BET BET 
bia bio 
an apothecary at Nuremberg. Linn. 14, Or. 2, 
Nat. Or. Gesneriaeeas. A pretty and interfsting 
genus, delighting in very light rich soil. Sweet 
says, cuttings strike freely by merely sticking 
them, without protection, in the tan-bed. Syno- 
nyme : 1. B. bicolor. 
coccineS . . . Yellow . S. Ev. S. Guiana . 1819 
cristate .... Yellow . 6, S. Ev. Cl. \V. Ind. . 1739 
dichras.l . . RedyeL . 7, S. Ev. S. Brazil. . 1826 
grand folia . . Yellow . 8, S. Ev. S. Brazil . . 1823 
hirtella .... YeUow . 7, S. Ev. S. BrazU . . 1824 
incarnata . . . Yellow . S. Her. P. Guiana . 1820 
lutea .... Yellow . 7, S. Ev. S. Guiana . 1739 
melittifolia . . Orange . 6, S. Ev. S. Guiana . 1739 
mollis .... Yellow . S. Ev. S. S. Amer. . 1823 
pulchella . . . Yellow . 8, S. Ev. S. Trinidad . 1806 
serrulata . . . Pur. yeL . S. Ev. Cl. W. Ind. . 1806 
violacea . . . Yellow . S. Ev. CL Guiana . 1824 
Bcta, Linn. From the ^eltic belt, signifying red ; 
"alluding to the red colour of the roots. Linn. 5, Or. 
2, Nat. Or. Chenopodiacece. The beet-root is the 
type of this genus ; the uses of which are well 
known ; the species succeed well in common garden 
soil, treated as other culinary roots. B. patula does 
best kept in the greenhouse. B. cicla is used as 
spinach; and in Germany and Switzerland the 
midrib of the leaf is boiled, and eaten with grav'y 
or melted butter. 
cicla .... Green . . 8, H. B. Portugal . 1670 
crispa .... Green . . 8, H. B. S. Eur. . . 1 800 
macrorhiza . . Green . . 8, H. B. Caucasus . 1820 
mazltlm^ . . . Green . . 8, H. B. Britain . . 
trlgynS .... White . . 7> H. Her. P. Hungary . 1796 
vul^ria . . . Green . . 8, H. B. Europe . . 1548 
luteS .... Green * . 8, H. B. S. Eur. . . 
rubra . . . Green . . 8, H. B. S. Eur. . . 
viridls . . . Green . . 8, H. B. S. Eur. . . 
Betle ntjt, see Piper Belle. 
Bktonica, Linn. From heutonic, its Celtic name. 
Linn. 14, Or. l,Nat. Or. Labialce. These handsome 
dwarf species are well adapted for ornamenting the 
margins of flower-borders, or rock-work. They 
epow in any common soil, and increase plentifully 
from suckers. B. q^ina/w when fresh intoxicates, 
and th« dried leaves excite sneezing, 
alopccurus . . . Red . . 7, H. Her. P. S. Eur. . . 1759 
grandiflorS . . . Purple . 5, H. Her. P. Siberia . . 1800 
hirsuta .... Purple . 6, H. Her. P. Italy . . 1710 
incana .... Flesh . . 6, H. Her. P. Italy . , 1759 
macroura . '. . Pa. red. . 7, H. Her. P. Europe . . 1820 
nivea .... Red . . 7i H. Her. P. Caucasus . 1820 
officinalis . . . Purple . 8, H. Her. P. Britain . . 
alba .... White . . 8, H. Her. P. Britain . . 
orientalis . . . Lt. pur. . 6, H. Her. P. Levant . . 1737 
stricta .... Purple . 6> H. Her. P. Denmark . 1592 
Bktoxy, see BetOnica, 
Bktony, see Teucrlum betdnicnm. 
Betula, Linn. From betu, its Celtic name. Linn. 
Or. 4, Nat. Or. Betulaceae. This is a popular 
genus, and best known by its common name, the 
beech. The species are for the most part lofty- 
growing trees, and very' ornamental. B. pendula 
has a graceful and pleaising growth; the species 
pumila and nana are dwarier-growing kinds, but 
very pretty and interesting. They thrive in any 
soil, and are commonly increased by grafting or 
budding on the larger and more plentiful kinds, the 
latter being raised from seed ; the dwarfest species 
are best when produced from layers. Synonyme : 
1. Alnut viridis. 
alba Apetal . 4, H. De. T. Britain . . 
dalecarlica . . Apetal . 5, H. De. T. Europe . . 
macrocarpa . . Apetal . 6, H. De. T. Europe . . 
verrucosa . . Ajietal . 4, H. De. T. Britain . . 
carpinifblia . . Apetal . 7. H. Ev. S. N. Amer. . 1759 
daurica .... Apetal . 7) H. De. T. Siberia . . 1785 
parvifdlia . . Apetal . 7> H. De. T. Siberia . . 
excelsa .... Apetal . 7, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 1767 
fruticosa . . . Apetal . 6, H. De. S. Siberia . . 1818 
lanulosa . . . Apetal . 7, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 1817 
lenta .... Apetal . 7, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 1759 
lutea .... Apetal . 5, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 
nana ...... Apetal . 5, H. De. S. N. Amer. . 
macrophy-lla . Apetal . 5, H. De. S. SwitzerL . 1819 
stricta . . . Apetal . 5, H. De. S. Siberia . . 
nigra .... Apetal . 7, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 1736 
ovata, 1 .... Apetal . 5, H. De. S. Hungary . 1820 
papyracea . . . Apetal . 6, H. De. T. N. Amer. . 1750 
pendula . . . Apetal . 6, H. De. T. Britain . . 
pdntica .... Apetal . 5, H. Ev. S. Turkey . . 
populifdlta . . . Apetal . 7, H. Ev. T. N. Amer. . 1750 
[ 43 ] 
pubescens . . . Apetal . 6, H. De. T. Germany . 1812 
pumila .... Apetal . 5, H. De. S. N. Amer. . 1762 
rubra .... Apetal . 7, H. De. T. Canada . . 
tristis .... Apetal . 5, H. De. T. Kamtsch. . 
