260 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Iiiatris continued. 

 L. g. pilosa (pilose). A variety having unusually narrow invo- 



lucral scales. (B. R. 595.) 

 L. odoratissima. See Trilisa odoratisslma. 



FIG. 402. LIATRIS SPICATA, showing Habit and detached 

 Flower-head. 



L. pycnostachya (dense-spiked), fl.-heads pale purple, in a dense 

 cylindrical spike, 1ft. to lift. long. Summer and autumn. I. rigid, 

 sessile; lower ones narrow, lanceolate, blunt, five to 

 seven-neryed ; upper ones short, crowded, narrow- 

 ligulate, acuminated. Stems thick, leafy, h. 3ft. to 

 5ft. 1732. A very desirable plant, and one of the 

 most useful for growing on dry soils where few other 

 things will live. It is best treated as a biennial, by 

 sowing the seeds in spring. 



L. scariosa (scaripus). fl.-heads purple, almost 

 2in. in diameter, disposed in an elongated corymb. 

 September. 1. very long and narrow, h. 2ft. 1739. 

 (B. M. 1709 ; B. B. 1654.) 



L. spicata (spiked), fl.-heads purple, sessile, in 

 spikes from 6m. to 15m. long; involucral scales 

 oblong or oval, appressed. September. I. lanceolate, 

 ciliated at base, acute, h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1732. See 

 Fig. 402. (B. M. 1411.) 



L. squarrosa (squarrose). fl.-heads bright purple, 

 rough, shortly stalked, on leafy and downy stems ; in- 

 volucral scales, with elongated and leaflike tips. 

 Summer and autumn. 1. , radical ones long, about im. 

 wide, three to five-nerved ; stem ones ligulate, rigid. 

 h. 2ft. to 3ft 1732. 



LIBER. "The innermost and youngest 

 circle next the young wood is the Liber, or inner 

 bark, formed of long, tough, woody tissue, called 

 bast-cells " (Bentham). 



LIBERTIA (named after M-irie A. Libert, a Belgian 

 lady, who wrote on botanical subjects). STNS. Nemato- 

 stigma, Renealmia (of Robert Brown). ORD. Iridece. A 

 genus of eight species of ornamental, hardy or nearly hardy, 

 perennial herbs, inhabiting Chili, Australia, and New 

 Zealand. Perianth white or blue; inflorescence loosely 

 corymbose - paniculate ; spathes few - flowered. Leaves, 

 radical ones distichous, narrow - linear, firm, densely 

 crowded ; stem ones terete. The majority of the species 

 will prove tolerably hardy if provided with a slight pro- 

 tection in winter. All thrive on warm borders of light 

 soil. Propagated by seeds, sown as described for Iris 

 (which see) ; or by careful divisions, in spring. 

 L. formosa (handsome). /. white, capitate; perianth six- 

 parted, rotate, glabrous ; tube none ; pedicels light green ; 

 outer spathe bivalvular, repeated on the inner flowers, which 

 expand in succession. May. I., root ones 6in. to 12in. long, Jin. 

 to iin. broad, linear-sword-shaped, acute ; stem ones few, sheath- 

 ing, uppermost about 1 iin. long. Stem 16in. high, simple. Chili, 

 1831. See Fig. 403. (B. M. 3294.) 



Libertia continued. 



FIG. 403. LIBERTIA FORMOSA, showing Habit and Portion of 

 detached Inflorescence. 



L. grandiflora (large-flowered), fl. pure white, disposed in spike- 

 like panicles about 3ft. high. Summer. I. narrow, stout, about 

 2ft. long, and nearly iin. broad. New Zealand, 1870. 



L. ixioides (Ixia-like). fl. white, with pale yellow stamens, 

 numerously disposed in closely - packed panicles. Summer. I 

 linear, rigid, from lift, to 2ft. long, tufted, h. 2ft. to 4ft. New 

 ' J5. Hardy. 



FIG. 404. FRUITING BRANCH AND WINGED SEED OP 

 LlBOCEDRUS CHILENSIS. 



