AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



289 



Loasa continued. 



scales five, inserted with the petals, furnished with 

 three sterile filaments on the back of each, and girding 

 two subulate appendages inside. Leaves alternate or 

 opposite, entire, lobed, or decompound. Few species 

 are in actual cultivation, and all are easily raised from 

 seed, sown in a light, sandy soil, about May. It is 

 however, generally preferable to sow it in pans, in 

 March, and place in a gentle heat, transplanting out- 

 side about the latter part of April. Except where 

 otherwise stated, the species described below are hardy. 



L. acanthifolia (Acanthus-leaved), fl. yellow ; pedicels axillary, 

 and also from the forks, solitary, one-flowered. Summer. I. cor- 

 date at the base, pinnatifld ; lobes acuminated, toothed, h. 4ft. 

 Chili. Annual. SYN. L. Placet. (B. M. 3218.) 



L. aurantiaca (orange). A synonym of L. lateritia. 



It. canarinoides (Canarina-like). fl. dull brick-coloured ; calyx 

 of five sub-triangular sepals ; petals erect or moderately spread- 

 ing, ovate, shortly acuminate, gibbous at base, reticulately 

 veined ; peduncles solitary, opposite, axillary. Summer. I. 

 opposite, rather long-stalked, cordate, cordate-oblong, or fiddle- 

 shaped, pinnatifid, dentate, deeply veined. Stems herbaceous, 

 10ft. to 12ft. and more long, clothed with stinging hairs. Central 

 America. Annual. A highly dangerous plant to the touch. 

 (B. M. 5022, under name of fllairea canarinoides.) 



It. hispida (bristly), fl. bright lemon - yellow, with the centre 

 prettily variegated with green and white ; blossoms lin. across, 

 produced in profusion. July. I. oblong, stalked, deeply cut, 

 pinnatifld or almost pinnate, pubescent, h. lift. Lima, 1830. 

 A very pretty branching annual. (B. M. 3057.) 



L. incana (hoary), fl. opposite the leaves, solitary, peduncled ; 

 corolla white, ten-parted, larger segments spreading, smaller ones 

 concave ; peduncles spreading, half the length of the leaves. 

 October and November. I. scattered, petipled, spreading, ovate, 

 acute, hispid on both sides, veins and midrib prominent below. 

 Stem round, much-branched, h. 2Jffc. Peru, 1820. Whole plant 

 covered with barbed white hairs, with a few stinging ones inter- 

 spersed. Greenhouse perennial. (B. M. 3048.) 



L. lateritia (brick-red).* fl. brick-red, large ; peduncles twin, one- 

 flowered, terminal, about equal in length to the leaves. May. 

 1. opposite, on long petioles, pinnate ; segments roundish, ere- 

 nated, lobed. Chili. A prostrate half -hardy perennial. SYNS. 

 L. aurantiaca and L. tricolor. 



petals yellow, red at base, spreadingly 

 corona very small, toothed and stalked ; 

 pedicels axillary. June to September. I. cordate at the base, 

 many-lobed ; lobes acute, toothed, lower ones usually pinnatifld. 

 Chili, 1822. A trailing annual. (B. M. 2372.) 



L. Pentlandii (Pentland's).* fl., corolla 2in. across when ex- 

 panded, spreading, but not reflexed ; petals ten, orange, scarcely 

 clawed ; peduncles 4in. long, axillary. May and June. I. opposite, 

 petioled, sub-erect ; lamina 4in. long, lin. broad ; petiole half the 

 length of the lamina, h. 4ft. Peru, 1840. Annual. (B. M. 4095.) 



L. picta (painted), fl. white, yellow ; petals bidentate ; racemes 

 terminal, leafy. June and July. I. rhomboid-obovate, or lanceo- 

 late-acuminated, lobed, serrated, lower ones petiolate, upper ones 

 sessile. A. 1ft. Andes of Peru, 1848. Plant erect, downy. 

 Annual. (B. M. 4428.) 



L. Place! (Place's). A synonym of L. acanthifolia. 



L. prostrate (prostrate).* fl. yellow ; peduncles axillary, one- 

 flowered, about twice the length of the leaves. Summer. I. op- 

 posite, sessile, cordate-ovate, deeply angular. Stem prostrate, 

 flexuous. Chili, 1879. Annual. (B. M. 6442.) 