Bialata, two'-winged. 
Biceps, having two heads. 
Bicornis, two-horned. 
Bidentate, having twin, or a double row of, teeth. 
Biennial, of the continuance of two years. A plant 
is said to be biennial which takes two years to 
mature its fruit, and then dies. 
Biparious, disposed in two rows. 
Bifid, opening with a cleft nearly divided in two. 
BTdens, so called from bis, twice, and dens, a tooth ; 
alluding to the seed. Linn. 19, Or. 1, Nat. Or. 
Compositoe. These species are mostly uninterest- 
ing ; a few, however are worth cultivating. They 
grow readily in common soil, and increase from 
seeds, suckers, or divisions, according to their 
habits and duration. Synonymes : 1. Coreopsis coro- 
nata. 2. B. odorata. 3. B. tripartita. 
Berteriana, 1 . . Yellow . 6, S. Her. P. Porto Rico 1787 
bipinnata . . ’Yellow . 7, H. A. N. Aoner. . 1687 
crithmifolla . . YeUow . 6, G. Her. P. Mexico . 1824 
cynapifdlia . . Yellow . G. A. Cuba . . 1827 
grandiflora,. 2 . . YeUow . 6, H. A. S. Amer. . 1800 
heterophyUa . . YeUow . 8, G. Her. P. Mexico . 1803 
leucantha . . . White . . 7> H. A. S. Amer. . 
macrosperma . . Y<’Uow . 6, H. A. Siberia . 1819 
odorata .... White . 6, H. A. Mexico . 1825 
repens, 3 . . .Yellow . 7, H. De. Cr. Nepal . 1819 
sambucifOUa . . YeUow . 7, H. Her. P. S. Amer. .1801 
Angustifblia, bullatd, cSrnua, chinensts, connata, chry- 
santha, chrysanthemoldes , foliOsa, frondOsd, helian- 
thotdes, hirtella, luxfiridns, nudiJlOrd, parviJlOrd, 
pilOsd, procumbens, r^exd, stridtd, tripairtitd. 
BIforTs, Sprengel, The name is compounded from 
bis, double, or two, and foris, a flap ; in reference 
to the shape of the fruit. Linn. 5, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 
VtpbellifercB. Uninteresting species, ctf the simplest 
culture. Synonymes ; 1. Coriandrum testiculatum. 
2. C. testiculatum — radicdns 1, testiculatum 2. 
Bifrenaria, Lindley. So named from bis, twice, and 
fraenum ; in allusion to the double strap or fraenum 
that connects the pollen masses with their gland. 
Linn. 20, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Orchidacece. A genus 
of very pretty plants when in flower, especially 
B. aurantiaea, the flowers of which are deep orange 
yellow, mottled with deep brown spots. For cul- 
ture and propagation see Maxillaria, to which the 
genus is near a!kin. Synonyme: 1. Maxillaria atro- 
purpurea. 
atropnrpurga, 1 . . Drk. pur. . S. Epi. Rio Jan. . 1828 
aurantiacA . . . Or. spot. . 9, S. Epi. Demerara . 
Bifrons, two-faced. 
Bigelovia, see Borrerld. 
Bigeminate, twin, each division bearing a pair of 
leaflets. 
Biglandular, having two or double glands. 
Biglumis, having two husks, or chaffy scales. 
Bignonia, Linn. In memory of Abb^ Bignon, libra- 
rian to Louis XIV. Linn. 14, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 
Bignoniacex. The species are trees or shrubs, in- 
habitants of hot climates. The leaves are opposite, 
pinnate, ternate, or conjugate ; the flowers in 
panicles, large and handsome, of various colours, 
red, blue, yellow, or white, and eminently beau- 
tiful. The stove sorts grow freely in loam and 
peat, and young cuttings root in sand under a hand- 
glass. The species grow in any soil, but will not 
flower well unless the situation be warm ; they are 
increased by cuttings of the roots, by layers, or by 
young cuttings in a gentle heat, under a hand- 
glass or frame. B. radicans is a well-known much- 
admired species, capable of living in the open air 
in this country against a wall — Loud. Ency. of 
Plants. The young shoots of B. Chirere are some- 
times manufactured into wicker-work. Synonymes : 
1. Jacaranda alba. 2. B. heterophylla. 3. Jacaranda 
eehinata. 4 Tomentosa. 5. Millingtonia hortensis. 
6. Incarvillea — tomentOsd. 
alba, 1 . . . . White. . S. Ev. Cl. Guiarn . . 1823 
alliac^a .... Yellow . S. Ev. Cl. AV. Ind. • 1790 
amdena .... Yellow • S. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1828 
apurensis . . . Yellow . S. Ev. Cl. Orinoco . . 1824 
aequinoctialis . . Yellow > 6, S. Ev. CL Guiana . . 1768 
