AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



259 



Levisticum continued. 



obovate-cuneate leaflets. It is of no horticultural value, 

 and is rarely seen out of botanic gardens. A form 

 having variegated leaves is offered by Continental seeds- 

 men. 



LEWISIA (named after Captain M. Lewis, 1774- 

 1809, who accompanied Captain Clarke to the Rocky 

 Mountains of North America). OBD. Portulacece. A 

 monotypic genus, the species being a very curious and 

 handsome hardy herbaceous perennial, well adapted for 

 growing on rockwork, in crevices where the roots can 

 obtain plenty of moisture without stagnancy. It 

 flourishes best in a sunny spot ; indeed, this is the 

 only situation in which it will produce flowers. During 

 hot summers, Lewisias should have a daily watering. 

 Propagated by seeds ; or by divisions of the roots, in 

 spring. 



L. rediviva (revived), fl. pink, with a nearly white centre, from 

 Sin. to 4in. across ; calyx finely veined with red ; scapes one- 

 flowered. Summer. 1. in rosettes, linear, bluntish, succulent, 

 withering on the appearance of the flowers. Roots edible, taper- 

 ing, fleshy, h. 3in. to 4in. North- Western America, 1826. See 

 Fig. 400. (B. M. 5395.) 



LEYCESTERIA (named after William Leycester, 

 once Chief Judge of the principal native court under 

 the Bengal Presidency). OED. Caprifoliacece. A mono- 

 typic genus, the species being a very handsome hardy, or 

 nearly hardy, deciduous shrub, with a rambling habit 

 and elongated fistular branches, which rise from scaly 

 buds. It is a distinct and interesting plant, well 

 deserving of a much more extended cultivation than it 

 now enjoys. L. formosa thrives in any moderately good 

 garden soil, and is propagated by cuttings of the short 

 young shoots, made in spring ; by older ones, made in 

 autumn, and placed under a handlight ; or by seeds, sown 

 in spring. 



FIG. 401. FLOWERING BRANCH OF LEYCESTERIA FORMOSA, 



L. formosa (handsome).*/, white, with a tinge of purple, middle- 

 sized, sessile, in fascicles, disposed in approximate whorls of fives 

 and sixes, the whole forming short leafy drooping racemes, which 

 terminate the branches and hranchlets ; corolla funnel-shaped, 

 having the tube gibbous above the base, and the limb campanu- 

 late and divided into five ovate nearly equal lobes ; bracts large, 

 leafy, purplish, pubescent, geneially six under each whorl of 

 flowers. Summer. I. opposite, ovate-lanceolate, acuminated, 

 petiolate, smooth, entire, h. 4ft. to 6ft. Temperate Himalayas, 

 1824. Pheasants are said to be fond of the fruit of this species, 

 which is recommended as a good covert plant. See Fig. 401. 

 (B. M. 3699.) 



LEYSSERA (named after T. W. Leysser, 1731- 

 1815, a German botanist). Including Longchampia. 

 STKS. Asteropterus, Callicornia. OED. Composite. A 

 genus comprising four species of greenhouse evergreen 

 herbs or sub-shrubs, three of which inhabit South 

 Africa, and the other extends from Southern Spain, j 



Leyssera continued. 



through North Africa, as far as Western Asia. Flower- 

 heads yellow, on long peduncles; involucre turbinate or 

 campanulate. Leaves narrow, linear, or subulate, entire. 

 Leysseras thrive in a compost of rough peat and loam. 

 Propagated by half-ripened cuttings, inserted in sandy 

 soil, during summer; or by seed. 



L. capillifolia (hair-leaved), ft. -heads yellow ; peduncles naked, 

 axillary, one-headed. June. I. woolly, subulate, filiform. Stem 

 filiform, branched. h. 6in. Barbary, 1822. 



I*, gnaphalioides (Gnaphalium-like). fl. -heads orange ; scales of 

 involucre lanceolate. July to September. I. linear, subulate, 

 ciliate, rough. A. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1774. 



