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Ef)e CreaSunj 0f SSfltann. 



162 



BOWRINGIA. A genus of leguminous 

 plants, allied to Baphia,m\A consisting of a 

 single species, which forms a smooth 

 scandent shrub, with unif oliate leaves, the 

 leaflet of which is ovate or oval-oblong 

 and acuminate ; it bears short axillary or 

 subterminal racemes of from two to five 

 small white pea-shaped flowers. The plant 

 is abundant in the island of Hong Kong. 

 The name has also been given to a genus 

 of ferns, now referred to Brainea (which 

 see). ' [T. MJ 



BOW-WOOD. An American name for 



Madura aurantiaca. 



BOX. The common name for Buxus. 

 — , BASTARD. Poly gala Chamcebuxus. — , 

 GREY, of Victoria. Eucalyptus dealbata. 

 —, QUEENSLAND. Lophostemon macro- 

 phi/Uus. — , RED, of N. S. Wales. Lophos- 

 temon australis. — , SPURIOUS, of Vic- 

 toria. Eucalyptus leucoxylon. — , TAS- 

 MANIAN. Bursaria spinosa. 



BOX ELDER. Negundo fraxinifolium. 



BOX-THORN. The common name for 

 Lycium. 



BOXWOOD, AMERICAN. Cornus fio- 

 rida. — , JAMAICA. Tecoma pentaphylla. 



BOTKINIA. A genus of perennial 

 North American herbs, belonging to the 

 natural order Saxifragacece, with alternate 

 stalked palmatelyflve orseven-lobed or cut 

 leaves ; flowers white, in cymes. It differs 

 from Saxifraga by having the calyx (which 

 adheres to the ovary) contracted at the 

 top, and by having only five stamens. It 

 also differs from Sullivantia by the calyx 

 adhering completely to the ovary, and from 

 Heuchera and Tiarella by the ovary being 

 two-celled. [J. T. S.] 



BRABEJUM. A genus of Proteacece, 

 with apetalous flowers of four sepals, and 

 four anthers on short filaments, attached 

 to the base of the sepals. The flowers ai-e 

 borne on axillary spikes of about four 

 inches in length. The seed-vessel is an 

 elliptical nut, containing a single seed. The 

 leaves are verticillate, about four inches 

 in length, and one inch broad, remotely 

 serrated. The plant, which attains the 

 height of from six to eight feet, is a native 

 of South Africa. The Cape settlers roast the 

 seeds, which they call Wild Chestnuts, 

 previously to eating them. [R. H.] 



BRACHIALTS. An ell long; twenty- 

 four inches long. 



BRACHIATE. When branches spread, 

 at nearly right angles, alternately in oppo- 

 site directions. 



BRACHIUM. An ell, or two feet. 



BRACHYPODOUS. Having a short foot 

 or stalk. 



BRACHYS, in words of Greek origin, 

 signifies short. 



BRACHTIA. A genus of South American 

 orchids, related to Brassia, of which it has 

 the organs of vegetation. The flowers 



are, however, very different. They are 

 small, secund, half hidden by bracts, and 

 densely arranged. In front of the ovary, 

 and forming part of it, is a hollow tumour 

 like a goitre, from the superior edge of 

 which rises a simplebi lamellate lip. There 

 is no tendency to the tail-like extension of 

 the sepals and petals, so characteristic of 

 Brassia. Three species are known. The 

 genus has also been called Oncodia. 



BRACHYCARPiEA. A genus of Cru- 

 ciferas, allied to Senebiera. It consists of 

 undershrubs from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 with oblong or linear entire mucronate 

 leaves, and elongated racemes of large 

 yellow or purple flowers; pouch two- 

 celled, constricted in the line of junction 

 of the two portions, sub-compressed, 

 tuberculate, indehiscent, each end with 

 one seed. [J. T. S.] 



BRACHYCHITON. A genus of tropical, 

 or sub-tropical Australian trees, belonging 

 to the Sterculiaceous family, with alternate 

 entire or variously lobed leaves, which are 

 either smooth or covered with starry pu- 

 bescence. The flowers are sometimes pro- 

 duced from the old wood two or three 

 together, but more generally in terminal 

 panicles, and have a tubular coloured 

 calyx, without corolla. They are male 

 and female on the same plant, the males 

 having a great number of stamens, the 

 stalks of which are more or less united, 

 and the anthers packed in a round mass. 

 The fruit is composed of five woody folli- 

 cles, clothed inside with starry hairs, as 

 also are the seeds, which are numerous. 

 B. acerifolium is called the Flame Tree 

 about Illawarra, on account of its bright 

 red flowers, which make the tree a con- 

 spicuous object at a distance. It attains a 

 height of from 60 to 120 feet, and a dia- 

 meter of two to three feet. The bark is 

 used by the aborigines for making fishing- 

 nets, and the wood is soft and spongy. B. 

 pnpidneum is foundin Eastern tropical Aus- 

 tralia, and grows to a height of thirty or 

 fifty feet, with a diameter of from eighteen 

 to thirty-six inches. Its leaves are smooth, 

 on long stalks, generally ovate and long 

 pointed, but sometimes trilobed. The wood 

 is soft, and contains gum mucilage. The 

 tap roots of the young trees, as well as the 

 younger roots of the large trees, are used 

 by the natives as an article of food. The 

 seeds are eaten, and the bark is put to the 

 same uses as that of the maple-leaved spe- 

 cies. B. Bidwttlii, a native of the Wide 

 Bay district, was sent to England in 1851 

 by Mr. Bidwill. Its leaves are stalked, 

 heart-shaped, entire or three-lobed, and 

 covered with a soft pubescence. The 

 flowers are of a bright red colour, and are 

 arranged in axillary bunches. The stems 

 of this species show a tendency to become 

 gouty, like those of the nearly-related 

 'gouty stemmed tree' of Australia (Bela- 

 bechea). Five species of the genus are 

 known. [A. A. B.] 



BRACHYCOME. An Australian genus 

 of composites, belonging to the Bellis 



