BABIANA (said to come from Dutch for baboon, be- 

 cause those animals eat the bulbs). Iriddce<e. About 

 50 cormous plants of S. Afr. FIs. showy, red orpurplish, 

 in a short spike-like cluster or raceme, tubular at the 

 base, the segments with claws or narrow bases, and the 

 limb erect-spreading : ovary 3-loculed : Ivs. narrow, 

 hairy, plaited, standing edgewise to the stem. Low 

 plants, of easy culture if treated like freesias or hya- 

 cinths. Three or 4 corms in a 4-in. pot give attractive 

 bloom in March or later. Grown only indoors or under 

 frames in the N. They are showy and useful plants. 

 Monogr. by Baker in Handbook of the Irideae, 181)2. 

 A. Perianth limb regular ornearly so, and wide- 

 spreading. 



strleta, Ker. (B. villdsa. and B. purpurea, Ker.). 

 Fig. 177. A foot or less high: Ivs. broad, oblong-lanceo- 

 late or swoi-.l -liMpnl, iiiii-ply reaching the spikes : fls. 

 scattered, -.Ihixvv, u nilU n'd or purple, with a promi- 

 nent tulj.-. iIm ,._iii.rii~ ..hlong-lanceolate. B.M. 58.'), 

 621. — Babian.is ■av,- ih.i nmM under species-names in this 



striata (X M). 



country, but as mixed varieties. These varieties are 

 chiefly, if not wholly, of this species. Many forms and 

 colors. Var. angustiidlia, Sweet. Lvs. linear. B.M. 

 637. Var. rdhro-cy^nea, Ker. Limb lilac, throat red. 

 B.M. 410. Var. sulphdrea, Ker. Yellow or whitish. 

 B.M. 1053. Two other long-cultivated types are de- 

 scribed below. 



[)f lis. 



pappus 



AA. Perianth limb distinctly ringent or gaping. 



plic4ta, Ker. Low : lvs. lauceolate, hairy, usually 

 overtopping the spikes : fls. lilac or red, long-tubed, the 

 segments oblong and unequal. B.M. 576. 



disticha, Ker. Differs from the last in having the 

 perianth-tube distinctly exserted from the spathe. 



BABY'S BREATH. See Gypsophila. 



BACCHABIS (bakkaris, an ancient Greek name). 

 CompisUw. Groundsel Tree. Shrubs or herbs : lvs. 

 alterimti-. usually siTrate, deciduous or persi-stent: heads 

 illowish, dicecious; involucre with 

 : akenes with pappus. About 250 

 lustly in tropical regions. A few 

 1 particularly for the snow-white 

 the fruiting plant a very showy 

 )w in almost any well drained soil 

 in a sunny position, and are well adapted for dry and 

 rocky slopes, and valuable for seashore planting. Prop. 

 by seeds or by cuttings under glass. 



halimifilia, Linn. Shrub, 3-12 ft.; branches angular: 

 lvs. cuneate, oblong or obovate, coarsely toothed, the up- 

 permost entire, glabrous, 1-2 in. long: fls. in large pani- 

 cles : pappus white, about Kin. long. Sept. Seacoast, 

 from N. Eng. southward. Gng. 7: 113.— The hardiest 

 species ; in fruit resembling a shrub with abundant 

 snow-white fls. 



B. Pataginica. Hook. & Am. Low evergreen shrub : lvs". 

 ^-^^in.long: heads mostly axillary. Patag.— B. piiu/dn's. DC. 

 Height 6 ft. ; evergreen: lvs. 1 in. long: heads in racemose pani- 

 cles. Pacific coast.— B. salicitblia, Torr. & Gray. Allied to B. 

 halimifolia. Lvs. narrow-oblong or linear-lanceolate. Colo, to 

 ^- '^'"""- Alfred Behder. 



See Centaurea Cyanus, 



BACTEIS {Greek, /..-//',-.',:,. ■:u>r: il^. v,.„iil' m- in. n-.-d 

 for walking-sticks). /'<- , , , , ,, , i li.v 



low palms, very rareh 'I, . i ,,,■ 



fasi-icnilate ringed, spiii\ ^r mii....i|i r:,.),,, , , -:,i, i m- 

 tnim thf roots : lvs. terminal or st-aitcriiiL , ,.|u:iii\ ..r 

 niir.jiKilly i>innatisect, glabrous or pubo'-i m ; -^ i^im ms 

 si.:ir-ir ur aggregated, or more or less imp. i l. rtly .'..n- 

 nutf, fiirmiug a bifid blade, acute or rarfi\ ..l.tu>i- at ihr 

 api'X. the i-ilint" iiiiirL'iti-^ r."-iirved at the ba>u ; petiole 

 short or lontr; ~Ii. ih I .n - -uiiiy: spadiccs sessile or pe- 

 dunculate, juri' ■ if -sheaths ; spathes 2, the 

 lower short. • ; ; ■ x, the upper coriaceous 

 or woody, exc . liiu rh. -j.i.lix, or fusiform, ventrally 

 dehiscent, smooih, bristly or spiny ; bracts persistent : 

 fls. small or medium, pale yellow or greenish: fr. small, 

 green, ovoid or globose. Species, about 100. Tropical 

 America. Ornamental, but little grown on account of 

 the spines. See Palms. 



A. Spines yellow, tipped black. 



pallidispina, Mart. (B. flavisphia, Hort.). St. 10-18 ft. 

 high. 1-L' ill. ill diain., the intirnodis spiny: lvs. showy, 



5-!l ft. |..;i;;, . .|ii.i;i\ I 1 1 ; - • r r u ] . 1 - 1 1 i v | • 1 1 1 ! I ; 1 1 I - . r 1 ; petiole 



4-r. II '..,,,. ,,:,•:.•,: ■, , ry long 



('■!--' ' .11.. ..Iitaryor 



in i.'n.iii.- ..| ,.' I : -. - i- niii...r i:i i..-. - tii ... caudate- 



acuiiiiiiale. |.n.-Kly ,.,. iii.- ..laiKii.., the l.a^al ul.es 2-8 In. 



loug, IWm. wide, the upper, 12 in. by Vy^hi. Brazil. 



AA. Spines black. 



B. rj.-s,,,,iuiits nnilr at hnfh ends. 



mflior -I III'. I ^1 '' I'l 1 1 , li i ^1) , 1 1 ' I II. Ml .11, -111 I., armed 



will, r. ,,:■.. ■ rlii.-dwith 



Terv I. . . ■. . I ■. I . .. :...|. ■ . I ■ ' .1 _•. .-qually 



pjnilali-.i.l ,M :irn i...hi |-.i,M,|.; -m.-nli iiiin rarhls Spiny 



at both ends, 2.'.-:i.'. on each side, 1-nerved, S-12 in. long, 

 y^-Y^'m. wide, glabrous on both sides, densely setose, 

 with black hairs along the margin. Brazil. 



(124) 



