BARRINGTONIA 



BASKET PLANTS 



455 



ing, large-boled, to .50 ft. in height: Ivs. entire, obo- 

 v.iie, sessile, shining, 12-15 in. long: fis. few in the 

 raceme, large and showy, petals white and stamens 

 tinted purple, the style long and prominent: fr. 

 4-sided (almost square in cross-section at the mid- 

 dle or below), 3 in. diam. at base, box-like in looks, 

 y.f.^ ^. with a single large seed 



and crowned by calyx- 

 lobes and style. India, 

 near the sea. L_ H. B. 



BARTONIA of Sims is 

 Mcittzelia; this is in cult. 

 Bartonia of Muhlenberg 

 is one of the Gentian- 

 474. Fruit of Barringtonia. ( X 'o) acese, but is not cult. 



BASELLA (native Malabar name). Basellacex. 

 M ALAUAK NIGHTSHADE. Annual or biennial herbs, cult, 

 in the tropics as a pot-herb, like spinach. They have 

 bisexual, white, red or violet fls. Rarely cult. N. as an 

 ornamental warmhouse climber. It may also be started 

 indoors, and set out in May for use as a garden vege- 

 table, to follow spinach. Prop, by seeds. Only 1 spe- 

 cies, which is, however, remarkably variable. 



rubra, Linn. Lys. succulent, alternate, rarely 

 opposite, almost entire, of various forms: fls. not pedi- 

 celled, in simple spikes or racemes; spikes short or long, 

 lax, few-fid. Lam. 111., pi. 215, fig. 1. Rheede, Hort. 

 Mai. 7, pi. 24. The following species are now con- 

 sidered only forms of the above: B. dlba, a white-fld. 

 form rarely cult, as a trailer from roofs of warmhouses, 

 or as a basket plant; B. caninifblia; B. cordifolia, with 

 heart-shaped Ivs. 4-5 in. long and 2-2}^ in. wide; 

 B. crassifblia; B. japdnica; B. lucida, from India; B. 

 ?ngra, a Chinese form; B. ramdsa and B. voliibilis. 

 Under the name of sweet malabar vine, a form with 

 tiny yellow and red fls., and Ivs. variegated with white, 

 pink, and green has been advertised. It is said that 

 "with age it assumes a drooping habit. When cut, 

 keeps fresh for weeks." 



BASIL. Species of Ocimum (sometimes, but incor- 

 rectly written Ocynuim), of the Labiate. They are 

 Indian annuals, and are cult, as pot-herbs, the clove- 

 flavored foliage being used as seasoning in soups, meats 

 and salads. They are of easiest cult., the seed being 

 sown in the open as soon as the weather is settled. 

 Common basil is Ocimum basilicum, Linn., a foot high, 

 branching, with ovate toothed Ivs., and white, bluish 

 white, or purplish fls. in leafy terminal racemes or 

 spikes. O. minimum, Linn., the dwarf basil, is lower, 

 and smaller in all its parts; rarely seen and perhaps 

 only a mere form of O. basilicum, Linn. When basil 

 is in bloom, it can be cut and dried for winter use. 



BASILlMA: Sorbaria. 



BASKET PLANTS. I'nder this term are included 

 all those plants which, from their habit of growth and 

 blooming and adaptabilities as to cultivation, have been 

 found especially suitable for use in hanging-baskets. 

 Figs. 475, 476. " 



Most of the basket plants are dwarfish subjects of 

 indeterminate growth, of gracefully dropping or vine- 

 like habit, and are valued either for their grace, or for 

 freedom and daintiness of bloom. Some of the plants 

 used in baskets are of upright habit. These are either 

 plants of naturally small stature, or arc practically such 

 for a season from a slow habit of growth. The suitability 

 of these erect-growing plants for the purpose is deter- 

 mined, aside from their stature, by their freedom of 

 bloom, beauty of foliage, striking form, or grace of 

 habit. Such plants are used principally fur filling the 

 central part of the basket; whereas, plants of trailing 

 habit arc inserted near the sides some to droop, others 

 to twine upward on the cords or handle by which the 



basket is suspended. In addition to the long drooping 

 or climbing plants, there are a number of half-erect 

 habit, like the lobelia, sweet alyssum and russelia. 

