502 



BIGELOVIA 



BIGNONIA 



BIGELOVIA (after Dr. Jacob Bigelow, author of 

 Florula Bostoniensis, Medical Botany of United States, 

 etc.). Frequently written Bigelowia. Composite. More 

 than thirty species of western American herbs or low 

 shrubs, one or two of which are sometimes offered by 

 dealers in native plants. 



Heads 3-30-fld., without ray fls., small; involucre 

 narrow, its bracts mostly lacking herbaceous tips. The 

 only species in cult, is the one originally described, 

 which resembles a gpldenrpd, to which Bigelovia is very 

 closely related. It differs in not having the racemiform 

 infl. of goldenrods. Prop, by cuttings and by seed. 



graveolens, Gray (Bigelowia dracunculmdes, DC.). 

 Low shrub, 1-3 ft. high, densely white-tomentose 

 when young, smoother in age, much branched, very 

 leafy, malodorous only in drying: Ivs. linear, 1-2 in. 

 long: fl.-heads yellow, 5-8 lines high, very numerous, 

 crowded, in terminal corymbose cymes, rayless. Alka- 

 line soils Dak. to B. C. and south to S. Calif, and 

 Ariz. An extremely variable species. Var. albicaulis 

 is more permanently and densely woolly, dwarfer, and 

 has been recommended in the West for low hedges and 

 edgings. N. TAYLOR.f 



BIGNAY: Antidesma. 



BIGNONIA (The AbbS Jean Paul Bignon, 1662- 

 1743, Court librarian to Louis XIV). Bignoniacex. 

 Woody tendril-climbers, grown in the open hi the 

 warmer parts and also under glass. 



Leaves opposite, compound (in proper representatives 

 of the genus), the terminal 1ft. often represented by 

 a tendril: fls. large, tubular or bell-shaped, enlarged 

 above the calyx, obtusely 5-lobed, and more or less 

 2-lipped, the calyx slightly or not at all toothed; sta- 

 mens 4, paired, and sometimes a sterile rudiment: fr. 

 a 2-celled septifragal caps, flattened parallel with 

 the partition; valves thickened; seeds winged. The 

 genus Bignpnia is variously understood. By Bentham 

 & Hooker it is regarded as a polymorphous group of 

 150 or more species; by Schumann (in Engler & Prantl) 

 it is reduced to 2 species with claw-like (not disk-bear- 

 ing) tendrils, B. exoleta, Veil., and B. Unguis-cati, Linn. 

 By the former authors Bignoniacea; is held to contain 

 about 50 genera, and by the latter about 100. Schu- 

 mann distributes the bignonias of Bentham & Hooker 

 into several genera: the common East American B. 

 capreolata goes to Doxantha, a disposition that has not 

 been accepted by American 

 botanists. As here employed, 

 Bignonia is deprived of many 

 of the tropical species that 

 have been placed in it in horti- 

 cultural literature, and the 

 student is referred to Clytos- 

 tpma, Cydista, Phaidranthus, 

 Pithecoctenium, Pyrostegia, 

 Tabebuia and others. Very re- 

 cently the name Bignonia has 

 been used for the species de- 

 scribed in this work under 

 Campsis, because Bignonia orig- 

 inally was based mainly on B. 

 radicans = Campsis radicans. In this case, the generic 

 name for B. exoleta and B. Unguis-cati above becomes 

 Doxantha; otherwise, this latter name remains a 

 synonym of Bignonia, although, as stated above, 

 Schumann has used it as the generic name of B. capreo- 

 lata; but the correct name for this plant appears to be 

 Anisostichus capreolata, of Bureau. The other species 

 described here under Bignonia probably belong to dif- 

 ferent genera, but their correct botanical affinity has 

 not yet been ascertained. 



