179 



€f)t Errajaurg of 33Dtang. 



[bung 



confervaceous articulated Algce, remark- 

 able for its hyaline bristle-like branches, 

 ■which are bulbous at the base. The fruit 

 consists of globose capsules, with a green 

 and then a dark red endochrome. The mode 

 of impregnation in this genus, as also in 

 CEdogonium, is very curious. Some of the 

 cells produce little bodies, which are fur- 

 nished with flagelliform appendages, by 

 means of which they swim about till they 

 fix themselves on or near, the swollen 

 joints, which are to produce the spores. 

 These bodies become clavate, with one or 

 two joints, and just when the contents of 

 the swollen cells are ready for impregna- 

 tion, a lid comes off, and makes way for 

 the exit of one or more globose sperma- 

 tozoids, which are admitted to the endo- 

 chrome of the female cells by means of a 

 little aperture. After impregnation, the en- 

 dochrome acquires a membrane, and after 

 a time becomes free. The spore, when 

 liberated, elongates — in a few hours at- 

 taining twice its original length. The 

 endochrome, by successive division, gives 

 rise to four distinct bodies, which acquira 

 a nearly globular form, and are furnished 

 at one extremity with two sets of ciliary 

 processes, by means of which they move 

 about, and thus appear in the condition of 

 zoospores, which ultimately reproduce the 

 species. B. setigera is our most common 

 species, but others occasionally occur in 

 this country. [M. J. B.] 



BULBOCODIUM. Bulbous plants with 

 the habit of the Colchicum, and members 

 of the same family, Melanthacece. The 

 perianth consists of six coloured segments, 

 with long taper claws or stalks, which 

 form a slender tube ; the upper portion of 

 each segment is elliptical, and prolonged 

 at the base into two small acute processes, 

 so that the perianth may be described as 

 consisting of six sagittate stalked seg- 

 ments. The stamens are six, attached to 

 the segments of the perianth, and of 

 unequal lengths ; the style three-cleft, with 

 simple stigmas. Ovary three-celled; ovules 

 indefinite. Fruit a capsule, dividing when 

 ripe into its component carpels. The spe- 

 cies are pretty bulbous plants, natives of 

 Europe, the Levant, &c. [M. T. M.] 



BULBODIUM. The solid bulb of old 

 botanists ; the same as a corm. 



BULBOXAC. (Fr.) Lunaria biennis, and 

 rediviva. 



BULBOSI PILL Hairs that proceed 

 from a swollen base. 



BULBOSPERMUM. A genus of Liliacece, 

 containing a small fibrous rooted herb, 

 from Java (B. javanicum), which has the 

 stem somewhat bulbous at the base, with 

 two or three long-stalked lanceolate radical 

 leaves, which are membranous and many- 

 nerved, but the sheaths and peduncles are 

 frequently without any blade ; scape short 

 erect, with racemose flowers at the top; 

 undermost bracts larger than the others, 

 and frequently empty; flowers on long 

 pedicels, with a six-parted ereenish peri- 

 anth; stamens six, monadelphous ; ovary 



three-lobed, opening at the top when ripe, 

 and showing the seeds, which are as large 

 as peas, three or four in each of the three 

 cells of the capsule, and with a soft thick 

 seed-coat. [J. T. S.] 



BULBOSUS. Having the structure of a 

 bulb ; having bulbs. 



BULB-TUBER. A corm, which see. 



BULL, or BULLET GRAPE. Vitis 

 rotundifolia. 



BULLACE. Prunus insititia. 



BULLACE PLUM, JAMAICA. The fruit 

 of Melicocca bijuga. 



BULLATE. Blistered ; puckered. When 

 the parenchyma of a leaf is larger than the 

 area within which it is formed. 



BULL-HOOF. Murucuja ocellata. 



BULLOCK'S HEART. A name given to 

 the fruit of Anona reticulata, a kind of 

 custard apple. 



BULL-RUSH, or BULRUSH. Scirpus 

 lacustris ; and sometimes Typha. 



BULLY, or BULLET TREE. A name 

 given in Guiana to a species of Mimusops. 

 — , BASTARD. Bumelia retusa. —, BLACK. 

 Bumelia ingens. — , JAMAICA. Lucuma 

 mammosa. 



BULRUSHWORTS. A name given by 

 Lindley to the Typhacece. 



BUMELIA. A Greek name for the com- 

 mon ash, but applied in modern times to 

 a genus of Sapotacece, having a corolla with 

 a short tube, and a five-parted limb, at the 

 base of each segment of which are two 

 small scales. There are five fertile stamens 

 attached to the tube of the corolla, oppo- 

 site its lobes, and alternating with five 

 petaloid barren stamens. The ovary has 

 five one-seeded compartments, some, of 

 which, however, become an-ested in their 

 growth, so that the berry-like fruit fre- 

 quently contains but one cavity and seed. 

 The species consist of trees or shrubs, 

 with a milky juice, a spiny stem, simple 

 alternate leaves, and small white or green- 

 ish flowers. Some of them are sufficiently 

 hardy to bear our climate, if protected 

 by a wall, while others are grown in hot- 

 houses. [M. T .M.] 



BUNCHOSIA. Tropical American trees 

 or shrubs, belonging to the order Mai 

 ptghiacece, and nearly allied to the genus 

 Malpighia, but having the racemes of 

 flowers axillary. Styles separate, or 

 fused together; fruit fleshy, indehiscent, 

 externally smooth, without angles and 

 containing two or three seeds, which are 

 convex on the back. The flowers are for 

 the most part yellow. Several kinds are 

 in cultivation as stove shrubs. The seeds 

 of one species, B. armeniaca, a Peruvian 

 tree, are reputed to be poisonous. [M.T.M.] 



BUISTGEA. A genus of Scrophulariacece, 

 containing a single species, a native of 

 America. It is a small herb, growing in 

 densely leafy tufts. The leaves are linear, 



