beau] 



QH)t ^rcagurg of SSotang. 



132 



with a top-shaped tube, and a limb divided 

 into five acute segments ; a corolla of five 

 petals ; stamens united into four or five 

 parcels placed opposite the petals, the an- 

 thers attached by their base ; style thread- 

 shaped. The fruit is a capsule. These 

 handsome flowering shrubs are natives of 

 New Holland, and some of them are in 

 cultivation in greenhouses. [M.T.M.] 



BEAUMONTIA. Under this name are 

 included some very handsome flowering 

 shrubs of climbing habit belonging to the 

 order Apocynacea?.. The leaves are opposite. 

 The flowers are white, large, borne in termi- 

 nal or axillary corymbs, and have a calyx of 

 five broad spreading coloured sepals, and a 

 distended bell-shaped corolla, with a short 

 limb divided into five erect nearly equi- 

 lateral divisions. The stamens are placed 

 on the top of the tube of the corolla, and 

 alternate with the five lobes of the hypogy- 

 nous disc ; anthers arrow-shaped, adhering 

 to the thick oblong two-cleft stigma. 

 Ovary two-celled. Fruit a follicle, with 

 many hairy seeds. These plants, especially 

 B. grandiflora, are remarkable for their 

 handsome flowers ; they are natives of the 

 East Indies, and are cultivated as stove 

 plants in this country. [M.T.M.] 



BEAVER TREE. Magnolia glauca. 



BECK-BEAN. Menyanthes trifoliata. 



BECKEA. A small group of South 

 African dwarf shrubs, of the order Bru- 

 niacea?, closely related to Brunia, differing 

 in having a smooth instead of hairy calyx, 

 included instead of exserted stamens, and 

 in the fruit being crowded by the persistent 

 calyx, the petals and stamens falling away. 

 The species have by some been referred to 

 Phylica. [T. M.] 



BECKERA. A genus of grasses belong- 

 ing to the tribe Paniceo?-. The few species 

 which belong to it are all natives of Abys- 

 sinia, save one, B. nubica, an annual, which 

 grows wild in Nubia. [D. M.] 



BECKMANNIA. A genus of 

 belonging to the tribe Phalarideaz. The 

 inflorescence is in close compressed spike- 

 lets; spiculiB two-flowered; glumes un- 

 equal, navicular, slightly stalked at the 

 base, obtuse, or rather obovate ; pales 

 two, nearly equal. One species only is 

 described, Beckmannia erucceformis, a na- 

 tive of Japan, and a very elegant grass, 

 which proves hardy in Britain. [D.M.] 



BECLARDIA. A synonyme of Cryp- 

 topus. 



BEDAGOSA. A Brazilian name for the 

 seeds of Cassia occidentalis, which are 

 used as a substitute for coffee. 



BE'DE'GUAR. (Fr.) Sweet-briar Sponge, 

 a sponge-like gall found on the Eglantine 

 and other roses. 



BEDFORDIA. A genus of the composite 

 family, which scarcely differs from Senecio. 

 Two species are known, both Tasmanian 

 shrubs or small trees, with alternate lan- 



ceolate or linear leaves, which are glossy 

 above and covered underneath with a white 

 tomentum, as are the branches and flower- 

 heads. The latter are axillaryand solitary, 

 or few together, and have no strap-shaped 

 florets. B. salicina, the Dogwood of Tas- 

 mania, has beautifully marked wood, suit- 

 able for cabinet-work, and is sometimes to 

 be met with in English gardens. The genus 

 is named in honour of the late Duke of 

 Bedford, a great patron of horticulture 

 and botany. [A. A. B.] 



BEDSTRAW. The common name for 

 Galium. It is also applied to Desmodium 

 Aparines. 



BEEBEERU. The Guianian name of 



Nect.andra Rodicei. 



BEE-DE-CIGOGNE. (Fr.) Fr odium cico- 

 nium. —, DE GRUE. Geranium Rober- 

 tianum. 



BEECH. The English name of Fagus 

 sylvatica. — , of Australia. Tectona aus- 

 tralis. — , of New South Wales. Monotoca 

 elliptica. — , BLUE or "WATER. Carpi- 

 mis americana. — , SEA-SIDE. A name 

 used in Jamaica for Exostema caribceum. 



BEECH-DROPS. An American name 



for Epiphcg us. — , FALSE. An American 

 name for Hypopitys lanuginosa. 



BEECH-MAST. The fruits of the Beech 

 tree, Fagus sylvatica. 



BEEFINGS. Apples prepared by being 

 oven-dried and pressed flat. 



BEE-FLOWER, or BEE ORCHIS. 

 Ophrys apifera. 



BEEFSUET TREE. Shepherdia.argentea 



BEEFWOOD. The common name for 

 Casuarina. Also applied, in N. S. Wales, 

 to Stenocarpus salignus, and in Queensland 

 to Banksia compar. 



BEET. The common name of the escu- 

 lent Beta vidgaris. —, CHARD or SI- 

 CILIAN. BetaCicla. 



BEFARIA. A genus of Fricacece, con- 

 taining about twenty species of small and 

 often glutinous shrubs, natives of the 

 Alpine districts of Peru and Mexico. They 

 have alternate often crowded entire coria- 

 ceous leaves, and bear flowers, generally of 

 a purple colour, in terminal racemes or 

 corymbs. The calyx is 6-7 cleft ; the corolla 

 consists of as many petals ; the double 

 series of stamens have filiform filaments, 

 and smooth two-celled anthers dehiscing 

 by oblique pores at the apex. The ovary 

 has six or seven cells, each containing 

 many ovules ; the style filiform, often long 

 and exserted ; and the stigma capitate. 

 The capsular fruit dehisces septicidally. 

 The plants of this genus are extremely 

 beautiful ; they grow at a great height on 

 the mountains of South America, often at 

 the very extreme of vegetation. The 

 genus is neariy related to Rhododendron 

 from which it differs in its petals being all 



