E synonym of L. acanthifolia. 
AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 289 
Loasa—continued. 
scales five, inserted with the petals, furnished with 
three sterile filaments on the back of each, and girding 
two subulate appendages inside. Leaves alternate or 
opposite, entire, lobed, or decompound. Few species 
are in actual cultivation, and all are easily raised from 
seed, sown in a light, sandy soil, about May. It is 
however, generally preferable to sow it in pans, in 
March, and place in a gentle heat, transplanting out- 
side about the latter part of April. Except where 
otherwise stated, the species described below are hardy. 
L. acanthifolia (Acanthus-leayed). fl. yellow; pedicels axillary, 
and also from the forks, solitary, one-flowered. Summer. J. cor- 
date at the base, pinnatifid ; lobes acuminated, toothed. h. Aft. 
Chili. Annual. Syn. L. Placei. (B. M. 3218.) 
L. aurantiaca (orange). A synonym of L. lateritia. 
L. canarinoides (Canarina-like). f. dull brick- coloured; calyx 
of five sub-triangular sepals; petals erect or moderately spread- 
ing, ovate, shortly acuminate, gibbous at base, reticulately 
veined; peduncles solitary, opposite, axillary. Summer. “. 
opposite, rather long-stalked, cordate, cordate-oblong, or fiddle- 
shaped, pinnatifid, dentate, deeply veined. Stems herbaceous, 
10ft. to 12ft. and more long, clothed with stinging hairs. Central 
America, Annual. A highly dangerous plant to the touch. 
(B. M. 5022, under name of Jllairea canarinoides.) 
L. hispida (bristly). fl. bright lemon - yellow, with the centre 
prettily variegated with green and white; blossoms lin. across, 
produced in profusion. July. J. oblong, stalked, deeply cut, 
pinnatifid or almost pinnate, pubescent. 1sft. Lima, 1830. 
A very pretty branching annual. (B. M. 3057.) 
L. incana (hoary). fl. opposite the leaves, solitary, peduncled ; 
corolla white, e segments spreading, smaller ones 
concave; peduncles spreading, half the length of the leaves. 
October and November. 1, scattered, petioled, spreading, ovate, 
acute, hispid on both sides, veins and midrib prominent below. 
Stem round, much-branched. h. 2}ft. Peru, 1 Whole plant 
covered with barbed white hairs, with a few stinging ones inter- 
spersed. Greenhouse perennial. (B. M. . 
L. lateritia (brick-red).* fl. brick- red, large; peduncles twin, one- 
flowered, terminal, about equal in length to the leaves. May. 
l. opposite, on long petioles, pinnate ; segments roundish, cre- 
nated, lobed. Chili. A prostrate annual or biennial. SYNS. 
L. aurantiaca and L. tricolor. — 
L. nitida (shining). H., petals yellow, red at base, spreadingly 
reflexed; wings of the corona very small, toothed Ra stalked ; 
pedicels axillary. June to September. (. cordate at the base, 
many-lobed ; lobes acute, toothed, lower ones usually pinnatitid. 
Chili, 1822. A trailingannual. (B. M. 2372.) 
L. Pentlandii (Pentland’s).* fl., corolla 2in. across when ex- 
panded, spreading, but not reflexed; petals pan orange, scarcely 
clawed ; peduncles 4in. long, axillary. May and June. 4. e 
penta sub-erect ; lamina 4in. long, lin. broad; petiole the 
gth of thelamina. A. Aft. Peru, 1840. Annual. (B. M. 4095.) 
L. picta (painted). white, yellow; petals bidentate ; racemes 
terminal, leafy. eine ant July. l rhomboid-obovate, or lanceo- 
late-acuminated, I. , serrated, lower ones petiolate, upper ones 
sessile. k. lft. Andes of P. 1848. Plant erect, downy. 
Annual. (B. M. 4428.) 
* fl. yellow; uncles axillary, one- 
wice the th of the leaves. Summer. L. op- 
N 
ite, sessile, cordate-ovate, Stem prostrate, 
Rexuovs. Chili, 2878. Anmial (B. M. 6442) N 
L. tricolor (three- coloured). A synonym of L. lateritia. 
L. triloba (three-lobed). A. 5 small; pedicels axillary; 
scales petaloid, equally and bluntly three-lobed. Summer. 1. 
cordate at the base, usually three-lobed; lobes acute, toothed; 
middle lobe usually again somewhat three-lobed. Chili, Peru. 
Annual. 
