B^O BAL 
BAL BAN 
ramoKissima . . Wliite . 0. Ev. S. N. HoU. . 1824 
•ailcOla. . . .White . 7. G. Ev. S. N. Holl. .1824 
virgata .... White . 9, G. Ev. S. N. Caledo. . 1806 
B«6myck9, Achariiis. Derived from baios, email, 
and mykes, fungus ; the resemblance of the fructifi- 
cation to a fungus. Linn. 24, Or. 9, Nat. Or. 
Fungi. The species appear like some small kinds 
of A^aricus or Helvetia, and are generally found 
upon heath, oaks, or sandstone — caspitUius, micro- 
phgllua, rbsSus, rflfiis. 
Baggep, swelled like a sack, or hag. 
Bai.antTum, Kaulf From balantion, a purse ; on 
account of the form of the indusium. Linn. 24, Or. 
1, Nat. Or. Polypodiaceee. An interesting species 
of fern, growing in peat and loam, and increased 
by divisions. Synonyme : Dicksonia culcita. 
cQlcit^, 1 . . , Brown . 8, S. Fern. Madeira . . 
BalbTsia, Cav. In honour of .John Baptist Balbis, a 
writer on botany. Linn. 10, Or. 5, Nat. Or. Oxali- 
dacece. A handsome plant, succeeding best in the 
greenhouse, in loam and peat. It must be watered 
with great caution ; cuttings. Synonymies : 1 . Ledo- 
earpum pedunculare. Cruickshanksia cistiflora. 
peduncularis, 1 . Yellow . 8, G. Ev. S. Chile . . 1825 
Baix, applied to the round central part of the flower 
of Stapelia. 
BallSta, Linn. Named from ballo, to reject, on 
account of its offensive odour ; hence the trivial 
name. Stinking Horehound. JLi/m. 14, Or. 1, Nat. 
Or. Labiates. Mere weeds, of the easiest culture. 
Synonyme: 1. B. fdetldd-r-dlbd, dUtichd, nigrd, 1, 
vulgilrU. 
Balm, see Melissa. 
Balm of Gii-bau, see DracoclphalOm canariSnsl. 
Balsam, see ImpdtiSns. 
Balsam apple, see MomOrdled balsamlnid. 
Balsamina, Rivinus. Called balassan by the Arabs, 
from which most probably the name balsamina has 
y»rung. Linn. 6, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Balsaminace/e. 
That beautiful and popular annual the garden 
balsam, with its white, red, pink, purple, lilac, 
and finely-variegated carnation-like flowers, be- 
longs to this genus. All the species are ornamental, 
and may be grown w'ith success by the following 
mode of treatment, recommended in Don’s Miller’s 
Gard. Die. : — “ The seeds of these plants should be 
sown on a moderate hotbed, in spring, and when 
the plants are about two or three inches high, they 
should be planted in separate small pots, taking 
care to shade them until they have taken fresh 
root, replacing them in the hotbed, after which 
they should have a moderate share of free air 
admitted to them when the weather is favourable, 
to prevent their being drawn up tall and weak ; 
they should then be shifted from size to size of pots, 
until the plants have grown the size required, and 
•when in flower they may be placed in the green- 
house, where they will make a very showy ap- 
pearance, and seed freely.” A light, very rich 
soil, composed of rotten dung, loam, and leaf mould, 
with a little sand, suits them best, plentifully 
watered. They do not root readily by cuttings ; 
but may be increased abundantly from seeds, which 
in general ripen. The juice of the balsam used 
with alum is employed by the Japanese to dye 
their nails red. Synonyme : 1. Impatiens balsamina. 
bifida . . . . Red' . . 8, G. A. Japan . . 1820 
capensTs . . . Red . . 8, G. A. C. G. H. . 1818 
cbinensis . . . Purple . 8, G. A. China . . 1824 
cocclnsa . . . Scarlet . 8, S. A. E. Ind. . . 1803 
comuta .... Red . . 8, G. A. Ceylon . . 1826 
liortensTs, 1 . . Red . . 9, S. A. E. Ind. . . 1596 
latifOlia . . . .Pa. red . 8, G. A. E. Ind. . . 1818 
madagascariensls . Red . . 8, G. A. Madagas. . 1824 
mlnOr .... Red . . 8, G. A. E. Ind. . . 1817 
mysorensls . . . Red . . 8, G. A. Mysore . . 1820 
Balsamita, Desfon. From balsamon, balm ; in refer- 
ence to its strong balsamic smell. Linn. 19, Or. 1, 
Nat. Or. Composite. Plants of little interest, and 
easy culture. Synonyme : 1. TanacStnm annudm. 
grandiflora . . . Yellow . 7, F. B. Algiers . . 1821 
TulgarU .... Yel. gm. . 8, H. Her. P. Italy . . 1568 
ageratifbtid, annua 1 , virgata. 
