514 



BLECHNUM 



BLETIA 



2-3 ft. long, 1 ft. or more wide, with the pinnse set at 

 an acute angle with the rachis, the lower much shorter 

 and more distant. Brazil. S. 2:4. Rather tender in 

 Cent. Fla. and needs protection during winter. 



2. nitidum, Presl. Habit of B. brasiliense, but much 

 smaller: Ivs. pinnate; pinnae oblong-falcate, thickish, 

 2-4 in. long, serrate. Brazil. Plants 1-2 ft. high. 



3. corcovadense, Raddi. Pinnae not cut to the rachis, 

 much crowded and shorter than the last; longest pinnae 

 less than 6 in. long, attenuate at the tips; Ivs. crimson 

 when young, and gradually turning to a metallic hue 

 before becoming permanently green. By some con- 

 sidered a variety of B. brasiliense. Brazil. 

 Var. crispum, Hort., with wavy edges, may 

 be commoner in cult, than the type. 



BB. Pinnx contracted at the base to the midrib, 



forming a very short stalk. 

 4. occidentale, Linn. Fig. 583. Lvs. from 

 erect rigid St., which is covered with 

 brownish scales, 9-18 in. long, 

 46 in. wide, with the pinna; 

 truncate or even cordate at the 

 base and slightly falcate. Mex. 

 and W. Indies to Brazil. A 

 beautiful small fern. 



5. serrulatum, Rich. Grow- 

 ing from an ascending nearly 

 naked rootstock: Ivs. 12 ft. 

 long, 6-15 in. wide, with numer- 

 ous narrow pinnae, which are 

 contracted at the base and of 

 nearly uniform width through- 

 out; margins finely serrulate; 

 texture coriaceous. Fla. to Brazil. 

 Especially adapted for the 

 edges of boggy ponds, river 

 banks and the like. Soon forms 

 dense clumps 2-3 ft. high. 



AA. Fertile Ivs. distinct from 

 sterile Ivs., very much nar- 

 rower. (Lomaria.) 

 B. Plant with an erect rigid st. 

 c. Lvs. 6-12 in. long. 



6. Modrei, C. Chr. (Lomaria 

 ciliata, Moore). St. 6 in. high, 

 1^2 in. thick: stipes blackish: 

 Ivs. 8-12 in. long, the upper 

 pinnae with a rounded auricle at 

 the lower side of the base; 



fertile Ivs. narrow-linear. New Caledonia. 



7. lanceolatum, Sturm. St. elongate, densely clothed 

 with dark brown scales: Ivs. 6-12 in. long, 2-4 in. wide, 

 with close, slightly falcate pinnae; texture leathery; 

 fertile pinnae linear spreading. Austral, and Polynesia. 



cc. Lvs. 1 y r S ft. long. 

 D. Lower pinnse connected at base. 



8. discolor, Keys. St. ascending: stipes black, 

 glossy, with dense scales at base: Ivs. l}-^-3 ft. long, 

 46 in. wide, with pinnae narrowed suddenly toward the 

 point; fertile pinna? narrower and shorter. Austral, 

 and New Zeal. 



9. gfbbum, Mett. St. 2-3 ft. high: stipes short, with 

 black scales: Ivs. 2-3 ft. long, 6 in. wide; fertile pinna? 

 narrower, 4-6 in. long. Var. platyptera is advertised. 

 L. intermedia, Hort., may be derived from this species. 

 New Caledonia. 



DD. Lower pinnx narrowed at base and distinct. 



10. tabular e, Kuhn (Lomaria Boryana, Willd.). 

 St. stout, erect, 1-2 ft. high, woody, densely scaly: Ivs. 

 l}^-2 ft. long, 6-8 in. wide, narrowed and sometimes 

 auricled at base; fertile pinna? narrow-linear, close. W. 



583. Blechnum 

 occidentale. 



Indies to Patagonia, Mauritius and S. Afr. Probably 

 includes 2 or 3 species, among them L. zami&folia, 

 Hort. 



BB. Plant with a stout, short, creeping rhizome. 

