AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



215 



LAC 



often spotted, and erect flower-scapes bearing 

 pendulous flowers, the yellow color predomi- 

 nating. They should be potted in October, in 

 light fibrous soil, and only moderately watered 

 until after flowering, then more freely until 

 they show signs of ripening off. They should 

 be kept in the pots dry during summer, and 

 are propagated by offsets. Introduced in 1774. 



Lachnee'a. From lachne, down ; referring to 

 the downy clothing of the flower heads. Nat. 

 Ord. ThymelacecB. 



An interesting genus of green-house ever- 

 green shrubs from the Cape of Good Hope, all 

 but one with white flowers. The heads of the 

 flowers are usually covered with fine wool, 

 giving them a singular appearance. They are 

 increased by cuttings, and should be kept in 

 the shade during summer. 



I>achna'nthes. The Red Root. From lachne, 

 wool, and anthos, a flower ; in allusion to the 

 flowers, which are woolly. Nat. Ord. Hcema- 

 doracecB. 



L. tinctoria, or Red Root, is common in 

 sandy swamps, from New Jersey southward. 

 The roots were formerly used for a red dye, 

 whence the popular name. " L. tinctoria, com- 

 monly known as Paint Root, abounds in the 

 Southern States, and is said to have an im- 

 portant bearing on the agriculture of those 

 States, from the singular fact claimed for it 

 that when its roots are eaten by white pigs, 

 it fatally poisons them, while black pigs eat 

 the roots with impunity ; and hence the pre- 

 ponderance of black pigs in the Southern 

 States. This extraordinary statement is made 

 by Charles Darwin, who gives Dr. Jeffries 

 Wyman as his authority. The same testimony 

 has recently been given by Dr. P. Statesbury, 

 of Clinch County, Georgia." — American Agri- 

 culturist, March, 1876. 



Laciniate. Cut or divided into segments; 

 fringed. 



Lactu'ca. Lettuce. From Zac, milk ; referring 

 to the milky juice. Nat. Ord. ComposUoB. 



The native country of the Lettuce is un- 

 known ; and from what species the garden 

 varieties originated is merely conjectural. 

 According to Herodotus, it was in use 550 

 years before Christ ; yet Pliny says the an- 

 cient Romans knew but one sort. In his 

 time it was cultivated so as to be had at all 

 seasons of the year, and even blanched to 

 make it more tender. In the privy-purse ex- 

 penses of Henry VIII., in 1530, is mention of 

 a reward to the gardener of York Place for 

 bringing ' ' Lettuze " and Cherries to Hampton 

 Court. Gerarde, in his Herbal, 1597, gives 

 an account of eight sorts cultivated in his 

 day. Parkinson, in 1629, says : "There are 

 so many sorts, and so great diversitie of 

 Lettice, that I doubt I shall scarce be be- 

 leeved of a great many. For I doe in this 

 Chapter reckon up unto you eleaven or 

 twelve differing sorts; some of little use, 

 others of more, being more common and 

 vulgar; and some that are of excellant use 

 and service, which are more rare, and re- 

 quire more knowledge and care for the order- 

 ing of them, asalsofor their time of spending, 

 as some in the spring, some in summer, 

 others in autume, and some being whited for 

 the winter. For all these sorts I shall 

 not neede many descriptions, but only shew 

 you which doe cabbage, and which are loose ; 



which of them are great or small, white, 

 greene, or red, and which of them bear white 

 seeds, and which of them blacke." We can- 

 not quote the whole chapter, but cannot omit 

 one of the " Vertues of the Lettice," viz.: 

 " They all cool a hot and fainting stomacke." 

 Loudon says : '^ L. sativa is well known as 

 furnishing, among its numerous varieties, 

 the best vegetable of the salad kind grown in 

 the open garden. It is questioned by some 

 whether the greater number of what are set 

 down as species in this genus, are anything 

 more than variations of one type ; and, at all 

 events, it is thought L. virosa is the parent of 

 our cultivated soi'ts." All writers agree that 

 the Cos Lettuce comes from one of the Greek 

 islands bearing that name. It is by far the 

 most delicately flavored of the whole class, 

 though not well suited for our hot summers. 

 The best kinds at present writing for our cli- 

 mate are : For early use, the " Curled Simp- 

 son" and "Black-seeded Simpson;" and for 

 summer use, the ''Deacon," ''Salamander," 

 " Yellow-seeded Butter," and "Henderson's 

 New York." Hundreds of acres of glass are 

 devoted to the forcing of Lettuce in the United 

 States. The variety used mostly for that pur- 

 pose is known as " Boston Market." 



Lacunose. Having numerous large deep exca- 

 vations. 



Lad's Love. Artemisia Abrotanum. 



Lady Fern. Asplenium Felix-foemina. 



Lady's Bed-straw. Galium verum. 



Lady's Bower. Clematis Vitalba. 



Lady's Comb. Scandix Pecten- Veneris. 



Lady's Cushion. Armeria maritima. 



Lady's Ear-drops. The flowers of the common 

 Fuchsia. 



Lady's Fingers. See Anthyllis. 



Lady's Glove. Digitalis purpurea. 



Lady's Hair. Briza media. 



Lady's Laces, or Lady's Garters. Phalaris 

 arundinacea variegata. 



Lady's Looking-glass. Campanula speculum. 



Lady's Mantle. Alchemilla vulgaris. 



Lady's Slipper. See Cypripedium and Garden 

 Balsam. 



Lady's Smock. Cardamine pratensis. 



Lady's Thimble. Campanula rotundifolia. 



Lady's Thistle, Our. Carduvs Marianus. 



Lady's Traces, or Tresses. See Spiranthes. 



Lady "Washington Geranium. A variety 

 name for one of the large-flowered Pelargo- 

 niums, and for a long time in this country 

 a common name for the whole of that 

 class. It is to some extent still in use, 

 though the variety bearing the name has long 

 since been discarded ; consequently it is im- 

 proper to thus continue to use a specific 

 name for a generic. 



Lae'lia. Named after a Vestal virgin of that 

 name, because of the variety of its flowers. 

 Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 



" This is a lovely genus of plants.most of 

 the species being compact in their growth, 

 with evergreen foliage, resembling in many 

 respects, the genus Cattleya,to which some of 

 them are equal in the beauty of their flowers. 

 They produce their flowers, which are large, 



