58 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES BOX 



feet, and has a stem 8 or 10 inches in diameter. It has small 

 brio-ht, shining leaves, and inconspicuous flowers, male and 

 female, separate on the same plant. It is extensively planted 

 as an ornamental shrub. The box-edgings (so called) of garden 

 walks are formed of a dwarf variety of this species. An allied 

 species is B. Balearica, a native of the regions of the Mediter- 

 ranean, and derives its specific name from the Balearic Islands ; 

 it has larger leaves, and altogether a stouter-looking tree. It 

 is not so common in gardens as B. sempervirens. The wood of 

 the Box Tree is hard and close-grained, takes a fine polish, and is 

 valued for wood- engraving, turnery, making mathematical in- 

 struments, etc. The chief supply comes from the Eussian forests 

 in the Caucasus. 



Box Tree, New South Wales [Pittosporum undulatum), a 

 tree of the Pittosporad family (Pittosporacese), native of Xew 

 South Wales, attaining the height of 70 to 80 feet. Its 

 wood is somewhat similar to the common boxwood. It has 

 been introduced to the Azores, where it protects the orange 

 trees from w^ind, as it withstands the highest gales. 



Box Tree, Tasmanian {Bursaria sjnnosa), a spiny, bushy 

 tree belonging to the same family as the preceding, native of 

 Tasmania. It attains the height of 25 feet. Its wood is hard, 

 with a grain similar to that of the common box tree. American 

 boxwood is furnished by Cornus florida, and West Indian by 

 Tecoma pentaphylla. 



Bracelet-wood, a name in the West Indies for Jacquinia 

 armillaris, a small tree of the Myrsine family (Myrsinaceae). 

 It is a close-headed tree, with verticillate branches, thickly fur- 

 nished with obtuse, cuneiform, erect, firm leaves ; it produces 

 numerous reddish flowers ; its seeds are yellow and brown 

 according to age, and, being hard, are made into bracelets. 



Brake and Bracken, common names for Pteris aquilina, 

 also well known by the name of Fern, growing abundantly in 

 parks, open glades, woods, and roadsides in this country, and 

 occupying vast tracts in all temperate parts of the world 

 and on elevated regions in the tropics — a true cosmopolitan. It 



