LATHYEUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



LEUCOCORYNE 



and L. grandiflora, bright scarlet 

 (Sot. Mag. t. 6924). 



LATHYRUS (Lathuros, ancient 

 Greek name of the Pea). Nat. Ord. 

 Leguminosse. This genus contains 

 about a hundred and seventy species 

 of hardy annuals and perennials, and 

 includes the Sweet Pea and the Ever- 

 lasting Pea. Most of the species 

 have fibrous roots, remarkable, like all 

 the Leguminosse, for the numerous 

 warty nodules containing bacteria 

 that are borne on the roots. The 

 most noted tuberous - rooted kind 

 is 



L. tuberosus. A species widely 

 distributed throughout Europe, 

 Western Asia, and Northern Africa, 

 and naturalised even in parts of the 

 British Islands. It has tuberous 

 root-stocks, from which arise four- 

 angled climbing stems 2 to 3 ft long. 

 The leaves are composed of two 

 oblong elliptic more or less pointed 

 leaflets, at the base of which are 

 narrow semi-sagittate stipules. The 

 large sweet-scented bright pink or 

 rose flowers appear from May to 

 July, three to six on a long stalk. 



This species will grow luxuriantly 

 in any good garden soil, and may be 

 increased by division of the root- 

 stocks or by seeds sown in the open 

 air when ripe or in spring. 



LEONTICE (Icon, a lion ; in refer- 

 ence to the supposed resemblance of 

 the leaf to the point of a lion's foot). 

 Nat. Ord. Berberidese. A small 

 genus of tuberous-rooted herbs having 

 leaves twice- or thrice-pinnately cut, 

 and yellow flowers in racemes or 

 panicles. Sepals six to nine, petal- 

 like; petals six, much shorter than 

 the sepals. Stamens six. 



These plants flourish in light sandy 

 soil in warm positions in the rockery 

 or border, but the tuberous root- 



stocks should be protected with 

 litter or bracken, etc., in severe 

 winters. The plants may be increased 

 by seeds sown in cold frames when 

 ripe, or by division of the root-stocks 

 in spring. 



L. Albert!, from Turkestan, grows 

 about 1 ft. high, and has five-parted 

 digitate leaves with bluntly elliptic 

 lobes. The golden-yellow flowers, 

 striped outside with red, appear in 

 April in conical clusters. 



L. altaica (Bongardia Rauwolfi). 

 From the Altai Mountains, has three- 

 parted leaves divided into five elliptic 

 blue-green leaflets, and produces its 

 terminal clusters of yellow flowers 

 in April (Bot. Mag. t. 3245). 



L. darwasica, from Bokhara, is 

 somewhat similar, as is also 



L. Leontopetalum, from the Levant, 

 which has large tuberous roots, 

 known as Lion Turnips, much-divided 

 leaves, and yellow flowers. 



L. triphylla, from N. America, 

 grows from 2 to 3 ft. high, and pro- 

 duces its white flowers in May. The 

 leaves when dried are very fragrant- 

 smelling. 



LEUCOCORYNE (leukos, white ; 

 koryne, a club; referring to the 

 sterile anthers). Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. 

 A small genus of Chilian plants hav- 

 ing tunicated bulbs or corms, narrow 

 leaves, and few-flowered umbels of 

 salver - shaped flowers with a cylin- 

 drical tube. There are three per- 

 fect stamens, and three staminodes. 



These plants can only be regarded 

 as half-hardy except in the more 

 favoured parts of the Kingdom, and 

 are not very well-known. They 

 require the same cultural treatment 

 as the Ixias which see (p. 319). 



The species best known are 

 L. alliacea, white; L. purpurea, 

 lavender and crimson maroon (Gard. 

 Chron. 1894, xlvi. 144). 



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