AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



261 



Liber tin continued. 



L. paniculata (panicled). /., clusters umbel -like; perianth 

 segments ovate, spreading ; panicle oblong, loose, and irregular, 

 often occupying half the stem. April. I. almost radical, grass- 

 like, flaccid, 9in. to 18in. long, and mostly about Jin. broad. Stem 

 1ft. to 2ft. high, with sometimes a short leaf below the inflo- 

 rescence. Australia, 1823. (B. M. 6263.) 



L. pulchclla (pretty), fl., perianth segments narrower than in 

 L. paniculata, and more nearly equal ; rachis of the cluster often 

 somewhat elongated, and sometimes .a pedunculate cluster from 

 the axil of the same bract ; scape or peduncle from under 6in. to 

 nearly 12in. long. April. I. rarely 6in. long, and two to three 

 lines broad, often not above half that size. h. 1ft. Australia, 1823. 



LIBOCEDHUS (from libanos, incense, and Cedrus, 

 the Cedar; referring to the fragrant wood). Incense 

 Cedar. OBD. Coniferce. A genus comprising eight spe- 

 cies of handsome hardy or half-hardy evergreen trees, 

 with the habit of Thuya (under which the present genus 

 was formerly included). Two are natives of Chili, two of 

 New Zealand, and one each of New Caledonia, Japan, 

 China, and California. Flowers monoecious, or male 

 and female on same plant, but separate and terminal; 

 male catkins almost cylindrical; female ones solitary 

 and globular. Leaves scale-formed, compressed in oppo- 

 site pairs, and in four imbricated rows, the under and 

 upper ones much the smallest. Cones oval, more or 

 less obtuse, woody, composed of from four to six scales, 

 which are flat, or slightly concave on the inner face. 

 For culture, see Thuya. 



L. chilcnsis (Chilian). I. glaucous-green, oblong-trigonous, 

 appressed, obtuse. Branches compressed, spreading, pendulous, 

 but somewhat ascending towards the summit, and quite erect at 

 the top. cones iin. long, drooping, on short footstalks, h. 60ft. 

 to 80ft. Chili. This handsome, densely-branched, conical tree 

 is not hardy except in favourable situations, and only attains a 

 shrub-like aspect. The wood possesses an aromatic fragrance, 

 and is very hard and yellowish. SYN. Thuya chilensis. See 

 Fig. 404. (L. & P. F. G. i. 47.) A variety known as viridis is a 

 handsome form of the type, having bright green foliage, and 

 branchlets entirely devoid of glaucous bands. 



L. deourrens (decurrent).* I. bright rich glossy green, small, 

 linear, scale-like, quadrifariously imbricated, acute at the free 

 apex, with long decurrent base, elongated on the older branches. 

 Branchlets numerous, alternate, and plaited or flattened late- 

 rally, cones erect, solitary, on the ends of the upper branchlets, 

 lin. or more long, iin. wide, olive-brown, h. (in its native 

 habitat) 40ft. to 140ft. Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. 

 A handsome, distinct, erect, compact-growing tree, with a stout 



FIG. 405. FRUITING BRANCHLET OF LIBOCEDRUS DONIANA. 



Libocedrus continued. 



trunk, distinguished by its glandless decurrent leaves and 

 columnar habit. SYX. Thuya gigantea, of gardens. (W. & F. 

 1884, 191.) 



L. Doniana (Don's). 1. very like those of L. chilensis, but more 

 closely set on the branchlets, and without any silvery line on the 

 under surface. Branches spreading, tortuous, with flattened 

 fern-like branchlets. h. 30ft. to 70ft. New Xealand, 1847. A very 

 beautiful species where it can thrive well, but it is exceedingly 

 tender in our climate. SYN. Thuya Doniana. See Fig. 405. 