The bignonias are American climbers, mostly trop- 

 ical, some of them and their allies constituting lianas 

 of great length; and the profusion and beauty of 



553. Cross - section of 

 stem of a tropical climber 

 of the bignonia family. 



their flowers makes them conspicuous and interest- 

 ing. The stem of some species shows a 4-parted or 

 cross-like arrangement in cross-section, whence the 

 name "cross-vine;" and on this account, some of the 

 natives of Spanish America attribute sacred virtues or 

 attributes to the plants, calling them "bejucos de la 

 cruz." Fig. 553. 



The bignonias (using the term in the horticultural 

 sense) are strong and rapid-growing evergreen green- 

 house climbers, requiring considerable space for their 

 best development, such as the roof of a large conser- 

 vatory, or the back wall of a lean-to greenhouse. If 

 convenient, they should be planted out under the plant 

 stage of the greenhouse, or otherwise in boxes placed on 

 the stage. A box 5 feet by 1 Y 2 feet and 1 foot deep will 

 be found a convenient size for them. As with most 

 greenhouse climbing plants, the roots like considerable 

 freedom; but with bignonias the roots must be some- 

 what restricted (though not to the limitations of a 

 flower-pot), otherwise an immense growth and few 

 flowers will be the result. They are not very fastidious 

 as to soil. A good, fibrous loam, to which one-third 

 well-decomposed cow or sheep manure has been added, 

 suits them admirably. A winter temperature of 45 

 to 50, with a gradual rise as the days lengthen, should 

 be given them, admitting air freely whenever the 

 weather is favorable. They like plenty of moisture at 

 the roots especially during the spring and summer 

 (the growing season) but perfect drainage should be 

 insured, as the soil at no time must become saturated or 

 sour. Except when in flower, a good syringing on all 

 fine days will be very beneficial. They should also be 

 sprayed once or twice a week with a moderately strong 

 solution of kerosene emulsion, or kerosene and water, 

 to keep them free from mealy-bug, as they are very 

 subject to this pest. The vines should be trained so as 

 to allow a free circulation of air among the branches 

 for the purpose of ripening the wood, as upon this 

 depends the assurance of flowers. All superfluous 

 branches and weak shoots should be removed, and 

 before the growing season begins all the branches should 

 be shortened from 1 to 3 feet, according to their 

 strength; this will throw the energy of the plant into 

 the lateral buds, which will produce the flowering 

 branches, providing the wood has been properly 

 ripened the previous season. Propagation is effected 

 by cuttings taken in late spring and inserted in sand 

 under a bell-glass, or in a propagating-box, in a warm 

 temperature. Choose, if possible, stout, short-jointed 

 lateral growths for the purpose. They must be care- 

 fully watered until rooted, which usually takes from 

 six to ten weeks. (E. J. Canning.) 



A. Lvs. compound: fls. yellow or yellow-red. 



Chamberlaynii, Sims (Anemoptegmn racemdsum, 

 Mart.). Glabrous: Ifts. ovate-acuminate, glabrous, 

 shining above, paler beneath, more or less tapering at 

 base: fls. tubular, contracted below, 3 I in. long, the, 

 limb comparatively short and spreading, bright yellow; 

 cluster many-fld. Brazil. B.M. 2148. F.S. 3:235. 

 P.M. 14:3-4. One of the freest and most beautiful 

 tropical cumbers, flowering well in a small house. 

 Should be in all collections of tropical plants. This 

 plant bears the name of Consul-General Chamberlayne, 

 stationed about 100 years ago in Brazil. The genus 

 Anemopx'gma is kept distinct by many. 



Unguis-cati, Linn. (B. Tweedidna, Lindl., not Griseb.). 

 Lvs. evergreen; Ifts. 1 pair, lanceolate and pointed, 

 cordate, 3 in. or less long, with 3-parted claw-like 

 tendrils: fls. trumpet-shaped, 2 in. long, allamancla-like, 

 tube clear bright yellow, upper surface of limb pranjre- 

 yellow, and throat with orange lines, the limb of 

 rounded, spreading lobes and from 2-4 in. acn> 

 Argentina. B.R. 26:45. Gn. 40:10. Will stand a 

 little frost if grown in the open in the S. B. Tweediana, 

 Griseb., is a Macfadyena. 



