barr] 



Ci)£ Crta^ttrg at M a tang. 



126 



bined with other remedies, is applied ex- 

 ternally in diseases of the skin. The genus 



Barringtonia speciosa. 



was dedicated to the Hon. Daines Barring- 

 ton, the English antiquary. [A. A. B.] 



BARROWIA. A genus of Asclepiadacece, 

 containing a single species, from the Cape 

 of Good Hope. It is a slender branched 

 and climbing plant, with oblong-lanceolate 

 leaves, and three or more white flowers on 

 interpetiOlar peduncles. The calyx is flve- 

 parted, with lanceolate erect sepals. The 

 funnel-shaped corolla is slightly swoUen at 

 the base, and the limb is cleft into Ave 

 lanceolate spreading divisions. The gynos- 

 tegium is included, and has the sinuous 

 staminal corona attached to its base. The 

 ovoid pollen masses are attached to a small 

 corpuscle by slender processes, and have a 

 projecting pellucid apex. The stigma is 

 five-sided, with a slightly projecting cen- 

 tral cone. [W. C] 



BARTBRIA. A tropical African shrub, 

 with alternate glabrous entire or crenate 

 leaves, and rather large sessile axillary 

 flowers, forming a genus of Passifloracece-, 

 allied to Smeathmannia, but differing 

 chiefly in the stigmas being consolidated 

 into one large terminal capitate mass, 

 exceeding the ovary in diameter, and in 

 the fruit, which is said to be an indehiscent 

 berry the size of a pigeon's egg. 



BARTHOLINA. This is one of a singular 



race of terrestrial orchids, peculiar to the 



Cape Colony, with solitary shaggy leaves, 



small white flowers, and a great lip cut 



j into narrow strips, resembling the teeth of 



I a comb. They have been grown in this 



country, but perish after having been im- 



I ported for a year. 



BARTLINGIA. A genus of Chammlau- 

 | ciacece, founded on an undersbrub found 

 in Eastern Australia. It has slender fas- 

 tigiate branches; alternate shortly-stalked 

 obovate retuse entire glabrous leaves, 

 with immersed glands secreting oil; short 

 stipules ; and the flowers clustered at the 



apices of the branches : calyx with five 

 long segments; petals five, small and scale- 

 like; stamens ten; ovary free, with one 

 style ; ovules two. [J. T. S.] 



BARTONIA. A showy genus of annual 

 North American Loasads, of which the B. 

 aurea, a Californian species, is one of the 

 best known. The most important features 

 of the genus are, a cylindrical or club- 

 shaped calyx tube, with a five-parted 

 persistent limb ; five or ten flat spreading 

 equal petals ; numerous stamens ; and a 

 capsule having the seeds arranged in two 

 rows on each of the parietal placentae, 

 opening at the summit when ripe. The JB. 

 aurea is a succulent branched spreading 

 plant, of a greyish-green aspect, growing 

 two feet high, with lanceolate pinnatifid 

 roughish foliage, and large lustrous 

 golden yellow blossoms in terminal clus- 

 ters, expanding only in the middle of the 

 day. When in perfection, it is really a 

 splendid plant, and may be made to contri- 

 bute greatly to the gaiety of the borders ; 

 for, although its habit and foliage are less 

 attractive than those . of some other an- 

 nuals, in size and brilliancy of blossoms it 

 is inferior to none. There are several other 

 species peculiar to the Western and North 

 Western States, of which the most remark- 

 able is the B. ornata, with very large white 

 flowers, figured many years since in the 

 Botanical Magazine, under the name of 

 B. decapetala, from dried specimens, but 

 apparently unknown in England in the 

 living state. By some botanists the genus 

 Biirionia is not considered distinct from 

 Mentzelia. [W. TJ ' 



BARTRAMIA. A genus of mosses, 

 included in the order Bryacece. 



BARTSIA. Unpretending annuals, be- 

 longing to Scrophulanads, and distin- 

 guished from Bhinanthus (Yellow Rattle) 

 by having the upper lip of the corolla 

 arched, and not laterally compressed. B. 

 Odontites is a common weed by waysides 

 and in corn-fields, growing from six to 

 eight inches high, with an erect branched 

 stem, bearing many one-sided clusters of 

 inconspicuous dull purple flowers; the 

 foliage is scanty, and the whole plant 

 roughish, and tinged more or less with 

 purple. A less common species is B. 

 viscosa, which grows in marshes and damp 

 pastures to the height of six to twelve 

 inches, and bears numerous bright green 

 leaves, which are narrow, cut at the edges, 

 and taper to a point : it is very common in 

 many parts of Devon and Cornwall, where 

 it sometimes grows two feet high. The 

 flowers are solitary, imbedded among the 

 leaves, and much larger than in the last. 

 The whole plant is singularly clammy to 

 the touch. B. alpina is a rare species, 

 found only in rocky mountainous pastures 

 in the north. All the species turn black in 

 drying. [C. A. J.] 



BARU. A woolly material, found at the 

 base of the leaves of Saguerus saccharifer, 

 sometimes called Arenga saccharifera. 



