Betonica 



( 121 ) 



Biebersteinia 



popular kitchen garden crops that yield crimson 

 red mots, so familiar to us when sliced and forming 

 an ingredient of the salad bowl. (Oee BEET.) 

 There are other species, however, and all but 

 trigyna are hardy biennials, needing to be sown 

 in March or April in deeply cultivated soil. Trigyna 

 is a herbaceous perennial. 

 Principal Species : 



Cicln, (>', Aug., grn. 



- variegata. 

 crii]i;i, It', Aug., grn. 

 htirteni-is nietallicii, 



Aug., red (Victoria 



Beet). 



rubra, 4', Aug., gru. 

 trigyna, 3', Jy., wh. 



BETONICA. 



The species included under this name are now 

 referred to Stachys (ord. Labiatoo). The Wood 

 lletony (officinalis) is the best known representative 

 under that generic title, and is now named Stachys 

 I'ctonica, which see. It was at one time used 

 medicinally, but is now neglected. 



BETULA. (BIRCH.) 



Description. Graceful and ornamental trees 

 (in-il. Cupulifenc), of which our native Betula alba, 

 tin Silver or Common Birch, is one of the very 

 hc-t. All those named are probably hardy, and ail 

 are ornamental at any season. The flowers, which 

 are in catkins, appear at the same time as the 

 leaves, and are succeeded by small winged nuts. 

 Our native ISirch is a capital tree for exposed 

 positions, and can be grown on very poor dry soil. 

 It i< one of the chief ornaments of some parts of 

 the Highlands of Scotland. 



Propagation. Principally by seeds, sown in 

 April or when ripe, and slightly covered with fine, 

 sandy soil ; but in the case of the varieties, or the 

 less common species, by grafting or by suckers. 



Soil. Nearly all the species can be grown in 

 either a moist or a dry soil, but nana and pumila 

 prefer one of a boggy nature. 



Principal Species : 



alba, (io', Muh., wh. Our beautiful native Silver 

 P.ireh, which only reaches the height named when 

 in the most favoured places. There are a number 

 of forms and varieties which are more or less 

 distinct. For ornamental planting probably the 

 best are foliis-variegatis, which has leaves blotched 

 with a creamy wh. ; laciniata pendula, with nicely 

 cut leaves and a drooping habit ; pendula, a 

 drooping habited form of much beauty ; and pur- 

 purea. which has its leaves of a fine metallic pur. 

 above. Other forms are dalecarlica, macrocarpa, 

 pnbesoens, pontica, and urticsefolia, besides several 

 vars. of some of these. 



fruticosa, (!', Feb., etc. This species is recom- 

 mended for its dwarf habit, which makes it suitable 

 for positions where alba would be too tall. The 

 var. Gmelini is sometimes known as divaricata. 



lenta, 711'. A fine forest tree in suitable locali- 

 ties. It is known as the Black, Sweet, or Cherry 

 Birch in North America, whence it comes. The 

 tree somewhat resembles the Cherry (sun. car- 

 piuifolia). 



nana, 1' to 3'. A beautiful miniature Birch for 

 the rock garden or artificial bog. It is a pretty 

 plant, which is rarely seen above the height 



mentioned. 



AV/r/.w (.-.;< J'lccfritig). 

 IMi'l .Viit (, re 1'i/tcr). 

 it* lmj (set StacJtys). 

 Jlidiicca (see Ctetalpinia). 



papyrifera, 70'. Another forest tree, interesting 

 from .its chalky wh. outer bark (xyns. amygdalifolia, 

 papyracea, platyphylla, etc.). 



populifolia, 3d'. A Canadian tree, resembling 

 alba, but less vigorous in growth, and thus suited 

 for some places where a small tree of its. character 

 is required (laciniata and pendula are vars.). 



Other Species : 



alpestris. nigra, 60' , Jy . (.!/ us. rubra, 



davurica, 30', Jy. canescens, etc.). 



humilis, 6', Mch. ('//. occidentalis, 10'. 



t'ruticosa [of Wats :]'). pumila, 6', My. (XI/HX. 



lutea, 20', My. (./.. ex- dahurica [of gardens], 



celsa and persicEefolia). rotuudifolia, etc.). 



Maximowiczii, 3u'. 



BIARUM. 



Hardy, spring flowering, tuberous perennials, 

 allied to Sauromatum, and having the habit of 

 Arum (ord. Aroidese). The spathes are blackish 

 purple or some similar dusky shade. They are pro- 

 pagated by offsets, and may be grown in any 

 friable, well-drained garden soil, in full exposure 

 or slightly shaded. 



Principal Species : 

 angustatum, 6", blk. pur. 



(XI/H. Ischarum augus- 



tatum). 



mspulum, 4", blk. pur. 

 eximium, 6" bl. pur. 

 Kotschyi, 4', blk. pur. 



Pyrami, 6", blk. pur. 



Spruueri, 6", blk. pur. 



tenuifolium, 0", ,le., br. 

 pur. (syiis. gramineum, 

 coiistrictum, and Arum 

 tenuifolium). 



BIDENS. 



The Bur Marigold. Half-hardy or hardy annual 

 and perennial plants (nrd. Composite), few of 

 which are worth growing in the garden. They 

 are allied to Cosmos, and bear some resemblance 

 to that genus. A few of the best are named. In- 

 creased by seed sown under glass in spring for the 

 annual and biennial species, and by division for the 

 perennials. They can be grown in ordinary soil, 

 but thrive well in that of a sandy nature enriched 

 with manure. 



Principal Species : 



atrosangninea, 3', Jy., blk. crim. A neatr half- 

 hdy. per. with tuberous roots, and now called 

 Dahlia Zimapani. 



grandiflora, 3J', Jy., yel. A pretty hdy. ann. 

 for the border (sym. serrulata and Cosmos lutea). 



humilis, 2', Jy., yel. A per., but best treated as 

 an ann. It has pretty foliage. 



Other Species : 

 arguta, 2', Je., yel., half- (*//. Coreopsis ferul'ir- 



iidy. per. folia), 



hipiiiimtu, 2', Jy., yel. procera, 7', Nov., half- 



ferula-folia, 2', Aug., yel. hdy. per. 



BIDWILLIA. 



A little known greenhouse bulb (ord. Liliaceas) 

 from Australia. It has white flowers, and blooms 

 about Mny. The one species grown is named 

 glaucescens. It may be cultivated in any ordinary 

 greenhouse in light soil, enriched with manure. It 

 is increased by offsets removed when at rest, or by 

 seeds sown in heat when ripe. 



BIEBERSTEINIA. 



A very small genus of half-hardy or hardy 

 herbaceous perennials (ord. Geraniacea') with 

 yellow or white flowers. The only species in- 

 troduced at present is Emodii (syn. odora of 

 Royle), which grows about 1' high, flowers in 

 May, and has yellow blooms. It is propagated 

 from seeds, sown in a little heat in spring; or by 



