674 



LYCOPODIUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



MACRORHYN'CHUS. 



unripe berries are of the same tints. The 

 description of L. europa^um may be taken 

 as applying to the other kinds in gardens, 

 as they are all much alike, though differ- 

 ing more or less in a botanical sense. 

 The commonest kinds are L. chinense, 

 from China ; L. barbarum, from North 

 Asia ; L. afrum, from North Africa ; L. 

 Trewianum, and L. ruthenicum. They 

 are of rapid growth, and therefore suit- 

 able for covering high walls,though all are 

 deciduous. Sometimes hedges are made 

 of Box Thorns, for, as they all throw up 

 numerous suckers, the hedge soon be- 

 comes thick. There is a species named 

 L. chilense against one of the walls at 

 Kew, which seems to be more rapid in 

 growth than the rest. 



LYCOPODIUM [Ground Pine). — L. 

 dcndroidciiDi is a very distinct Club Moss, 

 worth a place in the rock-garden, its little 

 stems, 6 to 9 in. high, much branched, and 

 clothed with small, bright, shining green 

 leaves. It flourishes best in a deep bed 

 of moist peat in a low part of the rock- 

 garden, where its distinct habit is attractive 

 at all seasons. Difficult to increase, it is 

 rare in this country. N. America, in moist 

 thin woods. 



LYGODIUM {Climbi7ig Fern). — L. 

 palniatiDii is an elegant North Ameri- 

 can twining fern, hardy in a deep, peaty, 

 moist soil if in a sheltered and partially 

 shady position. The wiry stems are 

 furnished with delicate green fronds. It 

 may be allowed to trail on the ground, 

 but it prefers to twine around the branches 

 of some shrub. 



LYONIA. — Plants allied to Andro- 

 meda ; indeed the species belonging to it, 

 numbering about three, are sometimes 

 called Andromedas. They are not im- 

 portant, but would add interest to a col- 

 lection of peat-loving shrubs. The chief 

 are L. ligustrina, frondosa, and rubiginosa, 

 which have evergreen foliage and small 

 white blossoms. 



LYSIMACHIA {Loosestrife). — Plants 

 of the Primrose family of much diversity of 

 habit. The most familiar example is the 

 common creeping Jenny (L. Nunimularia), 

 than which there is no hardy flower more 

 suitable for any position where long- 

 drooping, flower-laden shoots are desired, 

 whether on points of the rock-garden, or 

 rootwork, or in rustic vases, or on steep 

 banks, growing in any soil ; in moist soil 

 the shoots attain a length of nearly 3 ft., 

 flowering throughout their extent ; it is 

 easily increased by division, and flowers 

 in early summer and often throughout the 

 season. There is a yellow-leaved variety 

 fL. N. aurea), which retains its colour 



well, can be readily increased, is useful for 

 rock-gardens or borders, and merits its 

 name. The other kinds arc tall and erect. 

 L. vulgaris, thyrsiflora, lanceolata, ciliata, 

 verticillata, punctata, and davurica are 

 all 2 to 3 ft. high, have spikes of yellow 

 flowers, and, delighting in wet places, are 

 suitable for the sides of ponds, lakes, 

 streams, and similar spots. Indeed, they 

 grow ahnost anywhere, but in a border 

 they must have a place to themselves, 

 as by their spreading they soon de- 

 stroy weaker subjects. L. clethroides, 

 a Japanese species, is a graceful plant, 

 2 to 3 ft. high, with long nodding dense 

 spikes of white blossoms, and the leaves 

 in autumn of brilliant hues. L. Epheme- 

 rum is a similar plant, from S. Europe, 

 but is scarcely so fine. There are some 

 beautiful species, such as L. atropurpurea 

 and lupinoides, which are rare. 



LYTHRUM {Purple Loosesfrife).~Th(t 

 common waterside L. Salicaria is the 

 most familiar plant of this genus, and one 

 of the showiest. It is well worthy of 

 culture where it is not plentiful. The 

 beauty of the ordinary wild kind is 

 surpassed by the varieties originated in 

 gardens, of which superbum and roseum 

 are the finest. The colour of these is a 

 much clearer rose than that of the wild 

 kind, and the spikes are larger, particularly 

 those of superbum, which, under good 

 cultivation, are 5 or 6 ft. high. These 

 plants are well worth growing by lakes or 

 in boggy ground, and are easily increased 

 by cuttings, which soon make good flower- 

 ing specimens. Isolated plants in good 

 soil make well-shaped bushes, 3 or 4 ft. 

 high and as much through, and look better 

 than when planted closely in rows. 



L. virgatum, alatum, Grasfferi, flexuo- 

 sum, and diffusum, smaller plants, and not 

 so showy, are not without beauty. 



MACH^RANTHERA. — Biennial 

 and annual Composite plants, native of 

 N. America, now classed with Aster. 

 M. canescens and tanacetifolia are in 

 cultivation, and are scarcely worth grow- 

 ing. 



Macleaya. See Bocconia. 



MACLURA {Osage Orange).— X tree 

 of great use in its own country, and 

 occasionally grown with us in the south 

 and near the sea, but of slight value for 

 its beauty, and as a fence not nearly as 

 good as our nati\e Whitethorn or some 

 of the American kinds of Thorn. 



MACRORHYNCHUS.-A Composite 

 of N. and S. America, allied to the Dan- 

 delion. M. grandiflorus, a Californian 

 plant, is a rather handsome species with 



