BITTER-VETCH. 



29 



BLITUM. 



fruit which tastes like roasted apples. 

 The beautiful plant now called Sollya, 

 was at first supposed to belong to this 

 genus. They should be grown in sandy 



peat (See Australian Shrubs.) 



Bindweed. — The common Bind- 

 weed ( Convolvulus sepium L., Ca- 

 lystegia sepium R. B.) with large 

 white flowers, and not unfrequent 

 in hedges, is one of the most orna- 

 mental of the indigenous twiners ; but 

 in gardens it has this disadvantage, 

 that its roots, or rather underground 

 shoots, spread rapidly and are very 

 difficult to eradicate. 



Birds are generally considered 

 enemies of gardens, and some kinds, 

 as the common sparrow (when seeds, 

 which are their usual food, are scarce,) 

 are apt to live upon buds, especially 

 blossom-buds, as being the largest ; 

 and others live upon fruits. As, 

 however, all the soft-billed kinds, 

 which constitute the great majority 

 of singing birds found in our gardens, 

 live upon insects, especially the 

 aphides and the caterpillars or grubs 

 of moths, flies, and beetles, they are 

 rather to be considered as advan- 

 tageous to gardens than otherwise. 



Bird Cherry. — Cerasus Padus. 

 — (See Cerasus.) 



Bird's-eye, the Primula farinosa, 

 a very neat little plant, cultivated in 

 peat soil and kept moist. 



Bird's-foot. — (See Ornithopus.) 



Bird's-foot Trefoil. — (See 

 Lotus.) 



Birthwort. — (See Aristolochia . ) 



Biscutella. — CrucifercB. — Buck- 

 ler Mustard. Hardy annuals with 

 yellow flowers, natives of Europe, 

 which only require sowing in the 

 open border in March or April. 



Bitter-sweet. — Solatium Dulc- 

 amara. — An indigenous suffrutescent 

 climbing shrub, with pretty flowers 

 and red berries, common in hedges. 



Bitter- vetch. — See Orobus. 



Blackberry. — The common name 

 of the bramble. — (See Rubus.) 



Black Bryony. — (See Tamus.) 



Bladder Ketmia. — Hibiscus Tri- 

 onum and Africanus. — Hardy an- 

 nuals, natives of Italy and Barbary. 

 The seeds should be sown in March 

 or April. — (See Annuals.) 



Bladder Nut. — (See Staphylea.) 



Bladder Senna. — (See Colutea.) 



Blandfordia. — Hemerocalli- 

 dece. — Showy plants with scarlet 

 and green tube-like flowers ; natives 

 of New South Wales, of which JS. 

 nobilis, and B. grandiflora, well 

 deserve culture. Both species should 

 be grown in sandy loam and peat ; 

 and they are increased by seeds, or 

 suckers. 



Blast.- — A popular and vague term 

 applied to plants which have been 

 suddenly blighted by the effect of un- 

 propitious weather, or some other 

 circumstance so as to check or destroy 

 the growth of the flowers, or seeds. 



Blessed Thistle. — See Cen- 

 taurea. 



Bletia. — Orchidacea?. — Showy 

 plants, natives of the tropics, and re- 

 quiring stove heat in Britain. They 

 should be grown in sandy loam and 

 peat ; and they are propagated by 

 division of the roots. 



Blight. — A popular term for the 

 sudden injuries which plants receive, 

 apparently from the weather, but in 

 reality from the attacks of insects, or 

 the growth of parasitic fungi. In ge- 

 neral, whenever the progress of plants 

 is suddenly arrested by some cause 

 not understood, it is attributed to 

 blight. Blight differs from mildew, 

 which is always a fungus, in the latter 

 exhibiting a white, bluish, or mouldy 

 appearance. 



Blitum. — Chenopodiacece. — An- 

 nuals of the easiest culture, of no beauty 

 with respect to the flowers, but re- 

 markable for the showy appearance 



