BUGLOSS. BULB. 573 
ists. About a dozen of the introduced species] BUGWORT,—botanically Ovmicifuga. A ge- 
are hardy annuals ; eight or nine are hardy bien- | nus of perennial-rooted herbaceous plants, of the || 
nials ; two are greenhouse evergreen herbs; and | ranunculus tribe. The fetid species, Comicifuga 
the rest are greenhouse evergreen shrubs. Many | fwtida, formerly called Actwa cumicifuga, is a me- 
of the greenhouse species are eminently beauti- | dicinal plant, and forms the type of the genus. 
ful; but only two, Z. grandiflorum and L. longi- | It takes its name of cimicifuga from two words 
folium, seem to be very generally known. Some | which indicate its supposed principal quality, and 
of the annual and the biennial species, though | signify “to drive away bugs.” It isa native of || 
pretty enough in the flower, have a coarse, bulky, | Siberia, grows to the height of about four feet, | 
untameable appearance in the plant; and yet | and produces a light yellow flower in June and || 
the two annuals, H. wiolacewm and E. orientale, | July—Three species have, somewhat recently, | 
and the two biennials, Z. cretiowm and L. vtalicwm, | been introduced from North America; and one 
obtain considerable favour. of these, Cimicifuga americana, called by Decan~ | 
The common species, Hchiwm vulgare, is a bien- | dolle Actwa podocarpa,is cultivated as an orna- | 
nial, and grows wild in rubbish and old walls, in | mental plant. | 
gravelly and stony fields, and particularly in dry| BUILDINGS. See Farm-Buinprnes. 
waste grounds, in many parts of Great Britain.| BUISTING. See Branpina. | 
It is all profusely covered with prickly bristles} BULB. A roundish vegetable body, usually | 
and intermixed stiff hairs. The stems are two | in the form of a depressed and round-based cone, | 
| feet long, and either erect or spreading; the | intermediate in constitution between a seed and | 
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| leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, dull green, | a root, and sustaining the several characters or 
single-ribbed, and tapering at the base ; and the | serving the various purposes of an epitome of a | 
flowers grow in numerous crowded clusters, are | plant,a hybernaculum or winter-case around the | | 
pink in the bud and blue or purple in full de- | embryo of a plant, a storage of nourishment for | 
velopment, have a very showy appearance, and | the early and even entire growth of a plant, and | 
bloom in July and August. A white-flowering | an organic contrivance for a plant’s propagation 
variety is systematically recognised under the | in the peculiar manner of offsets or young bulbs. 
name of L. v. fore albo. An account of this spe-| A bulb is very generally but quite erroneously | | 
cies, written about a century ago, says, “ Bees| regarded as a root. The bulbs of a few species | 
are very fond of the viper’s bugloss; and there is | are produced on the stems, and therefore do not | 
reason to think that this plant, assisted by the | even occupy the position of roots; and the great — 
culture of a skilful gardener, may receive, per- | majority of bulbs, though naturally immersed in | 
haps, as many improvements as the auricula did. | the soil or in water, produce roots from below 
Its branches will rise to the height of three feet ; | and stems from above in a manner closely analo- 
and no vegetable would better adorn flower-pots | gous to the radicle and the plumule growths of 
in large chimnies ; for if the water be changed, | seeds. A fleshy disk, or knob, or tubercle, or an- 
| it continues blowing near a fortnight after cut- | nular projection may be observed at the base of | 
| ting. Its ultramarine blue colour, is the finest | every bulb; and this constitutes both the cradle | 
that can be seen ; and the stalks are garnished | and the attachment of the true roots; and, when | | 
with flowers from top to bottom. Dyers might, | placed in contact with soil or water, according 
perhaps, extract an useful tincture from the|to the nature of the plant, it sends down the 
roots.” roots, sometimes in the form of multitudinous || 
BUGLOSS (Winp),—botanically ZLycopsis. A | filiform fibres, sometimes in that of numerous | 
genus of plants of the borage tribe. The botani- | moderately strong radicles, and occasionally in 
cal name Lycopsis signifies “the face of a wolf,” | that of comparatively long and powerful vege- 
and alludes to the form of the flowers. Thecommon | table cords. The great body of the bulb consists | 
or corn-field species, Lycopsis arvensis, called by | of the embryo of the plant, and sometimes of na- | 
Decandolle Nonea arvensis, isa handsome annual, | scent bulbs, lodged within a comparatively large 
and grows wild in the corn fields, dry banks, and |.and very bulky mass of conservative and nutri- 
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waste grounds of Great Britain. Its root is| ent matter, in the form of either convergent and 
small, tapering, and whitish ; its stems are rough, | imbricated scales, or of concentric coats or layers, 
round, erect, solid, bristly, black-spotted, and | or of an apparently solid and homogeneous mass 
about 15 inches in height; its leaves are bristly | of vegetable flesh. A bulb with convergent 
and light green; and its flowers are bright blue, | scales, such as that of the common white or 
and bloom from May till August. It is some-| orange or martagon lily, is designated scaly or 
times called ox-tongue, and is occasionally used | squammose,—Bulbus sguammosus; one with con- 
like borage in cool tankards ; and it was formerly | centric layers, such as that of the onion, the nar- 
employed in decoction as a medicinal drink for | cissus, or the hyacinth, is designated coated or 
nurses. Five species, all hardy annuals, but of | tunicated,—Bulbus tunicatus; and one with an 
no particular interest, have been introduced from | apparently dense and undivided mass of vegeta- 
Teneriffe, the Levant, Caucasus, and the south of | ble flesh, such as that of the crocus or the col- 
Kurope; and eight or nine other species are | chicum, was formerly designated by all botanists 
known. and is still designated by some a solid bulb, yet 
