19S 



B R O 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL ; 



B R O 



stem four feet high ; berries round, with a small point, in sim- 

 ple racemes, of a bright coral red. Native of the West Indies. 



5. Bromelia Nudicaulis; Naked-stalked Bromelia. Ra- 

 dical leaves tooth-spiny; stem-leaves quite entire. Native 

 of the West Indies : for its culture and propagation, seethe 

 second species. 



6. Bromelia Humilis ; Dwarf Bromelia. Almost stem- 

 less: flowers aggregate, sessile ; axillas stoloniferous ; flowers 

 blue, about thirty in number. This plant readily propagates 

 itself by runners, which proceed from the axilla of the lower 

 leaves, and which produce a young plant from their extremity. 



7. Bromelia Acanga. Panicle diffused ; leaves ciliate. 

 spiny, mucronate, recurved. Native of Brazil : for its pro- 

 pagati6n and culture, see the second species. 



8. Bromelia Bracteata. Leaves serrate-spiny; bractes 

 ovate-lanceolate ; scape elongated ; raceme compound ; ra- 

 cemules subdivided ; flowers sessile. For its propagation 

 and culture, see the second species. 



9. Bromelia Paniculigera. Leaves serrate-spiny ; bractes 

 lanceolate ; raceme compound ; racemules subdivided; flowers 

 peduricled. See the second species. 



Bromus; a genus of the class Triandria, order Digynia. 

 GF.VERIC CHARACTER. Calix: glume many-flowered, bi- 

 valve, spreading, collecting the floscules into a spike ; valve 

 ovate-oblong, acuminate, awnless, the lowest smallest. Co- 

 rolla : bivalve ; lower valve, larger, the size and form of the 

 ealjx, concave, obtuse, bifid, putting out a straight awn be- 

 low the top ; upper valve lanceolate, small, awnless. Nec- 

 tary, two-leaved ; leaflets ovate, acute, gibbous at the base. 

 Stamina: filamenta three, capillary, shorter than the corolla ; 

 antherae oblong. Pistil: germen turbinate ; styles two, 

 short, reflex, villose ; stigmas simple. Pericarp: corolla 

 very straitly closed, adhering, not gaping. Seed : one, ob- 

 long, covered, convex on one side, furrowed on the other. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: two-valved; spikelet 

 oblong, columnar, distich ; awn below the top. For the 



culture and propagation of this, genus, see Grass. The 



species are, 



1. Bromus Secalinns ; Field Brome-grass. Panicle ex- 

 panding ; spikelets ovate ; awns straight ; seeds distinct. It 

 li;is an annual root, and is chiefly a native of barren pas- 

 tures : it abounds among corn, particularly Rye. When 

 ground among flour, it is said to render the Rye-bread bitter 

 and unpleasant, and to have the same narcotic quality with 

 Lolium Temulentum, or annual Ray-grass, or Darnel. It has 

 been a popular notion in England, that the several species 

 of corn degenerates into grasses which bear some resem- 

 blance to them : and that they were only these grasses im- 

 proved by cultivation. 



'2. Bromus Japonicus ; Japan Brome-grass Panicle 

 spreading, branching ; spikelets oblong, smooth ; awns di- 

 varicate ; root annual. Native of Japan. 



3. Bromus Mollis ; Soft Brome-grass. Panicle rather 

 erect ; spikelets ovate, pubescent ; awns straight ; leaves 

 very softly villose. In corn-fields the root is annual ; in un- 

 'iltivated places, biennial. There are many varieties of this 

 grass, both in degrees of pubescence, from universal hoari- 

 ness, to almost perfect smoothness ; and in size, from three 

 and even four feet in height, to that of a few inches, not to 

 mention other concomitant and less striking circumstances. 

