B. Howardii (Howard's). fl.-heads yellow; involucre narrow. A low shrub. SYN. Linosyris Howardii.
B. nudata (naked). fl.-heads yellow. September. l. scattered, oblanceolate or linear. h. 1ft. to 2ft. New Jersey. Perennial.
B. paniculata (panicled). fl.-heads yellow, barely ½in. long, loosely panicled, five-flowered. California. Shrubby.
BIGEMINATE. Doubly paired.
BIGLANDULARIA. See Sinningia.
FIG. 250. BRANCH AND FLOWERS OF BIGNONIA MAGNIFICA.
BIGNONIA (so named by Tournefort, in compliment to the Abbé Bignon, librarian to Louis IV.). ORD. Bignoniaceæ. A large genus of usually scandent shrubs, furnished with tendrils; rarely erect trees or shrubs. Flowers axillary and terminal, usually panicled; corolla with a short tube, a campanulate throat, and a five-lobed, bilabiate limb. Leaves opposite, simple, conjugate, ternate, digitate or pinnatifid. These handsome plants are particularly suited for large houses, where, if well grown, they give great satisfaction. The primary point in their culture is to obtain free and, at the same time, sturdy growth, giving due attention to training, pruning, &c., or the plants soon exceed all limits. Like all free-growing plants, Bignonias thrive best planted out in the borders of the stove or greenhouse, or out of doors, as the case may be; but the space allowed should be limited, in order to restrict root production. They may either be trained to cover the back wall, or be planted in a border in front, and trained up the rafters, or on wires, arranged where most desirable. In summer, allow all the strongest shoots to grow, training them so as to have as much sunlight as possible—which is absolutely necessary to well ripen the wood, and make it capable of producing flowers—without entirely shutting it out from the plants below. Soil: A compost of two part fibrous loam, one part peat, one of leaf mould, and a due proportion of sand, will be found most satisfactory. The loam and peat should be used in a rough state, unsifted, as this will keep the border open for some years, and thorough drainage should be effected. Propagation: Seed being rarely procurable, the most satisfactory method of propagation is by cuttings, made of good strong shoots, in early spring. Three joints are sufficient to make a cutting, if short-jointed; if long-jointed, two are sufficient. Place them in a well-drained pot of sandy soil, under a bell glass, in bottom heat. As these cuttings are young and fleshy, they are liable to damp off; hence it is necessary, for the first two or three weeks, to wipe the moisture from the glasses every morning, and water sparingly. If well managed, they will root in about two months, and should then have the glasses left off every night for a week; they should then be transferred to small pots in the compost above described, passing it through a coarse sieve, to extract the stones and rough pieces of soil. After potting, the plants should be kept close for a short time, till they are able to bear full exposure to the light. In a year's time, they will be large enough to plant out in their permanent quarters. Bignonias may also be increased by layering.
B. æquinoxialis (equinoxial). fl. yellow; peduncles two-flowered, terminal ones racemose. June to October. l. glabrous, conjugate; leaflets oblong-lanceolate. Tendrils simple, axillary. Cayenne, 1768.
B. æ. Chamberlaynii (Chamberlayn's).* fl., corolla yellow, funnel-shaped; segments obtuse; racemes axillary, six to eight-flowered. April to October, l., leaflets ovate, acuminated, glabrous, shining above. Tendrils strong, simple. Brazil, 1820. (B. R. 741.)
B. æsculifolia (Chestnut-leaved). A synonym of Tabebiua æsculifolia.
B. apurensis (Apuran). fl. pedicellate, 2in. long; corolla yellow, funnel-shaped, with roundish, spreading, nearly equal lobes; spikes terminal, sessile. l. ternate; leaflets elliptic-oblong, short-acuminated, acutish at the base. Shady banks of the river Apures, near El Diamante, 1824.
B. argyreo-violascens (silvery-violet). l. white-veined, in a young state violet. South America, 1865. (F. M. 1865, 26.)
B. aurantiaca (orange). fl. orange-coloured. South America, 1874.
B. capreolata (tendrilled).* fl., corolla orange; peduncles axillary, one-flowered, crowded. April to August. l. conjugate; leaflets cordate oblong; lower ones simple. Tendrils small, trifid. North America, 1710. Hardy in south of England. (B. M. 864.)
B. c. atro-sanguinea (dark blood-red). fl. red-purple. Summer. United States. (B. M. 6501.)
B. Cherere (Chirere).* fl., corollas orange, 2in. long; cymes axillary. June to November. l., lower ones ternate, upper ones conjugate, cirrhose; leaflets ovate, acuminated, sometimes sub-cordate, glabrous. Guiana (in woods and on the banks of rivers), 1824. (B. R. 1301.)
B. Chica (Chica). fl., corolla funnel-shaped, violaceous; limb with nearly equal, rounded segments; panicles axillary, pendulous. l. 8in. to 10in. long, abruptly bipinnate; leaflets conjugate, elliptic-ovate, acuminated, deeply cordate, glabrous. Tendrils simple. Banks of the Orinoco, 1819.
B. chrysantha (yellow-flowered). fl. terminal, crowded; corolla yellow, 2in. long. May. l., leaflets five, ovate, acuminated, tomentose, on pedicels 5in. long. h. 12ft. to 26ft. Caraccas, 1823. Tree.
B. chrysoleuca (yellowish-white). fl., corolla yellow, with a white limb, glabrous, 1½in. long; peduncles three to five-flowered. June, July. l. conjugate; leaflets 5in. to 6in. long, 2in. broad, oblong acuminated, glabrous, rounded at the base, shining. Tendrils undivided. Banks of the River Magdalena, 1824.
