236 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Larix continued. 



pointed, spreading, recurved, deciduous. Branches distorted 

 and pendulous, cones oblong or egg-shaped, iin. to jin. long. 

 Dahuria, &c. A small tree, dwarfing down by climate to a stunted 

 bush ; it is, in the Arctic regions of Siberia, one of the last 

 vestiges of arborescent vegetation. 



L. decidua (deciduous). A synonym of L. europcea. 



L. europaea (European).* Common Larch. I. linear, soft, blunt, 

 or rounded at the points, spreading, slightly recurved, bnght 

 green. Branches spreading, horizontal, cones longish-oval, 

 erect, brown, Iin. long, ripening late in the autumn, remaining a 

 long time on the trees ; scales persistent, roundish, ft. 80ft. to 

 100ft. Europe (at high altitudes), 1629. A fine, quick-growing 

 tree. This splendid species requires an elevated open situation, 

 in which moisture does not linger, and prefers an alluvial 

 sandy loam. The regularity of outline during every stage of 

 growth, which makes it a beautiful object for decoration, has 

 caused it to be frequently employed in situations unfavourable to 

 its natural development, such as close to dwelling or other houses, 

 where there is not sufficient space for it to expand and perfect its 

 full beauty when it assumes a conical form. The Larch, being 

 deciduous, presents a bare appearance after its leaves have fallen; 

 and is, therefore, generally mixed with other trees of an evergreen 

 character. Its leaves are often spoilt by the early frosts, which 

 do plantations of Larch much injury on southern exposures, 

 though no amount of cold appears to affect the tree during 

 winter. It is frequently grown in conjunction with Scotch Pine, 

 though the Oak, perhaps, is its most natural associate, as the 

 latter derives nourishment from a great depth of soil, and is 

 late in being furnished with leaves. The Larch appears tc flourish 

 best on steep declivities, or slopes of ravines, where the soil is 

 moist, but where the water runs both off the surface and beneath 

 the ground rapidly. In stagnant moisture, it becomes dwarfed in 

 its growth. SYNS. L. decidua, L. pyramidalis, L. vulgaris. Two 

 varieties worth growing are : ylauca, having decidedly glaucous 

 foliage ; and pendula, with slender, drooping branches. 



L. Griffith!! (Griffith's). Sikkim Larch. I. longer than those of 

 the common Larch, slightly glaucous when young, spreading, and 

 of a beautiful light green, becoming red in autumn, cone* large, 

 oblong-cylindrical, without footstalks, blunt-pointed, erect, Z^in. 

 Ions:, Iin. broad, slightly incurved, reddish-purple when young, 

 and abounding in white resin, h. 30ft to 40ft. Bhotan, Sikkim, 

 and Eastern Nepaul. An inelegant, awkwardly-branched tree. 

 Its timber is small, but splits well, and is employed for flooring. 

 (C. H. P. 21.) 



It. Japonloa (Japanese). A synonym of L. leptolepis. 



L. Ledebourii (Ledebour's). Russian or Archangel Larch. I. 

 soft, linear, broad, and rather flat on strong young plants, but on 

 older ones rather four-sided, obtuse, darker green, and with much 

 longer and broader foliage than the common Larch. Branches 

 robust, but not numerous, and pendent, cones very small, erect, 

 slender, and rather loose. A. 80ft. to 100ft. Siberia. A luxuriant 

 tree. 



L. leptolepis (slender-scaled). 



spreading at the points, slightly recurved, of a beautif 

 green, jin. to IJin. long. Branches nearly cylindrical, 

 very spreading, horizontal, and in regular whorls ; br 



I. linear, blunt-pointed, soft, 

 tiful light 

 l, smooth, 



ry spreading, horizontal, and in regular whorls ; branchlets 

 slender, mostly drooping, cones ovate, rounded, blunt at ends, 

 terminal and numerous on the ends of the small branchlets, re- 

 maining on the trees, after the seed is shed, for years ; scales 

 numerous, thin, flat, greyish-brown, h. 40ft. Japan. This tree 

 is found at great elevations, becoming, at 9000ft., a mere shrub, 

 (S. Z. 



2ft. high. SYN. L. iapanica. 

 Abies leptolepis.) 



F. J. 105, under name of 



L. Lyallii (Lyall's). I. on branchlets in bundles of forty or fifty, 

 erectly spreading, curved, narrow-linear, blunt-pointed, rather 

 soft, iin. long, about a quarter of a line broad ; those on young 

 shoots single, and much longer. Branches nearly horizontal ; 

 young shoots and buds clothed with cobwebby wooL cones, 

 young ones solitary, sessile, 2in. long, Iin. broad ; full-sized cones 

 unknown, h. 36ft. to 45ft. Rocky Mountains, Ac., at great 

 altitudes. A remarkable pyramidal tree. 



L. occidental!* (Western).* I. on branchlets in bundles of 

 fourteen to twenty, erectly spreading, stiff, narrow -linear, 

 attenuated at base, somewhat obtuse at apex, pale green, Jin. to 

 Jin. long, three-quarters of a line wide. Branches short ; lower 

 ones horizontal or slightly declining ; upper ones ascending. 

 cones small, solitary, erect, ovate-globose, Jin. to Iin. long, Jin. 

 broad ; scales orbicular, loosely imbricated, h. sometimes 150ft. 

 North-west America (at heights of 6000ft.). A splendid pyramidal 

 tree. SYNS. L. americana brevifolia, Pinus Kuttallii. 