L. vulcanica (volcanic).“ fl. white, about 12 in. across, axillary, 
spreading, with five erect nectaries of a red colour, barred with 
transverse yellow and white stripes. Summer. J. palmatel 
three to five-lobed ; lobes cut. k. 2ft. Ecuador, 1877. 8 
Syn. L. Wallisii. (B. M. 6410.) 
L. Wallisii (Wallis). A synonym of L. vuleanica. 
LOASEZ:. An order of erect or twining, rarely 
frutescent, herbs, with stinging hairs, natives (except 
Fissenia, which is African) of tropical and sub-tropical 
America. Flowers solitary, racemose or cymose, rarely 
capitate; peduncles often opposite the leaves; corolla 
white, yellow, or dull red. Leaves opposite or alternate, 
entire, lobed, inciso-pinnatifid, or two or three-pinnatifid. | 
The species are of little economic value. About ten 
genera and 100 species are comprised in the order. 
Examples: Gronovia, Loasa. 
Vol. II. 5 
, a eS ie Oe 
I. 
LOBATE. Having lobes. 
t LOBE. The portion of a leaf the margin of which 
is deeply indented or divided, but so that the incisions 
do not reach the midrib or petiole. 
LOBELIA (named after Matthias de L’Obel, 1538- 
1616, a botanist, and physician to James I.). Syn. Ra- 
puntium. Including Monopsis, Rhynchopetalum, Tupa, 
&c. ORD. Campanulacee. A genus comprising about 200 
species of greenhouse or hardy, annual or perennial, 
herbs and sub-shrubs, rarely shrubs, widely distributed 
over the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the globe, es- 
pecially in America, but less abundantly found in Northern 
Europe and Asia. Flowers racemose; corolla irregular, 
tubular; tube cleft on the upper side, thickened or 
ventricose at the base; limb five-parted, bilabiate, the 
two segments of the upper lip linear-lanceolate, the 
lower lip trifid and pendulous; stamens epipetalous, 
anthers connate. Leaves alternate, usually sessile. ` 
Lobelias rank amongst the most popular and useful of 
garden plants. The dwarf-growing forms are indis- 
pensable in bedding arrangements, as their place could 
not be taken with equally good results by any other 
subjects in cultivation. Blue (a colour somewhat rare 
amongst bedding plants) is that which predominates in 
Lobelias; there are also varieties with pure white, 
white and blue, pink and white, and wholly pink flowers. 
Many of the tall-growing herbaceous perennial species are 
splendid summer and attumn-flowering plants, equally 
well suited for mixed borders or for grouping in flower 
beds. Various colours are represented, none being more 
beautiful and attractive than the species or varieties 
with rich deep crimson flowers. À 
Propagation. This may readily be effected either by 
seeds, by cuttings, or by divisions of the plants. Named 
or selected varieties should be propagated by one of 
the latter methods, as seedlings rarely perpetuate the 
character of the parent, except in the case of species. 
For bedding purposes, where the habit of Lobelias is 
not always of material importance, an easy plan of securing 
an annual stock of plants is to sow some seeds, about 
March, in well-drained pans of light soil, covering them 
very lightly on account of their small size, and placing 
the pans in a propagating house. The seedlings, when 
large enough, should be pricked off into other pans or 
boxes, and kept under glass until nearly bedding time 
in May. Stock plants of choice varieties for propagating 
should either be grown in pots, or be lifted from the 
open ground early in autumn, and preserved in a light 
greenhouse or frame through the winter, where plenty 
of air may be admitted on favourable occasions. Early 
in the year, the plants should be transferred to a propa- 
gating house, and, so soon as young growths can be 
obtained, the cuttings must be inserted in very light sandy 
soil. A large quantity may thus be obtained in a short 
time from a few stock plants, and the habit of all will be 
uniform afterwards, when growing in the open air. The 
tall species “of Lobelia may also be raised from seeds. If 
these are sown when ripe, and placed in a cool frame, 
stronger plants may be secured for the following year 
than when sowing is deferred till spring. Cuttings of 
young shoots root readily in spring, and division of the 
plants at the same season is also a ready method for 
increasing the stock, either of species or varieties. 
Cultivation. Dwarf tender forms of Lobelia prefer 
a rather light soil, wherein plenty of leaf mould has 
been incorporated. When planted in bedding arrange- 
ments, they should be kept well watered throughout the 
summer, in order to insure a continuous flowering habit. 
From 4in. to 6in. apart is about the proper distance, but 
seedling plants will usually cover more space than others 
obtained from cuttings. Half-hardy perennial species 
should be afforded a deep rich soil, as they well repay 
for liberal treatment by producing much more vigorous 
