40 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR KAMES BAROMETZ 



regions of Europe, Asia, and Egypt, forming an important article 

 of bread food. In tliis and other countries it undergoes a 

 process to form malt, of -whicli ale is made. Scotcli and pearl 

 barley is formed by tbe removal of the thin covering of barley 

 grains, the latter being made hard by drying. 



BarometK (Gilotium larometz), a fern of the tribe Dicksonia, 

 native of China and Tartary. The fronds of tliis fern are 

 bipinnate, and rise to the height of 10 to 14 feet, produced from 

 a decumbent and progressing caudex, which is densely covered 

 with long, light, brown, silky hairs (characteristic of the genus) ; 

 when old, looldng like wool, and when lying on the ground 

 having the appearance of a wool-clad animal. The story told to 

 early travellers led them to describe it as a j)lant of flesh and 

 blood. The travellers' tale upon the subject is, that on an 

 elevated plain of vast extent, in countries east of the Volga, 

 grows a wonderful plant, with the shape and appearance of a 

 lamb, having feet, head, and tail distinctly formed, and its skin 

 covered with soft down. The lamb grows upon a stalk 

 about 3 feet high ; the part by which it is sustained being a kind 

 of navel, it turns about and bends to the herbage which serves 

 for its food, and when the grass fails it dries up and pines away. 

 The real facts are that the caudex of this fern is decumbent, 

 progressing in length a foot or more according to age, and 3 or 

 more inches in diameter. Its w^oolly appearance has led it to 

 be likened to a lamb, the native name for it being Barometz^ and 

 known by travellers as the Tartarian Lamb, and by others as 

 Agnus Scythicus. To make the story plausible the natives turn 

 the woolly stipes upside down, cutting away the fronds, leaving 

 a portion of the lower part of the stij)es, four of which serve as 

 legs, and thus the resemblance to a woolly animal (such as a 

 weasel) is complete. It has been long cultivated at Kew. 



Barrel Tree. {See Bottle Tree.) 



Barwood. {See Camwood.) 



Bass Brooms. {See Piassaba.) 



Bassorin. {See Salep.) 



Bass-wood. {See Lime.) 