 Ij. pyramidalis (pyramidal). A synonym of L. europcea. 

 L. vulgaris (common). A synonym of L. europaea. 

 LARKSPUR. See Delphinium. 

 LARREA (named after John Anthony de Larrea, a 

 Spanish promoter of science). ORD. Zygophyllece. A very 

 small genus (four species have been described) of green- 

 house evergreen shrubs. Flowers yellow; the peduncles 

 inter-stipular, short, terminal, one-flowered. Leaves pin- 

 nate, two-lobed or two-parted. For culture, &c., see 

 Zygopliylluin. 



Larrea continued. 

 mexicana (Mexican), 

 two-foliolate. A. 4ft. to 1C 



L. mexicana (Mexican), fl. bright yellow. Summer. I. sessile, 

 two-foliolate. A. 4ft. to 10ft. This species is the Creosote-plant of 

 North-west America ; it emits an odour so repulsive that 



animal will touch it. The twigs are covered with a resinous 

 substance, of which, it is reported, the Indians make a glue, with 

 which they fasten the heads of arrows to the shaft It is also 

 used as a remedy for rheumatism. 



L. nitida (shining), fl. yellow. June and July I. impari-pinnate, 

 smooth, clammy, with five or seven pairs of approximate linear 

 leaflets. A. 8ft Buenos Ayres, 1823. 



LASIANDRA. A synonym of Pleroma (which see}. 

 LASIONEMA. A synonym of Macrocnemum 

 (which see). 



LASIOPETAIiTJM (from lasios, woolly, and petalon, 

 a petal ; in reference to the under surface of the petals 

 and leaves being clothed with a rusty indumentum). 

 Including Corethrostylis. ORD. Sterculiaceae. A genus 

 comprising about twenty-five species of greenhouse ever- 

 green shrubs, natives of extra-tropical Australia. Ra- 

 cemes few-flowered, rarely cymose-ramose, opposite the 

 leaves or axillary. Leaves alternate, pseudo-verticillate, 

 or rarely almost opposite, entire, dentate, sinuate, or rarely 

 lobed. The species requires similar treatment to that 

 recommended for Phylica (which see). 



L. Baueri (Bauer's), fl. white, few, in short, pedunculate, reflexed 

 racemes, rarely branching into cymes. Spring. I. on short 

 petioles, linear or oblong-linear, obtuse, mostly Iin. to 2in. long ; 

 the margins revolute, coriaceous, glabrous or minutely toinento.se 

 above, white or rusty-tomentose beneath. Branches hoary. 1868. 



L. bracteatum (bracteate). This is the correct name of the 

 plant described in this work as Corethrostylis bracteata. 



L. dumosum (straggling). A synonym of Rulingia hermannue- 

 folia. 



L. ferrugineum (rusty), fl. dark purple, small. June. I. shortly- 

 stalked, narrow-lanceolate or oblong-linear. Young branches 

 hoary or rusty with a short tomentum. 1791. A tall shrub. 

 (B. M. 1766). 



L. macrophyllum (large-leaved), fl. pale green ; calycine seg- 

 ments glabrous inside ; bracts three, lanceolate-elliptic. May. 

 i. ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, three-nerved. A. 5ft. 1835. 

 (B. M. 3908.) 



LASIOSPERMUM (from lasios, woolly, and spertna, 

 a seed ; in reference to the woolly texture of the achenes). 

 SYNS. Lanipila, Mataxa. ORD. Composites. This genus 

 comprises four species of perennial, or rarely annual, 

 glabrous herbs, natives of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Flower-heads small, heterogamous, rayed or disk-formed; 

 ray-florets white or violet; disk-florets yellow. Leaves 

 alternate, pinnatisect. L. pedunculare, the only species 

 yet introduced, is a greenhouse or half-hardy plant, 

 thriving in any ordinary garden soil. Propagated by 

 divisions, in spring ; or by cuttings, placed under a 

 handlight, in summer. 



L. pedunculare (peduncled). fl.-heads discoid, marginal flowers 

 minute, tubular. I. membranous. A. 6in. 

 LASTHENIA (so called in honour of a Greek girl 

 of that name, who attended the lectures of Plato in 

 man's attire). SYN. Rancagua. Including Hologymne. 

 ORD. Composite. This genus comprises about three 

 species of half-hardy, annual, glabrous herbs, two of which 

 are natives of California, and the third of Chili. Flower- 

 heads yellow, on long peduncles, often nodding ; involucre 

 oblong or campanulate. Leaves opposite, linear, entire. 

 Only two species are in cultivation, and both are very 

 showy, hardy plants. They grow in any moderately good 

 garden soil, but thrive best in warm, sheltered spots. 

 Seeds should be sown either in September or October, 

 and protected during winter ; or in the latter part of 

 April for a summer display. 



L. californica (Californian). A synonym of L. glabrata. 

 L. glaberrima (smoothest), fl.-heads yellow ; involucre about 

 fifteen-toothed ; pappus of five to ten firm, chaffy scales. May. 

 1. linear, entire, rather succulent. A. 1ft. California, 1834. 

 L.' glabrata (smooth).* fl.-heads bright yellow, about Iin. across ; 

 involucre fifteen-toothed ; pappus wasting ; achenes mucronate at 

 apex. May to July. 1. sometimes one-toothed or lobed on each 

 side. Stems branched from the base, glabrous or slightly 

 pubescent A. 9in. to 18in. California, 1834. SYNS. L. californica, 

 Uoloyymne ylabrata. (B. M. 3730; B. R. 1780, 1823.) 



