BESOHORNEEIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



BESSEE. 



ments, and borne in simple or 

 panicled racemes on stalks 2 to 8 ft. 

 high, springing out of the centre of 

 the plants. 



The Beschornerias are not well- 

 knoTvn outside botanic gardens. 

 They require to be grown in a warm 

 greenhouse, and flourish in a compost 

 of rich sandy loam and leaf-soil or 

 a little peat, and may be grown in 

 pots or tubs, or planted in beds or 

 borders, where the evergreen appear- 

 ance of the ornamental foliage would 

 be more likely appreciated. The 

 best-known species are : — 



B. bracteata, with leaves I5 to 2 ft. 

 long. Flowers reddish, on stalks 4 

 to 5 ft. high. (Bot. Mag. t. 6641.) 



B. Decosterlana has leaves 2 to 2^ 

 ft. long, and green flowers tinged with 

 red, on stems V to 8 ft. high (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 6768.) 



B. Toueliana. — Leaves 1§ to 2 ft. 

 long. Flowers greenish, on stems 

 about 4 ft. high. (Bot. Mag. t. 6091.) 



B. tubiflora. — Leaves about 1 ft. 

 long, and 5 to 1 in. broad. Flowers 

 reddish-green, on stems 2 to 3 ft. 

 high. (Bot. Mag. t. 4642.) 



B. Wrightl. — This species has 

 masses of spreading recurved sword- 

 like leaves 4 to 5 ft. long and about 

 2 in. wide in the middle. The green, 

 downy flowers are borne on pyra- 

 midal panicles about 8 ft. high. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 7779.) 



B. yuccoides. — Leaves I5 to 2 ft. 

 long. Flowers entirely green, on 

 reddish stems 4 to 6 ft. high, with 

 rosy red bracts. 



This species flourishes in the open 

 air in warm sheltered spots, but must 

 be protected in winter. (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 5203.) 



BESSERA (after Dr Besser, pro- 

 fessor of botany). Nat. Ord. 

 Liliaceae. — The only representative 

 of this genus is — 



B. elegans, . a charming littl 

 Mexican plant about 2 ft. high, havin: 

 tunicated corms, narrow, channelle( 

 leaves, and umbels of beautifu 

 drooping bell-shaped blossoms froD 



Pio. 68. — Bessera elegans, corm and section. 



July to September. These an 

 scarlet in the type, but there is sc 

 much variation in the colour tha 



104 



Fig. 69. — Bessera elegans. (^.) 



specific names have been given ti 

 forms, such as fistvlosa, purple 

 Herherti, purple and white : an( 

 miniata, scarlet and white. (Bot 

 Reg. tt. 34, 1546 ; Fl. d. Serr. t. 424.) 



