176 



BRAHEA 



BRASSIA 



lar, green, the scarious villous margin at length de- 

 ciduous: fr. edible. Mex. 



B. filamentosa, Hort.=Washingtonia filifera. B. filifera, 

 Hort.=W. filifera. B. glauca, Hort.=Washingtonia filifera. 

 B. robusta, Hort.=Washingtonia. B. Roezlii, Lindl.(B. glauea, 

 Hort.)=Washingtonia filifera. JAKED G. SMITH. 



BBAKE. A name applied to 

 various coarse ferns, particu- 

 larly to Pteris aquilina. 



BRAMBLE. Thorny plants 

 of the genus Rubus, raspber- 

 ries, blackberries, dewberries. 



BRASENIA (meaning unex- 

 plained). Nymphceacece. WATER 

 SHIELD. One species of aquatic 

 plant widely distributed (in N. 

 Amer., Asia, Afr., Austral.). 

 Lvs. oval and entire, floating, 

 centrally peltate : fls. axillary 

 near the summit of the stem, 

 small, purple ; sepals 3 or 4 ; 

 petals 3 or 4, linear ; stamens 

 12-18, on filiform filaments ; 

 pistils 4-18, forming indehis- 

 cent follicles. B. peltata, 

 Pursh, is not a showy plant, 

 but is interesting for ponds. 

 It is catalogued by dealers in 

 native plants. Grows in 1-6 ft. 

 of water. L. H. B. 



BRASSAVOLA (A.M. Bras- 

 savola, Venetian botanist) . Or- 

 chidacece, tribe JSpidendrece. 

 About 20 Trop. Amer. epi- 

 phytes, closely allied to Lselia, 

 and demanding similar treat- 

 ment. Suspend on blocks. The 

 fls. are large, solitary or ra- 

 cemose, the sepals and petals 

 narrow and greenish, the lip 

 white: Ivs. thick, solitary. For 

 the cultivator, the treatment of 

 Brassavola is identical with 

 that of the Mexican Lselias. 

 Plenty of sun to mature the 



Brachycome iberidifolia. young growths, and water when 



Natural size. growing, with a somewhat drier 



atmosphere when resting, will 



be found to suit them. B.Digbyana, Lindl., is Lcelia 

 Digbyana; B. glauca, Ljndl., is Lcelia glauca. 



A. Flower solitary. 



cucullata, R. Br. (B. cuspiddta, Hook.). Leaf terete 

 and subulate, grooved above: scape very short but bear- 

 ing a very long-tubed fl., so that the blossom seems to 

 be elevated on a stem: sepals cream-colored, tinged 

 red; petals white; lip 3-lobed, fimbriate, the middle 

 lobe beak-like. S. Amer. B.M. 543, 3722. 



AA. Fls. in racemes on corymbs. 



acaulis, Lindl. & Paxt. Low: Ivs. very narrow: fls. 

 large, greenish white; lip cordate; tube red-spotted at 

 base. Cent. Amer. 



cordata, Lindl. Lvs. linear, rigid, recurved : fls. 

 corymbose ; sepals and petals lance-linear, acuminate, 

 pale green; lip roundish-cordate, cuspidate, entire, 

 scarcely as Jong as the claw. Jamaica, Braz. B.M. 3782. 



nodosa, Lindl. (B. grandifldra, Lindl.). Lvs. lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, channeled above : fls. few and large, 

 corymbose ; sepals and petals linear-acuminate ; lip 

 round-ovate, long-cuspidate, entire, longer than the 

 claw. Jamaica, Mex., IS. B.M. 3229, of this name, is B. 

 subuli folia. L. H B 



BRASSIA (William Brass, botanical collector of last 

 century). Orchidacece, tribe Vandece. About 30 Trop. 

 Amer. plants, closely allied to Oncidium. Distinguished 

 from that genus by the very long and pointed sepals 



256. 



and the wingless column. The fls. are odd and spider- 

 like in form, and are cultivated chiefly for that reason. 

 They can be grown with Cattleyas. They bloom in sum- 

 mer, and during that time should have liberal supplies 

 of water. Keep them quiet in winter, but do not dry 

 them off completely. Grow in pots with thorough 

 drainage, in a soil of fibrous peat and sand. Prop, by 

 division. 



The Brassias succeed well in the Orchid house de- 

 voted to Cattleyas, one that is not too warm in winter 

 and furnishes plenty of air during the warm months. 

 They have not been popular in gardens, as their flowers 

 lack brilliant coloring, but their shape is weird, and to 

 the collector they have charms that are almost as allur- 

 ing as the Odontoglossums. Pot culture is best, as the 

 plants make fine specimens, and are vigorous root-pro- 

 ducers. B. Lawrenceana and its variety longissima, 

 with B. verrucosa, are the best known in gardens, and 

 are most desirable from a cultivator's standpoint. 



Cult, by E. O. ORPET. 

 A. Sepals and petals whitish or greenish, 



verrucdsa, Batem. Fig. 257. Strong : foliage deep 

 green: fls. many and large, the greenish white petals 

 and sepals blotched with dark .purple, the lip white and 

 warty. Guatemala. Var. grandifldra, Hort., has fls. 

 twice larger than in the type. 



AA. Sepals and petals greenish yellow. 

 maculata, R. Br. Sepals and petals pale or greenish 

 yellow, short for the genus, marked with large, irregu- 



lar brown spots, the large lip white, spotted )l 



with brown and purple. Jamaica. B.M. 1691. 



Int. into Eu. in 1806, being one of the first 



known of exotic Orchids. Flowers large, but not very 



showy. 



Var. guttata, Lindl. (B. Wrayce, Skinner). Fls. 

 greener, much spotted, lip yellowish : spikes 2-3 ft, 

 high. Guatemala. B.M. 4003. 