 1 1 . spicant, With. Sterile Ivs. lanceolate, 6-9 in. long, 

 1-1 1 /2 in. wide, gradually narrowed below; fertile Ivs. 

 1 ft. long, with longer stalks (6-9 in.) and narrowly lin- 

 ear pinnae. Eu., VV. N. Amer. The large California!) 

 form with Ivs. 2-3 ft. long is possibly a distinct species. 

 The European plant was early called Slruthiopteris 

 spicant by Scopoli, by which name it is now cited as the 

 earliest generic name. Hardy; needs deepest shade. 

 Lomaria, nippdnica, Kunze, Japan, usually larger than 

 preceding, is much like it in other respects and probably 

 is better to be considered as a form of B. spicanl rather 

 than as a distinct species. 



B. orientate, Linn., is a large E. Indian and Polynesian fern with 

 Ivs. often 3 ft. long. Well worthy of cult. 



L. M. UNDERWOOD. 

 BLEEDING HEART: Dicentra. R. C. BENEDICT^ 



BLEPHARIS (Greek, eyelash; referring to fringed 

 bracts). Acanlhaceie. A large (80 species) genus of 

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

 and of similar culture. Fls. in bracted spikes; calyx 

 cruciate, 4-parted nearly to the base, the 2 inner sepala 

 much shorter than the outer; corolla short-tubed, the 

 limb blue or white; caps, ellipsoid, flattened and woody. 



carduifolia, T. Anders. (Acanthus carduifblius. Linn. 

 Acanthodiwn carduifdlius, Nees). Plant villous: Ivs. 

 lanceolate, sinuate-dentate, spiny: spike terminal, 

 cylindrical: bracts roundish, palmatoly 5-spined at 

 the apex. S. Afr. Not commonly cult. 



N. TAYLOR.t 



BLEPHAROCALYX (eye-lash and calyx, probably 

 referring to a fringed condition). Myrtaces. Woody 

 plants, differing from Myrtus in having a thin crusta- 

 ceous testa of the seed instead of a thick and horny one, 

 and other minor characters, and by some authors 

 united with that genus. There are about 30 species in 

 S. Amer., but very little known in cult. B. spiraeoides, 

 Stapf (Eugenia myriophylla, Hort.), is a much-branched 

 shrub, 9 ft. high, free-flowering: Ivs. lance-linear, %\n. 

 or less long: fls. small, pale yellow, in terminal panicles; 

 petals 4. Brazil. B.M. 8123. 



BLETIA (named for Louis Blet, a Spanish botanist). 

 Orchidacex. Terrestrial orchids with globose or depressed 

 pseudobulbs, from the apex of which arises a leafy. 

 st.; mostly hothouse plants. 



Leaves plicate- veined: fls. borne on a lateral leafless 

 st.; sepals and petals spreading, similar, or the latter 

 broader; lip attached to the base of the column, 3-lobed, 

 the lateral lobes erect, the middle lobe spreading, the 

 disk with several entire or denticulate-crisped ridges; 

 pollinia 8. -A genus of about 20 species in Trop. Amer. 



A. Middle lobe of lip much crisped. 

 B. Petals as wide as sepals: fls. rose. 

 verecunda, R. Br. Lvs. up to 3 ft. long, 2-4 in. wide: 

 scape 2-4 ft. tall, the upper portion a raceme or panicle 

 of numerous rose-colored fls. W. Indies and Fla. 

 G.C. II. 26, p. 141. B.M. 3217 (as B. acutipetala) . 



BB. Petals broader than sepals, undulate: fls. deep purple. 

 Shepherdii, Hook. Lvs. up to 2 ft. long, 3-4 in. 

 broad: scape, 2-3 ft. tall, the upper portion a raceme o 

 panicle of numerous deep purple fls. ; sepals oblong, 

 acute, the petals broader, undulate; lip with the 

 lamellae white. Jamaica. B.M. 3319. P.M. 2:146. 



AA. Middle lobe jf lip not crisped. 

 Sherrattiana, Batem. Lvs. up to 4 ft. long, 3-4 ii 

 broad: fls. bright rose, in a raceme of 10 or more 

 sepals oblong-lanceolate, obtuse; petals much broader, 



