HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



BEA 



common field Bean, Faba vulgar is. Tree Bean 

 of Australia is Bauhinia Hookerii. Yam Bean 

 is Dolichos tuberosus. Year Bean is Phaseolus 

 vulgaris. Vanilla Bean is Vanilla planifolia, etc. 



Bearberry. See Arctostaphylos. 

 Californian. Rhamnus Purshianus. 



Beard Grass. See Andropogon and Polypogon. 



Beard-tongue. A popular name of the genus 

 Pentstemon. 



Bear Grass. See Yucca. 



Bear's Foot. Helleborus foztidus, H. viridis, H. 

 niger, Aconitum 'napellus and Alchemilla vul- 

 garis. 



Beato'nia. Named in honor of Donald Beaton, a 

 celebrated Scotch gardener and writer. Nat. 

 Ord. IridacecB. 



A small genus of Mexican bulbs, allied to 

 the Tigridia, and requiring the same treat- 

 ment. Flowers purple, growing in pairs or 

 singly on a stem about a foot high. Intro- 

 duced in 1841. Propagated by offsets. 



Beauca'rnea. A commemorative name. Nat. 

 Ord. Liliacece. 



A name given to a genus of Agave-like lili- 

 aceous plants, formerly described under the 

 name Pincenectitia. The few known species 

 are Mexican plants, with arborescent stems, 

 remarkable for the large bulbiform swelling 

 which, from the earliest stages of its growth, 

 forms at its base ; these support a spreading 

 terminal crown of long narrow leaves. B. re- 

 curvata, is a noble conservatory plant when it 

 has formed a large stem and full head of leaves ; 

 its flowers from 4,000 to 5,000 in number, are 

 white, small, and fragrant, borne in a large 

 terminal panicle, three or more feet in height. 

 Beaucarneas are grown principally for the 

 beauty of their foliage and are grotesque, 

 graceful, and extremely curious in habit and 

 form. They are also excellent subjects for 

 sub-tropical or lawn decoration in summer. 

 Propagated chiefly by imported seeds. 



Beaufo'rtia. Named after Mary, Duchess of 

 Beaufort. Nat. Ord. Myrtacece. 



A small genus of very desirable green-house 

 plants from New Holland. They should be 

 grown in loam and sand in about equal 

 quantities, and in a cool part of the green- 

 house will flower splendidly. The flowers are 

 scarlet, pink, or red. Propagated by cuttings 

 of the half-ripened wood. 



Beaumo'ntia. Named after Mrs. Beaumont, of 

 Bretton Hall, Eng. Nat. Ord. Apocynacece. 



This genus of green-house twiners has but 

 few species, all natives of the East Indies. B. 

 grandiftora is remarkable for its handsome 

 flowers which are pure white, borne in ter- 

 minal or axillary corymbs. The plant is diffi- 

 cult of propagation, which is effected by 

 cuttings. Great age is required to bring it 

 into flower. When a large plant is obtained 

 and grown under favorable circumstances, it 

 has but few rivals. Introduced in 1820. 



Beaver Poison. A common name applied to 

 Cicuta maculata. 



Beaver Tree or Beaver Wood. Magnolia 

 glauca. 



Bedding. This term is used by florists, mostly 

 when plants are set out in what is known as 

 the "Carpet," "Ribbon Line," or "Massing 

 in Color " style of decorative planting. The 



BEG 



" Carpet Style " is that produced by planting 

 low-growing plants of different colors and 

 forms of leaves, to form carpet-like pat- 

 terns. They must be such plants as present 

 a smooth, well defined color, and not exceed- 

 ing three or four inches in height. To pro- 

 duce the proper effect by this style of planting 

 the plants must be set close enough to form a 

 mass, covering the soil completely up, or the 

 effect will not be so good. Bedding in "ribbon 

 lines " is usually done along margins of drives 

 or walks, in widths from one to ten feet, as 

 desired, the plants used being such as to give 

 the most pleasing contrast in color. The 

 plants usually selected are such as will either 

 form a slope to the walk by planting the 

 highest at the back with the lowest growing 

 in front, or else, if the line is a wide one, such 

 as, by placing the highest plants in the center 

 and the others on each side, will slope to each 

 side of the line. But to keep the lines of color 

 well defined and smooth, the plants must be 

 carefully pinched back, so as to keep each line 

 to its proper height. Bedding by "massing 

 in color" is on the same principle, only that, 

 instead of the plants being planted in lines, 

 they are set in contrasting masses of different 

 colors, in any number of shades desired, 

 though the effect is most marked when but 

 few colors are used in one bed. Large beds 

 are often formed of one color, such as scarlet, 

 maroon, blue, pink, or yellow, which, seen at 

 a distance, in contrast with the green of the 

 lawn, is by many more admired than when the 

 colors are placed together. 



Bed Straw. One of the common names of the 

 genus Galium. 



Bee Balm. Mellissa offidnalis. 



Bee Flower, or Bee Orchis. Ophrys Apifera. 



Bee Larkspur. Delphinium grandiflorum. 



Beech. American. See Fagus ferruginea. 

 Blue. Carpinus Americana. 

 Common. See Fagus sylvatica. 



Beech-drops or Cancer Root. A common name 

 of Epiphegus Virginica, a parasite that grows 

 on the roots of Beech trees. 



Beech Fern. Polypodium Phegopteris. 



Beech Horn, or Horst. Carpinus Betulus. 



Beef Steak Plant. Saxifraga Sarmentosa, and 

 Begonia Evansiana. 



Beef "Wood. The genus Casuarina. 



Beet, Chard, Sea-Kale, or Spinach. Beta 

 Braziliense, and B. Cicla. 



Beet. Red. Beta vulgaris, which see. 



Befa'rla. In memory of M. Bejar, a Spanish 

 botanist. Nat. Ord. Ericaceae. 



A genus of green-house evergreen shrubs, 

 found in the Alpine districts of Peru and 

 Mexico. They are mostly, extremely beauti- 

 ful plants, and grow at a great height in the 

 mountainous districts, often at the very 

 extreme of vegetation. The genus is nearly 

 related to Rhododendron; it is rarely culti- 

 vated. Syn. Bejaria. 



Beggar's Lice. A common name of Cynoglossum 

 Morisoni. 



Beggar's Ticks. The common name of a very 

 disagreeable weed, Bidens chrysanthemoides. 

 It has received this distinctive name because 

 the fruit adheres to anything with which it 

 comes in contact. 