Balsa HODENDRON, Kunth, From balsamon, balsam, 
and dendron, tree. Linn. 8, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Bur- 
seracee. An ornamental tree, growing well in 
sandy loam and peat, and ripened cuttings root 
freely in sand, under a glass, in heat. Tliis tree 
yields the gum elemi of the East, which is distinct 
from the American elemi. Synonyme: \. Amyris 
zelanica. 
z^ylamcum, 1 . . S. Ev. T. Ceylon . . 
Baltimora, Linn. In honour of Lord Baltimore, 
proprietor of Maryland. Linn. 19, Or. 4, Nat. Or. 
Composite. Uninteresting species, of easy culture 
— alba f recta. 
Baisam of Capevt, see Copa\f?rd. 
Bai.sam trek, see Closid. 
Bamkoo cane, see Bambnsd. 
Bambusa, Schrader. From bambos, its name in India. 
Linn. 6, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Graminee. This genus 
contains the bamboo-cane ; the species are interest- 
ing, and in rich loamy soil they grow rapidly to a 
great height in our stoves if well watered ; they 
increase by offsets. B. arundinacee is very useful 
for a very great variety of domestic purposes ; in 
the E. Indies, cottages are almost entirely made of 
it, bridges, boxes, cups, baskets, mats, paper, and 
masts for boats, are also made of it. It is likewise 
employed for fences for gardens, &c., and it is com- 
monly used instead of pipes for conveying water. 
The substance called tabasher, is a secreted sili- 
ceous matter, found at the joints of the bamboo. 
ari.stfitS . . . . A petal . . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1824 
ariindui4c64 . . . Apetal . . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1730 
gVtuc4 Apetal. . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1826 
nigril Apetal. . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1825 
pubescens . . . .Apetal. . Gras«. E. Ind. . . 1826 
spinOsA .... Apetal . . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1820 
strict! Apetal . . Grass. E. Ind. . . 1824 
verticillAtA . . . ApeUl . . Grass. India . . . 1803 
Banana trek, see MOsd sapilntdm. 
Bane-berrt, see Acted. 
Bands, applied to the spaces between the lines, or 
ribs of the fruit of umbelliferous plants. 
BanoTa, Agardh. Named in honour of Christian 
Frederick Bang. Linn. 24, Or. 7, Nat. Or. Algee. 
Curious productions, appearing on marine rocks 
about the sea coast — atropurpurld, fusco-purpdrSd, 
calophglldf Lamindrle. 
Banisteria, Linn. In memory of the Rev. John 
Banister, a diligent botanist. Linn. 10, Or. 3, Nat. 
Or. Malpighiacee. Interesting species, with beau- 
tiful foliage, as B. splendens. They succeed in loam 
and sand, or a mixture of loam and sandy peat ; 
ripened cuttings root in sand, under a glass, in 
heat. Synonyme: i . B. heterophylla, B.fulgens. 
ciliata . . . .Yellow . S. Ev. Tw. Brazil . .1796 
ferruginea . . . Yellow . S. Ev. Brazil . .1820 
fulgens .... Yellow . S. Ev. W. Ind. . 1759 
Humboldtiana . Yellow . S. Ev. . S. Amer. . 1824 
laurifOlia . . . Yellow . S. Er. Jamaica . 1733 
ovata .... Yellow . 7> S. Ev. St. Domin. . 1810 
periplocaefdlia . .Yellow . 7» S. Ev. S. Porto Rico . 1818 
serlcea . . . .Yellow . 7, S. Ev. Tw. BrazU . .1810 
splendens,! . .Yellow . S. Ev. S. S. Amer. . 1812 
tenuis .... Yellow . G. Ev, Tw. B. Avree . 
tomentosa . . . Yellow . 7i S- Ev. Tw. S. Aiher. . 1820 
zanzibarica . .Yellow . S. Ev. Tw. Zanzibar . 1825 
Banksia, Robert Brown. In honour of Sir Joseph 
Banks, Bart. Pres. R.S. ; a distinguished patron 
of science in general, particularly Natural History. 
Linn. 4, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Proteacee. This is a hand- 
some and interesting genus. The species, to suc- 
ceed well, must be treated in the following manner 
recommended by Sweet. “ The pots must be well 
drained, which should be done in the following 
manner : — place a piece of potsherd about half way 
over the hole at the bottom of the pot, then lay 
another piece against it that it may be hollow, 
afterwards put some smaller pieces all around them, 
and some more broken very small on the top of 
these. All plants belonging to the Proteacee should 
be drained in the same manner, as the roots are 
very fond of running amongst the broken pot- 
sherds, and there is not so much danger of their 
being overwatered ; care must be taken not to let 
them flag for want of water, as they seldom recover 
if allowed to get very dry ; they should also be 
placed in an airy part of the greenhouse when in 
doors, as nothing is more beneficial to them than a 
free circulation of air. Cuttings are generally sup- 
posed to be difficult to root, but they will root 
