BET 



[ 115] 



BET 



plant; but the best, both for flexibility 

 and durability, are made of the ling, or 

 heath. Birch-brooms are the most com- 

 mon, and are those to which the name 

 besom applies; beso, in the Armorican 

 language, being the birch. But what- 

 ever the material, they will endure much 

 longer if soaked in water for some time 

 before using. If kept constantly in 

 water they would be still less brittle. 

 Where walks are liable to become mossy, 

 a broom made of wire is frequently em- 

 ployed for sweeping them. If the wire 

 be iron, it ought to be well dried and 

 dipped in oil before and after being used, 

 or it is soon destroyed by the rust. 



BE'SSEBA. (Named after Dr. Besser, 

 professor of botany at Brody, Nat. ord., 

 Lllyworts [Liliacese]. Linn., 6-Hexan- 

 dria 1-Monogynia. Elegant little Mexican 

 bulbs, allied to the Squills.) 



Offsets ; sandy peat ; kept dry and cool, but 

 secure from frost when not growing ; kept moist 

 when growing and flowering. They require a 

 cold pit or greenhouse. 



J3. e'legans (elegant). 2. Scarlet. September. 

 Mexico. 



fistulo'sa (hollow-stalked). 1. Purple. Sep- 

 tember. Mexico. 1831. 



Herbefrti (Dr. Herbert's). Purple and white. 



September. Mexico. 1846. 



BE'TA. Beet Koot. (From belt, the 

 Celtic word for red ; in reference to the 

 red colour of the beet. Nat. ord., Ghe- 

 nopods [Chenopodiaceae]. Linn., 5-Pen- 

 tandria 2-Digynia.) 



Hardy biennials, except where otherwise de- 

 scribed. Seeds in March or April; deep soil. 

 See BEET. 



B. Ci'cla (Sicilian wJdte-beef}. 6. Green. Au- 

 gust. Portugal. 1670. 



cri'spa (curled). 6. Green. August. South 



of Europe. 1800. 



macrorhi'za (long-rooted). 6. Green. Au- 



gust. Caucasus. 1820. 



mari'tima (sea). 1. Green. August. Britain. 



tri'gyna (three-styled). 3. White. July. 



Hungary. 1796. Hardy herbaceous 

 perennial. 



vuJga'ris (common red-beet}. 4. Green. Au- 



gust. Europe. 1548. 



lu'tea (yellow-rooted). 4. Green. Au- 



gust. South of Europe. 



rv'bra (red-rooted). 4. Green. August. South 



of Europe. 



rtridis (green). 4. Green. August. South 



of Europe. 



BE'TCKEA. (Named after M. Betcke, 

 a botanist. Nat. ord., Valerlanworts 

 [Valerianacese], Linn., -Triandria 1- 

 Monoyynia.) 



For all practical purposes, they may be taken 

 * a common Valerian. Hardy annuals. Seeds 

 in warm actuations, in middle of May j or, better, 



in a slight hotbed, in the middle of March, and 

 transplanted into common garden-beds. 

 B. ma'jor (larger). l. Rose. August. Cali- 

 fornia. 1836. 



samolifo'lia (samolus-leavcd). 1. Rose. July. 



Chili. 1835. 



BETLE NUT. PVper Be' tie. 



BETO'NICA. Betony. (This genus, 

 named after the Celtic title, Eentonic, is 

 now united to Stachys.) 



BE'TONY. Stu'chys and Teu'crium be- 

 to'nicum. 



BE 'TULA. Birch. (From its Celtic 

 name, betu. Nat. ord., Birchworts [Betu- 

 lacese]. lLiim.,2l-Mon(ecia4=-Tetrandria.) 



Hardy deciduous trees and shrubs, except 

 where otherwise specified. Seeds sown as soon 

 as ripe, or kept dry, and sown in the April fol- 

 lowing, in fine soil, and scarcely more than 

 covered ; deep, dry soil suits them best. Shrubs 

 nnd particular species by suckers and grafting. 

 The flowers of all are inconspicuous, having no 

 petals. 



B. a'lba (common white). 40. April. Britain. 

 Daleca'rlica (Dalecariian). 40. Mar. 



Europe. 



fo'liisvariega'tis (variegated-leaved). Mar. 



macrocu'rpa (large-fruited). 40. June. 



Europe. 



pe'ndula (pendulous). April. Britain. 



Po'ntica (Pontic). 70. May. Turkey. 



urticifo'lia (nettle-leaved). 40. May. 



vei-ruco'sa (warty). 40. April. Eritain. 



Bhojpa'ttra (Bhojpattra). 50. May. Himala- 



yas. 1840. 



carpinifo'lia (horn-beam-leaved). 50. July. 



N. Amer. 1769. Hardy evergreen. 



Dau'rica (Daurian). 30. July. Siberia. 1785. 

 parvifo'lia (small-leaved). July. Siberia. 



exce'lsa (tall). 60. July. N. Amer. 1/67. 

 frutico'sa (shrubby). 6. June. Siberia. 1818. 



glundulo'sa (glanded). May. N. Amer. 1816. 



gra'ndis (great). N. Amer. 1834. 



lunulo'sa (woolly). 70. July. N. Amer. 1S17. 



le'ntu (pliant). 50. July. N. Amer. 1/59. 



lu'tea (yellow). 20. May. N. Amer. 



mo'llis (soft). E. Ind. 1840. 



nu'nu (smoo^A-dwarf). 4. May, N. Amer. 

 macrophy'lla (large-leaved). 6. May. 



Switzerland. 1819. 



stri'cta (upright). May. 



ni'gra (black). 60. July. N. Amer. 1736. 



ova'ta (egg-leaved'). 6. May. Hungary. 1820. 



palle'scens (palish). 6. 



papyra'cea (paper). 50. June. N. Amer. 1750. 



fu'sca (blackish -brown). May. Carolina. 



plutyphy'lla (broad-leaved). 50. June. 



Carolina. 



trichoclu'da (hairy-twigged). June. Ca- 

 rolina. 



pe'ndula (pendulous). 40. June. Britain. 



Po'ntica (Pontic). 12. May. Turkey. Hardy 



evergreen , 



populifo'lia (poplar-leaved). 30. July. N. 



Amer. 1/50. Hardy evergreen. 

 lucinia'ta (cut-leaved'). 30. July. 



pe'ndula (pendulous). July. 



pube'scens (downy). 30. June. Germany. 1812. 



pu'mila (Aafr^-dwarf).6. May. N. Amer. 1702. 



ru'ltra (red). 60. July. Canada. 



Scopu'lii (Scopoli's). b'. 



tri'stis (sad). 10. May. Kamtschatka. 



