190 



LTCOPERSICUil. 



Califomian iinnuals. L. mutdbilis, | 

 and L. CrucksMnhsii are splendid 

 plants, growing to the height of four 

 or five feet, and branching like 

 miniature trees; L. polyphi/Uus and 

 its varieties are perennials, and they 

 are splendid and vigorous-growing 

 plants, with spikes of flowers from one 

 foot to eighteen inches in length ; 

 L. noohattnsis is a handsome dwarf 

 perennial, and L. arloreus when 

 trained against a wall will attain six 

 feet in height, and in sheltered situa- 

 tions it will grow v,'ith equal vigour 

 trained as a bush tied to a stake ; 

 L. latifblius is a perennial from 

 California, with very long spikes of 

 blue flov/ers. All the species will 

 thrive in common garden soil : the 

 annuals are propagated by seeds sown 

 in February or ]\Iarch, and the 

 perennials, by division of the root. 



Ltca'ste. — Orchiddccce. — A ge- 

 nus of orchideous plants, which varies 

 considerably in the different species, 

 some of the kinds being extremely 

 ornamental, and others very much 

 the reverse. L. SJcinneri is the 

 most ornamental species. The plants 

 comprised in the genus were for- 

 merly included in the genus ]\Iaxil- 

 laria, and they belong to that class of 

 stove orchideae, which grow best in a 

 pot or basket, or leaf-mould, mixed 

 with lime rubbish, or potsherds. 

 The species are generally natives of 

 Guatemala. 



Lt'chnis. — Silendcece, or Caryo- 

 pkpllecc. — Beautiful flowers, nearly 

 allied to the Pinks ; some of which 

 such as the Ragged Eobin (Li/cknis 

 Flosciiculi), grow wild in the hedges 

 in England. They are nearly all 

 hardy, and may be grown in any 

 common garden soil. 



Lt'cium. — Solcmacece. — Box- 

 thorn. — The species are mostly hardy 

 shrubs with long slender shoots, 

 which trail on the ground or ascend 

 among the branches of larger slrrubs 



or trees, according as they may be 

 circumstanced. Lyciurn bdrharum, 

 the Duke of Argyle's Tea Tree, is 

 one of the most vigorous-growing 

 hardy shrubs, producing, ay hen esta- 

 blished a year in good soil, shoots ten 

 or twelve feet long ; L. cui'opce'urii 

 is almost equally vigorous ; and L. 

 Treividnum, in a warm sheltered 

 situation, vv'ill grow to the height of 

 twenty feet. Scarcely any shrub 

 will cover a bower, or naked wall, 

 or trellis fence in so short a time, 

 and the fruit, which is of a coral 

 colour, is ornamented as well as the 

 flowers. The species mentioned have 

 only one disadvantage, which is, that 

 their roots run to a gi'eat distance, 

 and throw up numerous suckers ; and 

 this peculiarity renders the plant 

 unfit for small gardens, though well 

 adapted for confined court-yards or 

 narrow passages, the side walls of 

 which are to be covered with verdure. 

 A single plant on a la-^ii trained with 

 a stem to the height of ten or twelve 

 feet, and then allowed to spread on 

 every side over frame-w^jfc in the 

 form of an umbrella, -vvall not only 

 cover this frame-work, but produce 

 shoots which will hang down to the 

 ground on every side, and thus form 

 a complete curtain, which may be 

 draA^Ti aside like that of a window or 

 bed, and will close again of itself on 

 the spectator. These species are 

 easily propagated by cuttings of the 

 roots or shoots in any common soil 

 rather dry than moist. L. dfrum is 

 a very beautiful species, with large 

 violet-coloured flowers, but it requires 

 the protection of a wall ; and L. 

 Boerhaavicefblium., recently changed 

 to GrabowsTcia, is remarkable for the 

 singularity of its leaves, which are 

 covered with a mealy whiteness ; it 

 also reqiiires the protection of a wall. 

 Ltcope'esicuiM. — Solandcece. — 

 The Tomato, or Love-apple (L. escu- 

 lentum Don; Soldnum Lycopersi- 