 It is a native of most parts of Europe, by way-sides, on banks 

 in uncultivated parts, on walls, in corn-fields, particularly 

 among Barley, in meadows and pastures, especially in a dry 

 sandy soil, flowering in May and June. With us it forms a 

 principal part of many mowing-grounds, and abounds in most 

 of our best meadows. It springs early, and ripens its seeds 



about the time of hay-making. The seed is large, eacu 

 panicle containing as much as a common Oat, and although 

 cattle are not fond of the leaves and green panicle, it per- 

 haps contributes to render the hay more nutritive : it h;i-, 

 however, a bad property, for the panicle is so heavy, that it 

 is very apt to be laid by rain ; it is also so much earlier than 

 many other grasses, that by the ordinary time of mowing, it is 

 in a manner withered away, and what seeds have not fallen 

 are lost in the making and carting ; finally, the seeds are 

 said to bring on a temporary giddiness in the human species 

 and in quadrupeds, and even to be fatal to poultry ; if this 

 be in any degree true, it is an objection to the cultivation of 

 this grass, which in other respects does not rank among the 

 best kinds. It is recommended for subduing or consolidat- 

 ing shifting sands ; but surely a perennial grass, with creep- 

 ing roots, would answer this purpose much better. 



4. Bromus Squarrosua ; Open-awned Bronte-grass". Pa- 

 nicle nodding; spikelets orate; awns divaricate. This is a 

 robust annual grass, flowering in July. Native of England, 

 France, Germany, Switzerland, and Siberia; with us in corn- 

 fields near Glastonbury, in Somersetshire, and at Maresiicld, 

 in Sussex. 



5. Bromus Purgans ; Purging Brome-grass. Panicle nod- 

 ding, curled ; leaves naked on both sides ; sheaths hairy ; 

 glumes villose. Native place uncertain. . 



6. Bromus Inermis ; Aivnless Brome-grass. Panicle erect ; 

 spicules subcolumnar, subulate, naked, almost awnless.- 

 Native of Germany and Switzerland. 



7. Bromus Bifidus ; Bifid Brome-grass. Panicle erect, 

 branching; spicules ovate, subtriflorous ; glumes bifid, seta- 

 ceous ; awn divaricated. Native of Japan. 



8. Bromus Asper ; Rough Brome-grass. Panicle branched, 

 nodding, scabrous ; spikelets linear, roundish, ten-flowered, 

 hairy, awned ; culm and leaves rough with hairs. It is the 

 tallest of our English grasses,often exceeding six feet i n heigh t . 

 It grows in hedges and woods, in Britain, Germany, Swit- 

 zerland, &c. and flowers with us from June till August : it 

 appears to be too coarse a grass to be cultivated for cattle. 



3. Bromus Ciliatus ; Ciliate Brome-grass. Panicle nod- 

 ding ; leaves on both sides, and sheaths somewhat hairy ; 

 glumes ciliate; flowers eight, awned under the tip ; calices 

 naked; glumes of the corolla lanceolate. Native of Canada. 



10. Bromus Sterilis ; Barren Brome-grass. Panicle spread- 

 ing ; spikelets oblong, distich ; glumes subulate, awned ; 

 root annual. Very common under hedges, flowering in May 

 and June. 



11. Bromus Arvensis; Corn Brome-grass. Panicle nod- 

 ding; spikelets ovate-oblong ; root annual. Found by way- 

 sides, and on the borders of corn-fields, flowering in July. 



12. Bromus Geniculatus : Kneed Brome-grass. Panicle 

 erect ; floscules distant ; peduncles angular ; culm with a 

 procumbent knee Native of Portugal, and Naples. 



13. Bromus Tectorum ; Wall Brome-grass. Panicle nod- 

 ding ; spikelets linear ; root annual, or at most biennial. 

 Native of most parts of Europe, on walls, buildings, and in 

 dry pastures; but not of England: it flowers from May to July, 

 and when approaching to a state of maturity, may be useful 

 in dyeing, where it can be obtained in sufficient quantities. 



14. Bromus Giganteus ; Tall Brome-grass. Panicle nod- 

 ding ; spikelets four-flowered ; awns shorter; root perennial. 

 Native of most parts of Europe, in woods, and under moist 

 hedges, flowering from July till September. It is a produc- 

 tive grass, and cattle are said to be fond of it, but there is not 

 much probability of its being good grass for meadows and 

 pastures. 



15. Bromus Rubens ; Red or Spanish Brome-grass. Pa- 