It. squarrosa (squarrose). A synonym of Helipterum gna- 

 phalioidet. 



LHOTZKYA (named after Dr. John Lhotzky, a 

 Viennese botanist, who travelled in Australia). OED. 

 Myrtacece. A genus comprising eight species of green- 

 house evergreen Heath-like shrubs, limited to Australia. 

 Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate, solitary in each 

 axil along the branches, or forming terminal leafy 

 heads. Leaves scattered or rarely opposite, semi-terete, 

 or three or four-angled, rigid, entire, glabrous or pubes- 

 cent. G. acutifolia and G. violacea, the species best known 

 to cultivation, thrive in a compost of loam, with the 

 addition of a little peat and sand. Propagation is 

 effected by cuttings, made from the young shoots when 

 the base is a little firm, and inserted in sand, under a 

 glass. 



L. acutifolia (acute-leaved), fl. white or yellowish, nearly 

 sessile along the branches. June. I. scattered, crowded, linear, 

 mucronate, mostly about iin. long, prominently keeled beneath. 

 h. IJft. 1843. Plant erect, pubescent. 



Zi. violacea (purple), fl. purplish, in the upper axils, forming 

 dense terminal heads. June. I. alternate or scattered, oblong, 

 very obtuse, about Iin. long, concave above, convex beneath. 

 h. lift 1843. Plant hairy, erect, bushy. 



LIABUM (probably a meaningless name, as is fre- 

 quent with those given by Adanson). Including Parane- 

 phelius and Sinclairia. SYNS. Andromachia and Starkea. 

 OBD. Composites. A genus comprising about forty 

 species of herbs or shrubs, natives of tropical and sub- 

 tropical America, and the Andes. Flower-heads yellow, 

 radiating ; involucre campanulate or hemispherical ; achenes 

 villous or rarely glabrous. Leaves opposite, entire, den- 

 tate or lobed. L. uniflorum, probably the only species 

 yet in cultivation, is a half-hardy alpine. It requires a 

 compost of sandy loam and leaf mould, to which a 

 little peat may be added. Propagated by divisions, in 

 spring. 

 L. uniflornm (one-flowered). fl.-heads brilliant golden -yellow, 



from 2in. to 3iin. across. I. obovate, rugose, sub-pinnatifidly 



lobed. Peruvian Andes, 1870. (B. M. 5826, under name of P&rane- 



phelius uniflorus.) 



LIATBIS (derivation unexplained). Blazing Star ; 

 Button Snake-Boot. OBD. Composites. A genus com- 

 prising about sixteen species of hardy perennial herbs, 

 natives of North America. Flower-heads purplish or 

 white, handsome, spicate, racemose, or panicled; scales 

 of the involucre imbricated, appressed ; receptacles naked ; 

 achenes slender. Leaves alternate or scattered, narrow, 

 entire, one to five-nerved. The species form exceedingly 

 pretty border plants, thriving in any moderately good 

 light soil. Propagated by divisions, in spring; or by 

 seeds, sown usually early in autumn. 



L. elegans (elegant), fl.-heads purplish, disposed in spikes 1ft 

 or more in length. Summer and autumn. I. spotted, glabrous ; 

 radical ones spathulate, three to five-nerved ; upper ones ligulate, 

 short, sometimes spiny tipped, h. 2ft to 4ft. 1787. (B. R. 

 267.) 



L. graminifolia (grass-leaved), fl.-heads purple, in the axils of 

 the upper leaves or bracts, loosely spicate ; involucre about six- 

 flowered. September. /. remotely dotted, acuminated, ciliate 

 at base. Stem simple. Root tuberous, h. 2ft 1838. 



L. g. dubia (doubtful). A variety with an upright and virgate 

 spike, with many approximate, rather large heads, or occasion- 

 ally raceiniform; bracts of the involucre narrower and thinner 



aike, with many approximate, rat 

 einiform; bracts of the invc 

 the type. (B. M. 3829, under name of L. 