B. Clematis (Clematis-like).* fl., corolla white, yellowish inside; lobes nearly equal, roundish, red; panicles axillary, downy. l. 7in. to 8in. long, conjugately pinnate, with an odd one; leaflets 2in. long, 1in. broad, ovate, narrowed at top, acute, cordate at the base, glabrous. Branches quadrangular, glabrous. Caraccas, 1820.
B. diversifolia (diverse-leaved). fl., corolla yellow, campanulately funnel-shaped; panicles terminal. l. conjugate and simple; leaflets roundish-ovate, acuminated, sub-cordate, glabrous, shining. Tendrils undivided. Branches quadrangular, striated. Mexico, 1825.
B. floribunda (many-flowered).* fl., corolla purplish, funnel-shaped, eight lines long; panicles axillary, powdery, with opposite branches and dichotomous branchlets. l. conjugate; leaflets 2½in. long, oblong-elliptic, acuminated, acute at the base, glabrous, shining. Tendrils undivided. Branches beset with white warts and fine powder. Mexico, 1824.
B. lactiflora (milk-flowered). fl., corolla milk white, 1½in. long, villously tomentose on the outside; racemes twin, with a petiolate bract at the base of each pedicel. April and July. l. conjugate; leaflets 2in. long, cordate, ovate, glabrous. Branches striated. Tendrils trifid. Santa Cruz, 1823.
B. leucoxyla (white-wooded). A synonym of Tabebiua leucoxyla.
B. litoralis (shore). fl., corolla funnel-shaped, red, downy outside; panicles axillary, dichotomously branched. May to July. l. ternate; leaflets roundish-ovate, acuminated, clothed with soft hair on both surfaces. Branches terete, glabrous; branchlets hairy. Mexico, 1824.
B. magnifica (magnificent).* fl. varying from delicate mauve to rich purplish-crimson; throat light primrose colour, very large, 3½in. across; panicles large, branching. Summer. l. opposite, on rather long petioles, broadly ovate. Columbia, 1879. A very handsome species. See Fig. 250, for which we are indebted to Mr. Bull.
B. mollis (soft). fl. small, downy; panicle terminal, many-flowered. l. trifoliate; leaflets 5in. long, ovate, sub-cordate, downy on both surfaces. Cayenne, 1818.
B. molissima (very soft). fl., corollas somewhat funnel-shaped, downy inside; panicles axillary, dichotomously branched, downy. l. conjugate and simple; leaflets 2½in. long, 1½in. broad, ovate, acute, cordate, clothed with soft hairs above. Caraccas, 1820.
B. pallida (pale).* fl. axillary, usually solitary; corolla 2in. long, funnel-shaped, with a yellow tube, and a pale lilac limb; lobes crenately ciliated. July. l. simple, opposite, oblong, obtuse, rather cordate at the base. Branches terete. St. Vincent, 1823. (B. R. 965.)
B. picta (painted). A synonym of B. speciosa.
B. radicans (rooting). See Tecoma radicans.
B. reticulata (netted). Columbia, 1873.
B. Roezlii (Roezl's). Columbia, 1870.
B. SALICIFOLIA (Willow-leaved). fl., corolla funnel-shaped, 1½in. long, copper-coloured, with a white limb; peduncles axillary, three to six-flowered, downy. Summer. l. conjugate; leaflets lanceolate, 3in. long, acute at both ends, quite glabrous, shining. Branches terete, sulcate. Trinidad, 1824.
B. speciosa (beautiful).* fl. pink, stained with purple; calyx spathaceous, split on one side; panicles terminal. May. l. pinnate, ternate and verticillate; leaflets oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, shining, serrate. h. 4ft. Uruguay, 1840. A glabrous evergreen shrub. SYN. B. picta. (B. M. 3888.)
B. spectabilis (showy). fl., corolla 3in. long, rather coriaceous, glabrous, purple; racemes terminal, short, having the two lower pedicels three-flowered, and the rest one-flowered. l. conjugate; leaflets ovate-oblong, acuminated, obtuse. Santa Cruz, &c., 1820.
B. Tweediana (Tweedie's). fl. yellow; corolla glabrous, limb deeply five-parted, ciliated; segments emarginate; peduncles one-flowered. Summer. l. conjugate; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate; petioles downy. Buenos Ayres, 1838. (B. R. 26, 45.)
B. variabilis (variable).* fl., corolla 3in. long, with a greenish-yellow tube; limb ultimately white; racemes simple, short, many-flowered, terminal. June to August. l., lower ones biternate; superior ones conjugate; divisions ternate. Branches tetragonal. Tendrils trifid. Caraccas, 1819.
B. venusta (lovely). fl., corolla crimson, clavately funnel-shaped, with a spreading border, villous inside; corymbs terminal, many-flowered. August to December. l., lower ones ternate; superior ones conjugate; leaflets oblong-ovate, acuminated oblique at the base. Brazil, 1816. (B. R. 249.)
BIGNONIACEÆ. A large order of trees, or twining or climbing shrubby plants. Flowers usually trumpet-shaped; corolla usually irregular, four or five-lobed, and with a swollen portion below its mouth; stamens five, unequal. Fruit, a two-valved, often pod-like capsule. Leaves usually opposite, compound. The best-known genera are Bignonia, Catalpa, Eccremocarpus, Jacaranda, and Tecoma.
BIJUGATE. A compound leaf, with two pairs of leaflets.
BILABIATE. Having two lips.