B R O 
B R O 
an oblong capfule , divided by a partition in the middle , to 
which the feeds are fixed quite round \ thefe are fmooth and 
almoft cylindrical. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedlion of 
Linnaeus’s fixtli clafs, intitled Alexandria Monogynia, 
the flower having fix ftamina and one ftyle. Dr. Dil- 
lenius lias fuppofed this to be the fame with Plunder's 
Karatas, which miftake he was led into by Plumier’s 
drawing, where the flower of his Caraguata is joined 
to the fruit of his Karatas, and vice verfa ; and from 
, hence Dr. Linnaeus has been induced to join thefe 
and the Ananas together, making them only fpecies 
of the fame genus. 
The Species are, 
1. Bromelia (. Nudicaulis ) foliis radicalibus dentato-fpi- 
nofis caulinis integerrimis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 286. Bro- 
melia with lower leaves indented and prickly , and thofe of 
the fialks entire. Bromelia pyramidata, aculeis nigris. 
Plum. Nov. Gen. 4 6. 
2. Bromelia (. Lingulata ) foliis ferrato-fpinofis obtufis, 
fpicis alternis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 285. Bromelia with 
Jawed , prickly , obtufe leaves , and fpikes of flowers grow- 
ing alternate. Bromelia ramofa & racemofa foliis A- 
rundinaceis ferratis. Plum. Nov. Gen. 46. 
The firft fort hath leaves very like fome of the forts 
of Aloes, but not fo thick and fucculent, which are 
Iharply indented on their edges, wh^re they are armed 
with ftrong black fpines ; from the center of the plant 
arifes the flower-ftalk, which is near three feet high, 
the lower part of which is garnifhed with entire leaves, 
placed alternately at every joint. The upper part of 
the (talk is garnifhed with flowers, fet in a loofe fpike 
or thyrfe •, thefe have three narrow herbaceous petals 
fitting upon the germen, and fix fender ftamina, with 
the ftyle, which are fhorter than the petals. Thefe 
flowers in the country where they naturally grow, are 
’ fucceeded by oval feed-vdffels, having a longitudinal 
partition, in the center of which are faftened cylindri- 
cal feeds on every fide, which are fmooth. 
The fecond fort hath fhorter leaves than the firft, 
which ftand eredt, and are narrow at the bafe, increaf- 
ing in width gradually to the top, where they are 
broadeft ; thefe are fharply fawed on their edges, and 
are of a deep green colour. The flower-ftem arifes 
from the center of the plant, which divides upward 
Into feveral branches ; the upper part of thefe are 
garnifhed with fpikes of flowers, which come out al- 
ternately from the fides of the brandies, each having 
a narrow entire leaf juft below it, which is longer than 
the fpike. The flowers are placed very clofe on the 
fpikes, each having three fhort petals fituated upon 
the globular empalement *, when thefe decay, the em- 
palement turns to an oval pointed feed-veffel, inclof- 
ing feeds of the fame fhape with the former. 
Both thefe plants grow naturally in very warm coun- 
tries. Father Plunder, who gave this title to the ge- 
nus, found them growing in the French Iflands in 
- America ; and the late Dr. Houftoun obferved them 
growing in Jamaica, and in feveral parts of the Spa- 
nifh Weft-Indies. The firft fort alfo grows on the 
coaft of Guinea, from whence I received the feeds ; 
and the fecond fort was fent me from St. Chrifto- 
pher’s. 
Thefe plants are propagated by feeds, which muft be 
procured from the country where they grow naturally, 
for they do not produce any in England. Thefe 
muft be fown in fmall pots filled with light kitchen- 
garden earth, and plunged into a moderate hot-bed 
of tanners bark ; the earth in thefe pots fhould be 
fprinkled over with water two or three times a week, 
according to the heat of the weather, but muft not 
have too much moifture. If the feeds are good, the 
plants will appear in about five or fix weeks, and in a 
month after will be fit to tranfplant, when they 
fhould be carefully flraken out of the pots, and each 
planted in a feparate fmall pot filled with the fame 
earth as before $ then they muft be plunged again into 
a moderate hot bed, obferv.ing frequently to fpri-nkle 
them over with water, but be cautious of giving tnem 
too much, left the roots fhould be thereby rotted. 
