LAV 



LAV 



autumn or spring seasons at different '.imes, in 

 patches of six or •eight together, in the places. 

 where they are togrow. Whercthc - il - lightand 

 dry, the autumn is the best season, as the plants 

 rmore early, but in other cases the spring 

 should be preferred. The plants afterwards only 

 require to be kept clean from weeds, and be pro- 

 perly supported by branchy sticks. 



The last sort may likewise he increased by 

 transplanting the roots in the autumn; but 

 the plants in this way arc seldom so good as by- 

 seeds. 



The two first sorts must be sown annually, but 

 the last will remain many years. 



It is the practice with the gardeners who raise 

 the first sorts for the London maikcts, to sow 

 them in the autumn in pots, and secure them 

 from severe weather, by placing them in hot-bed 

 frames; by which means they can bring them 

 much more early to market. They may be con- 

 tinued in flower the whole summer by repeated 

 sowings in the spring. When sown in pots 

 they should be watered frequently 



They are all highly ornamental in the borders, 

 clumps, and other parts of pleasure-grounds, 

 when properly intermixed in their species and 

 different varieties. 



LAVANDULA, a genus comprising plants 

 of the shrubby evergreen kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Didynamia 

 Gymnospermia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of J'ertkillatcE. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed pcrianthium, ovate : mouth obscurely 

 toothed, short, permanent, supported by a bracte: 

 the corolla one-pctalled, ringent, resupine: tube 

 cylindric, longer than the calyx : border spread- 

 Uig: one lip looking upwards, larger, bifid, 

 spreading : the other lip looking downwards, 

 trifid: divisions all roundish, nearly equal : the 

 stamina have four short filaments, within the 

 tube of the corolla, deflected, of which two are 

 shorter: anthers small : the pistil I um is a four- 

 parted germ : style filiform, length of the tube : 

 stigma two-lobed ; obtuse, converging : there is 

 no pericarpium: calyx converging with the 

 mouth and guarding the seed: the seeds four, 

 obovate. 



The species cultivated are: 1. L. Spica, Com- 

 mon Lavender; 2. L. Stwchas, French Laven- 

 der; 3. L. dentata, Tooth-leaved Lavender; 

 4. L. multifida, Canary Lavender. 



The first has a perennial, thick, woody root : 

 the stem shrubby, much branched, frequently five 

 or six feet high, four-cornered, acute-angled, 

 tomentose: the leaves numerous, blunt, hoary, 

 the upper ones sessile, the lower petioled : the 

 Bowers are produced in terminating spikes from 



the youngshoots, on long peduncles ; the spikes 

 arj composed of interrupted whorls in whi< h thq 

 flowers are from six to ten, the lower whorls 

 more remote: each flower upright, on a 



pedicel : the bracte.s broad-ovate, awned, acu 

 minate, veined : the c minion colour i I 

 rolla is blue, but it varies with white (lowers: 

 the whole plant is covered with a down con., 

 of forked hairs. It is a native of the South of Eu- 

 rope, flowering here from July to September. 



There are varieties with narrow (eaves < i 

 blue flowers, and with white flowers with broad 

 leaves, and Dwarf Lavender. 



This species is lhe,Common Lavender ; but 

 the narrow-leaved variety with blue Sowers is 

 the sort cultivated for its flowers, for medicinal 

 purposes. 



The broad-leaved sort has much shorter and 

 broader leaves, and the branches are shorter, 

 more compact, and fuller of leaves: it, con- 

 tinues several years without producing flowers ; 

 and when it does, the leaves on the flowering- 

 stalks approach nearer to those of the Common 

 Lavender, but arc Still broader : the stalks grow 

 taller, the spikes are looser and larger, the flowers 

 smaller, and appear a little later in the season. 



The second species has a low, thick, shrubby 

 stalk, about two feet high, sending out woody 

 branches the whole length : the leaves about an 

 inch long, hoary and pointed, of a strong aro- 

 matic scent, opposite at each joint, with smaller 

 leaves of the same shape coming out at the same 

 places : the branches arc terminated with scaly 

 spikes of purple flowers, four-cornered, anil an 

 inch in length ; and at the topis a coma or small 

 tuft of purple-leaves. When it begins to flower, 

 there are only four flowers in a whorl, but these 

 are afterwards increased by the lateral gems, till 

 it becomes gradually round. The whole plant 

 has a very strong, aromatic, agreeable odour. 

 It is a native of the South of Europe, flowering 

 from May to July. 



There are varieties with white flowers; and \\ ith 

 purple flowers. 



The third species has a woody stalk two or 

 three feet high, with four-cornered branches on 

 c\ cry side the whole length : the leaves are oppo- 

 site about an inch long, and an eighth of an inch 

 broad, indented regularly on both sides almost 

 to the midrib, of a grayish colour, a pleasant 

 aromatic odour, and a biting warm taste : the 

 flowers arc produced in scaly spikes at the ends 

 of the branches upon long naked peduncles : the 

 spikes are four-cornered, hairy, and about an 

 inch long, terminated by a tew purplish leave}. 

 It is a native of Spain, flowering from June to 

 September. 



The fourth is an annual (or rather a biennial 

 G 2 