L. tetragona (four-sided). I. small, ovate, scale-like, obtuse, 

 pale green, imbricated in four rows. Branches spreading, de- 

 pressed ; branchlets tetragonal, cones consisting of six coriaceous 

 scales, in three pairs, h. 40ft. to 80ft. Patagonia, 1849. A hand- 

 some, compact, pyramidal shrub or tree, more hardy than the 

 others generally. It is, however, rarely seen in our gardens. 

 SYN. Thuya tetragona. (G. C. 1850, 439.) 



LIBONIA (named after M. Libon, a traveller in 

 Brazil). OED. Acanthacece. This genus is now included, 

 by Bentham and Hooker, under Jacobinia; but, as the 

 plants are well known by the former name, their cul- 

 ture, &c., are here given. Libonias, when well grown, 

 are very ornamental and free-flowering plants for green- 

 house decoration. They are readily propagated by cut- 

 tings, inserted in any close frame during spring and 

 early summer. L. floribunda is a species largely grown 

 for winter flowering a purpose for which it proves a 

 very useful subject. Old plants, from which it is 

 intended to propagate, should be placed in a little 

 heat, early in spring, to start new growth, and the 

 cuttings should then be inserted in sandy soil, and 

 kept close until rooted. They may be potted off singly 

 afterwards, and grown, throughout the summer, in a 

 frame, where plenty of air may be admitted, to induce 

 a sturdy and short-jointed growth. Turfy loam, with 

 about its bulk of leaf soil, or well-decayed manure, 

 added, is a suitable compost; and 5in. or Gin. pots are 

 generally large enough for the plants to flower in. A 

 light shading may be applied in hot weather; but full 

 sun must be admitted in early autumn, to thoroughly 

 ripen the wood for flowering. Some persons prefer plant- 

 ing out in frames, early in June, in prepared soil, and lift- 

 ing again in autumn. If kept close for a few days, after 

 being potted up, the plants soon become re-established, 

 and the plan answers well. Old plants may be cut 

 back after flowering, and grown, under similar routine 

 treatment, several years in succession. It is advisable 

 to raise a few young ones annually, for replacing any that 

 become leggy. Libonias require an intermediate tem- 

 perature when flowering ; they must also be kept well 

 watered, or the result will be a loss of nearly all the 

 leaves. Red spider frequently attacks them, and, when 

 once allowed a footing, is only with difficulty eradicated. 

 Frequent syringing throughout the summer will generally 

 prove an effectual preventive against much injury being 

 caused. 



L. floribunda (bundle-flowered).* fl. scarlet, yellow tipped, 

 tubular, drooping, very abundant ; calyx five-cleft ; corolla 

 funnel-tubular ; limb erect, bilabiate. I. elliptic-oblong. Brazil, 

 1862. A very ornamental plant. (B. H. 1863, 2.) 



L. Penrhosiensis (Penrhose).* A very elegant plant, obtained by 

 crossing L. floribunda with Jacobinia (Sencographis) Ghien- 

 breghtiana. It has much brighter and deeper-coloured flowers 

 than its parent, and the leaves are more acute. It is an 

 exceedingly useful decorative plant, freely producing its fine 

 showy flowers, which are of a bright rich crimson, passing into 

 fiery red, in the depth of winter. (R. H. 1876, 50.) 



LICHENS. These are thaUoid plants, which live 

 attached to stones, or the bark of trees, or on the ground. 

 Their growth is extremely slow, and their period of exis- 

 tence considerable. They consist of two structural ele- 

 ments : (1) Filaments, or hyphae ; (2) green cells, or gonidia 

 (which may be solitary, in groups, or in chains). These 

 elements may be arranged in layers, or irregularly inter- 

 mixed. In form, Lichens present the following modifica- 

 tions, viz. : (1) Crustaceous, in which the whole under 

 surface is firmly adherent to the body upon which it grows ; 

 (2) Foliaceous are attached by many small processes from 

 the under side, called rhizinesj (3) Fruticose generally 



