580 



BROUSSONETIA 



BROWNEA 



China, Japan. I. T. 2:45. This species is more tender 

 than the former. It is cult, sometimes as B. Kaempferi, 

 while the true B. Kaempferi, Sieb., with the Ivs. resem- 

 bling in shape those of B. Kazinoki, but much smaller 

 and pubescent, and with very small fr.-heads, seems not 

 be in cult. ALFRED REHDEK. 



BROWALLIA (after John Browall, Bishop of Abo, 

 Sweden). Solanacese. Mostly blue-flowered greenhouse 

 and garden herbs. 



A genus of about 6 S. American annuals, with abun- 

 dant blue, violet or white fls. which are solitary and 

 axillary, or in more or less 1-sided racemes; corolla- 

 tube 15-nerved, straight, which distinguishes it from 

 Streptosolen, in which the corolla is twisted. 



The seeds may be sown in the open border, but for the 

 sake of the earlier bloom it is better to start them 

 indoors in early spring and transplant into the open 

 about May 15, where they will bloom profusely all 

 through our hot, dry summers, and until frost. They 

 can be grown in poorer soil than most half-hardy 

 annuals, and make excellent bedding-plants. They are 

 also used for winter decoration, the seeds being sown in 

 midsummer, earlier or later according to the size of the 

 specimens desired. They should be placed near the 

 glass and frequently stopped, in order to produce com- 

 pact plants. Large specimens are excellent for cutting, 

 and small potted plants should be grown more com- 

 monly by florists for home decoration at Christmas. It 

 is even possible to lift flowering plants from the open 

 before the first frost of autumn and pot them for con- 



669. Browallia speciosa, and a flower (at e) of B. demissa. ( X H) 



servatory decoration, although the flowers are likely to 

 become successively smaller. Blue flowers are rare in 

 winter, and browallias are especially desirable for their 

 profuse bloom all through winter and early spring. The 

 flowers are. however, likely to fade, especially the pur- 

 ple ones. In pots under trees, B. speciosa makes an 

 excellent summer plant. 



In the names of the early species, Linnaeus com- 

 memorated the course of his acquaintanceship with 

 Browall: data, reflecting the exalted character of their 

 early intimacy; demissa, its rupture; and alienata, the 

 permanent estrangement of the two men. 



A. Corolla-segms. long, acute or acuminate: corolla-tube 



at least 1 in. long. 



speciSsa, Hook. Fig. 669. Lvs. sometimes opposite, 

 sometimes alternate: fls. much larger than in B. grandi- 

 flora, all solitary, axillary; peduncle shorter than the Ivs.; 

 corolla-tube thrice as long as the calyx, and abruptly 

 swollen at the top beneath the limb; limb of 5 ovate, 

 striated, dark purple segms., pale lilac beneath. Colom- 

 bia. B.M. 4339. P.M. 16:290. There are blue- violet- 

 and white-fld. varieties. Var. major, Hort., has violet 

 fls. 2 in. across. R.B. 20:240. B. gigantea, Hort., is a 

 florists' variety, with very deep blue fls. and long-bloom- 

 ing habit. Intro, into American trade in 1899. 



AA. Corolla-segms. short, 2-lobed or notched: corolla %in. 

 long or less. 



B. Upper Ivs. not stalked: fls. all in loose racemes; calyx 



not hairy. 



grandiflora, Graham (B. Roezlii, Hort.). St. and Ivs. 

 glabrous, or in the upper part of the plant minutely 

 clammy-puberulent: Ivs. ovate, the lower petioled: 

 calyx-teeth oblong, somewhat obtuse, equal, scarcely 

 shorter than the tube, spreading: corolla white or pale 

 blue, the limb wider than in B. demissa. Peru. B.M. 

 3069. In B. Roezlii, said to be from the Rocky Mts., 

 some fls. are white, some pale blue. The name is un- 

 known in N. American botanical literature. No dark 

 blue or violet-colored forms are advertised. 



BB. Upper Ivs. stalked: fls. solitary and axillary 

 below, racemose above. 



c. Calyx hairy. 



demissa, Linn. (B. elata, Linn.). Fig. 669. St. and 

 Ivs. pubescent or glabrous: Ivs. ovate, with longer 

 stalks than in B. grandiflora: calyx-teeth acute, unequal, 

 much shorter than the corolla-tube. The Ivs. are varia- 

 ble, cuneate, rotund, or rarely cordate. S. Amer. B.M. 

 34; 1136. The following are now referred to the above: 

 B. americana, B. elata, B. elongata, B. nervosa. This 

 species is the commonest, and is usually known as B. 

 elata. Blue, violet, white and dwarf forms are cult. 



cc. Calyx sticky or clammy. 



viscdsa, HBK. (B. pulchella and B. Czerniakowsktima, 

 Hort.). Plant viscous-pubescent: Ivs. short-petioled, 

 ovate, rough-hairy on both sides: pedicels a little 

 shorter than the calyx: calyx-teeth very clammy, 

 oblong, shorter than the corolla-tube. The Ivs. are 

 similar to B. demissa, but the habit is stiffer and the 

 fls. more numerous. The calyx-teeth spread less than 

 in B. grandiflora. S. Amer. 



B. americAna, Linn., is considered by some a separate species 

 from the above, but in Germany, where most seeds of annual fls. are 

 grown, it is used by Siebert & Voss (in Vilmorin's Bluiiicnjartnerei) 

 to include B. demissa, B. elata and other forms. B. Jamesonii, 

 Benth. =Streptosolen Jamesonii. B. pulchella, Hort., is likely to 

 be either B. grandiflora or B. viscosa. WlLHELM MlLLER. 



N. TAYLOR.f 



BROWNEA (Patrick Browne wrote a history of 

 Jamaica). Sometimes written Brownsea. (Hermesias, 

 Loefl.). Leguminbsx. A group of 10 small evergreen 

 trees of Trop. Amer., allied to Amherstia and Bauhinia 

 but little known in the American trade. Lvs. alternate 

 and pinnate: fls. showy, red, in dense terminal or axil- 

 lary clusters. Cult, in hothouses. B. Ariza, Bcnth. 

 (B. princeps, Lind.) has drooping heads of scarlet fls. 

 I.H. 42:38. B. grfindiceps, Jacq. Fig. 670. Fls. 

 red, in capitate spikes: Ifts about 12 pairs, lance-oblong. 

 S.Amer. B.M. 4859. G.M. 31:115. B. Rdsa-de-M6nte, 

 Berger. Fls. scarlet, in dense heads: Ifts. 2-3 pairs, 

 oval, acuminate. S. Amer. N. TATLOR.t 



