. Lvs. about 1 ft. long: fis. looking 

 down, in various shades of purple, on a scape about 1 ft. 

 high. China. B.M. 1492, as Cymbidium hyacinthinxim, 

 — Stands some frost. 



verecunda, R. Br. The first exotic Orchid introduced 

 (IT.'U). Haremes showy and branching. 2-3 ft. : fls. pur- 

 plish. W. Ind. ; also in Middle and E. Fla. 



Sh^pherdii, Hook. Very like the last, and perhaps a 

 form of it: tls. deep purple; center of labellum yellow. 

 B.M.3:n9. 



Sherratiina, Bateman. Lf.- blades pointed at both 

 rods: ris. larLic. moiv showy than in the above, brilliant 

 lilar or rose color; labfllinn purple, with 3 golden yellow 

 lines. New Grenada. B.M. 5646. 



p&tula, Hook. Fls. deep pink-lilac, numerous and large 

 (2 in. across). B.M. 3518. — Requires culture given 

 Gattleyas. 



campanulAta, La Llave & Lex. Fls. bell-like, purple, 

 with white center. Mex. — Not common in cult. 



li. aphylla. Nutt., is a native species growing as far N. as 

 N. Carolina.- B. Tdnkervillece, R. Br., is a Phaius. 



Oakes Ames. 



BLIGHT. An indefinite term, popularly used to desig- 

 nate any sudden and inexplicable death of plants. The 

 term is now restricted by botanists to parasitic diseases. 

 These diseases are of two classes,— those due to bacteria 

 or microbes, and those due to parasitic fungi. For an 

 account of these troubles, see Diseases. 



BLITE. See Chenopodium. 



BLOODROOT. See Sanguinaria. 



BLOOMfiRIA {named for Dr. H. G. Bloomer). Lili- 

 dcefp. A genus of two species, natives of southern 

 California. In every way they are closely allied to 

 Brodisea, but differ in having the perianth parted 

 nearly to the base. Bloomerias have a tlattish corm, 

 much like Crocus, covered with fiber, and not often pro- 

 ducing offsets. The lvs. are 

 radical, slender, and grass- 

 like; scape slender but stiff, 

 6 to 18 in. high, naked, ex- 

 cept for short bracts be- 

 neath the many-rayed um- 

 bel ; pedicels slender, 

 jointed; fls. nearly rotate, 

 less than an inch across, 

 orange. Bloomerias prefer 

 a sandy, warm and well- 

 drained soil. In northern 

 California, with a minimum 

 temperature of 15° above 

 zero, tljey are perfectly 

 hardy. In a colder climate, 

 a covering of straw or leaves 

 or a position in the cold- 

 frame would be a judicious 

 precaution. Plant early, and 

 see that the soil is light and 

 sweet. They like the sun, 

 and are good for forcing. 

 The light soil and warmth of 

 a pot more nearly approxi- 

 natural conditions 

 than the open 

 ground does in cool- 

 er climates. After 

 ripening, it 

 is best to dig 

 and replant 

 in fall. The 

 seeds grow 

 readily, and 

 the plants 

 flower in 3 

 to 4 years. 

 !41. Scape roughish, (1-18 in.: 

 numerous, bright orange, in a 



(XM). 



ailrea, Kellogg. 

 f. H-Hin. broad: 