During the fummer feafon the plants fhould have a. 
moderate fhare of air, in proportion to the heat of 
the weather •, and, in autumn, they muft be removed 
in the bark-ftove, and treated in the fame manner as 
the Ananas, or Pine Apple, with which management 
they will make good progrefs ; but after the firft win- 
ter, they may be placed upon ftands in the dry ftove, 
though they will thrive , much better if they are con- 
ftantly kept in the tan-bed, and treated like the A- 
nanas, and will flower in three or four years ; whereas 
thofe in the dry ftove will not flower in twice that 
time. 
The other parts of their culture is only to fhift them 
into frefh earth when they require it ; but they fhould 
by no means be put into large pots, for they will 
not thrive if they are over-potted ; nor muft they have 
much wet, efpecially in winter. 
Thefe plants make a pretty variety in the hot-houje, 
fo thofe who have room, may allow a plant or two of 
each fort to have a place in their colledtion s of exotic 
plants. 
BROO M, the common. See Spartium. 
BROOM, the Spamfh. See Spartium and Genista. 
BROWALLIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 691. Flore. 
Cliff. 318. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement is tubulous , of one leaf , and indented at 
the top in five unequal parts. The flower is funnel-floaped, 
of one leaf, having a cylindrical tube twice the length of 
the empalement ; the upper part is fpread open , and di- 
vided into five parts , the upper fegment or lip being a 
little larger than the others, which are equal. It hath 
four ftamina included in the chaps of the petal, the two 
upper being very floor t, and the two under broad, longer , 
and reflexed to the mouth of the tube, which inclofe them ; 
thefe are terminated by Jingle incurved fummits. In the 
center is fituated an oval germen, fupporting a fender 
ftyle the length of the tube, crowned by a thick, com- 
prefied, indented ftigma. The empalement afterward be- 
comes an oval obtufe vejfel with one cell, opening at the 
top in four parts, and filled with fmall comprejfed 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedlion 
of Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, intitled Didynamia 
Angiofpermia, the flower having; two long; and two 
fhort ftamina, and the feeds included in a capfule. 
The Species are, 
1. Browallia ( Demijfa ) pedunculis uniftoris. Hort. 
Cliff. 318. Browallia with one flower on a foot-ftalk. 
The title of Browallia was given to it by Dr. Lin- 
naeus, in honour of profeffor Browall, of Amfter- 
dam. 
2. Browallia (. Elata ) pedunculis unifloris multiflorif- 
que. Lin. Sp. 880. Browallia ■ with one flower on each 
foot-ftalk , and fometimes many. 
The feeds of the firft fort were fent me by Mr. Ro- 
bert Millar, from Panama, in the year 1735 ; which 
fucceeded in the Chelfea garden, where it has conti- 
nued to flower, and produce feeds every year, but 
the plants are annual, fo perifli in autumn : the feeds 
of this plant muft be fown upon a hot-bed in the 
fpring, and the plants brought forward on another, 
otherwife they will not perfedt their feeds in England. 
Some of thefe plants may be tranfplanted in June 
into the borders of the flower-garden, where, if the 
feafon proves warm, they will flower and perfedt 
feeds ; but left thefe fhould: fail, there fhould be two 
or three plants kept in the ftove for that purpofe. 
The plants ufually grow about two feet high, and 
fpread out into lateral branches, garnifhed with oval 
leaves which are entire, ending in a point, having 
fhort foot-ftalks. Toward the end of the branches 
the flowers are produced fingly, upon pretty long 
foot-ftalks, arifing from the wings of the leaf. Thefe 
have a fhort empalement of one leaf, which is cut 
into five parts ; out of the center of the empalement 
the flower arifes, which is crooked and bent down- 
ward ; the top of the tube is fpread open, and the 
brim, or open part of the flower, Mas fome refem- 
blance to a lipped flower, being irregular. It is of a 
bright 
I 
