BO WIEA 
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receiving a shower of pollen (cf. Erica, Galanthus, Cyclamen). In 
older flowers the stigma, now ripe, projects beyond the sta. so as to 
be touched first. 
Borassus Linn. Palmae (11. 3). 1 sp., B . Jlabellifer L., the Palmyra 
palm, in trop. Afr. and As. Dioecious. Its uses are legion ; an old 
Tamil song enumerates 801 ! The chief is perhaps the production of 
palm-wine or toddy, obtained by tapping the sap flowing to an infl. 
(cf. Agave), and fermenting it. 
Borbonia Linn. Leguminosae (ill. 3). 13 sp. S. Afr. 
Boretta Neck. = Dabeocia D. Don. 
Boronia Sm. Rutaceae (ill). 60 sp. Austr. 
Borreria G. F. W. Mey. = Spermacoce Linn. 
Bossiaea Vent. Leguminosae (ill. 3). 34 sp. Austr. Several xerophytic 
sp. have flattened green stems (phylloclades) with minute scaly leaves. 
As in Acacia &c., seedlings show transitions from normal leaves. 
Boswellia Roxb. Burseraceae. 10 sp. India, Afr. B . Carteri Birdw. 
(Somaliland and Hadramaut) yields the resin known as frankincense 
or gum-olibanum, obtained by notching the stem. It was formerly 
officinal, but is now chiefly used in incense. Other sp. also yield 
fragrant resins. 
Botrychium Sw. Ophioglossaceae. 6 sp. temp, and trop. B. Lunaria 
Sw., the moon- wort, is found in many places in Britain, but not 
abundantly. The general habit resembles that of Ophioglossum, but 
the sterile as well as the fertile part of the leaf is usually branched. 
The roots appear one at the base of each leaf, and branch mono- 
podially. The spike is usually much branched, the ultimate twigs 
being the sporangia. 
Boucerosia Wight et Arn. Asclepiadaceae (11. 4). 20 sp. Medit., trop. 
Afr. and As. Like Stapelia. Included in Caralluma R. Br. in 
Nat. PJl. 
Bougainvillaea Comm. Nyctaginaceae (1). 7 sp. S. Arn. The group 
of 3 firs, is surrounded by 3 lilac-coloured bracts, which persist and 
act as wings for the fruits. 
Boussingault-ia H. B. et K. Basellaceae. 10 sp. trop. Am. 
Bouteloua Lag. Gramineae (xi). 30 sp. S.-West U. S., the mezquit 
grasses, which form a large portion of the herbage of the prairie, and 
are valuable as fodder. 
Bouvardia Salisb. Rubiaceae (r. 4). 30 sp. trop. Am. Some are 
heterostyled like Primula. Often cultivated for their firs. 
Bowenia Hook. Cycadaceae. 1 sp. Queensland. Easily recognised 
by its bipinnate leaf (see order). 
Bowiea Harv. Liliaceae (ill). 1 sp. Cape Col., B. volubilis Harv. It 
is a xerophytelikeTestudinaria, with a large partly underground stock 
(corm), giving off each year a much-branched climbing stem. This 
bears small leaves, but they soon drop off, and assimilation is carried 
on by the green tissue of the stem. 