 These may droop somewhat, but are not of a truly 

 vine-like habit. Some plants are more suitable than 

 others for shady places ; the selaginellas, are examples. 

 Others thrive only with several hours of direct sun- 

 shine each day. 



The following list of common trade names embraces 

 a number of the most important basket plants, ar- 

 ranged according to habit of growth and blooming. The 

 list is, of course, not complete. Any list would need 

 amending from year to year to suit individual taste and 

 experience. Plants that withstand considerable shade 

 are marked with an asterisk (*) ; those that will bear 

 much shade are marked with two asterisks (**) : 



1. Plants of vine-like habit. 



a. LONG-DROOPING. 



ndens, *Senecio scandens, Thun- 



c. SHORT-DROOPING, or HALF-ERECT. 



*Lobelia Erinus, *Othonna crassifolia, *Sweet Alyssum, *Trades- 

 cantia, Petunias, Oxalis floribunda, *Russelia juncea (also bears sun 

 well), *Fittonia, *Fuchsia procumbens, Ice Plant, Verbena, *Ivy 

 Geranium, **Selaginellas, *Begonia glaucophylla var. scandens, 

 *Sedum Sieboldii, *$. carneum var. variegatum, 'Asparagus Spren- 

 geri, *Passinoras, *Panicum variegatum, Gazania splendens, Abu- 

 tilon megapotamicum and var. variegatum, Lantana delicatissima, 

 Solanum jasminoides, S. Seaforthianum, Convolvulus mauritanicus. 



2. Plants of upright habit, 

 a. LOW-GROWING. 



(1) Flowering Plants. *Torenia, 

 *Pansy, Cuphea platyccntra, C. hys- 

 sopifolia, * Primula obconica. Dwarf 

 Alyssum, Bellis perennis, Linum or 

 Reinwardtia trigyna, Phlox Drum- 

 mondii, Dutch bulbs. 



(2) Foliage Plants. *Peperomia, 

 *Begonia Rex, *Farfugiuni grande, AI- 

 ternanthera, "Maidenhair Fern, Gera- 

 niums (especially Mme. Salleroi), *Iso- 

 lepis gracilis (droops with age). 



6. TALLER-GROWING. 



(1) Flowering. Geraniums Pelar- 

 gonium, *Fuchsias, Petunias, *Begonias, 

 Browallia, *Steyia serrata var. nana, 

 Madagascar Periwinkle,* Nierembergia, 

 Lantana, *Impatiens Sultana, Cuphea 

 Llavea, Swainsona, Chrysanthemum 

 frutescens, Salvias. 



(2) Foliage. Dusty Miller, *Cro- 

 tons, *Palms, **Ferns, *Faney Cala- 

 diums, Coleus, Achyranthes, **Aspidis- 

 tra, "Cyperus alternifolius, *Dracsena 

 indivisa, *D. terminalis, Coccoloba 

 platyclada. 



Some of the above plants make 

 large subjects when growing in 

 the open ground. Of such, only 

 young or smaller plants are avail- 

 able for use in hanging-baskets. 



Ordinarily, several different sorts 475 . A hanging-basket, 

 of plants are used for filling a 



basket. In some cases, however, a satisfactory basket 

 is made by using but one kind of plant. A hanging- 

 basket filled with sword fern (nephrolepis), for 

 example, makes a handsome object. 



The soil used in hanging-baskets is simply good, 

 common, florists' potting soil. This usually contains 

 about 25 per cent of humus, and a small amount of 

 sharp sand to make it porous. Prior to filling, wire 

 baskets must be lined with moss. This is merely com- 

 mon woodland moss from rotting logs, or rich, damp 