L. tricolor (three-coloured). A synonym of L. lateritia. 



L. triloba (three-lobed). fl. yellow, small; pedicels axillary; 

 scales petaloid, equally and bluntly three-lobed. Summer. /. 

 cordate at the base, usually three-lobed ; lobes acute, toothed ; 

 middle lobe usually again somewhat three-lobed. Chili, Peru. 

 Annual. 



L. vulcanica (volcanic).* fl. white, about liin. across, axillary, 

 spreading, with five erect nectaries of a red colour, barred with 

 transverse yellow and white stripes. Summer. I. palmately 

 three to five-lobed ; lobes cut. h. 2ft. Ecuador, 1877. Annual. 

 SYN. L. Walliaii. (B. M. 6410.) 



L. Wallisii (Wallis'). A synonym of L. vulcanica. 



LOASEJE. An order of erect or twining, rarely 

 frutescent, herbs, with stinging hairs, natives (except 

 Fissenia, which is African) of tropical and sub-tropical 

 America. Flowers solitary, racemose or cymose, rarely 

 capitate ; peduncles often opposite the leaves ; corolla 

 white, yellow, or dull red. Leaves opposite or alternate, 

 entire, lobed, inciso-pinnatifid, or two or three-pinnatifid. 

 The species are of little economic value. About ten 

 genera and 100 species are comprised in the order. 

 Examples : Gronovia, Loasa. 



VoLIL 



L. nitlda (shining), fl., 

 reflexed ; wings of the 



LOBATE. Having lobes. 



LOBE. The portion of a leaf the margin of which 

 is deeply indented or divided, but so that the incisions 

 do not reach the midrib or petiole. 



LOBELIA (named after Matthias de L'Obel, 1538- 

 1616, a botanist, and physician to James I.). SYN. Ra- 

 puntium. Including Monopsis, Rhynchopetalum, Tit/pa, 

 &G. OED. Campanulacece. A genus comprising about 200 . 

 species of greenhouse or hardy, annual or perennial, 

 herbs and sub-shrubs, rarely shrubs, widely distributed 

 over the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the globe, es- 

 pecially in America, but less abundantly 'found in Northern 

 Europe and Asia. Flowers racemose; corolla irregular, 

 tubular; tube cleft on the upper side, thickened or 

 ventricose at the base; limb five-parted, bilabiate, the 

 two segments of the upper lip linear-lanceolate, the 

 lower lip trifid and pendulous; stamens epipetalous, 

 anthers connate. Leaves alternate, usually sessile. 

 Lobelias rank amongst the most popular and useful of 

 garden plants. The dwarf-growing forms are indis- 

 pensable in bedding arrangements, as their place could 

 not be taken with equally good results by any other 

 subjects in cultivation. Blue (a colour somewhat rare 

 amongst bedding plants) is that which predominates in 

 Lobelias; there are also varieties with pure white, 

 white and blue, pink and white, and wholly pink flowers. 

 Many of the tall-growing herbaceous perennial species are 

 splendid summer and autumn-flowering plants, equally 

 well suited for mixed borders or for grouping in flower 

 beds. Various colours are represented, none being more 

 beautiful and attractive than the species or varieties 

 with rich deep crimson flowers. 



Propagation. This may readily be effected either by 

 seeds, by cuttings, or by divisions of the plants. Named 

 or selected varieties should be propagated by one of 

 the latter methods, as seedlings rarely perpetuate the 

 character of the parent, except in the case of species. 

 For bedding purposes, where the habit of Lobelias is 

 not always of material importance, an easy plan of securing 

 an annual stock of plants is to sow some seeds, about 

 March, in well-drained pans of light soil, covering them 

 very lightly on account of their small size, and placing 

 the pans in a propagating house. The seedlings, when 

 large enough, should be pricked off into other pans or 

 boxes, and kept under glass until nearly bedding time 

 in May. Stock plants of choice varieties for propagating 

 should either be grown in pots, or be lifted from the 

 open ground early in autumn, and preserved in a light 

 greenhouse or frame through the winter, where plenty 

 of air may be admitted on favourable occasions. Early 

 in the year, the plants should be transferred to a propa- 

 gating house, and, so soon as young growths can be 

 obtained, the cuttings must be inserted in very light sandy 

 soil. A large quantity may thus be obtained in a short 

 time from a few stock plants, and the habit of all will be 

 uniform afterwards, when growing in the open air. The 

 tall species of Lobelia may also be raised from seeds. If 

 these are sown when ripe, and placed in a cool frame, 

 stronger plants may be secured for the following year 

 than when sowing is deferred till spring. Cuttings of 

 young shoots root readily in spring, and division of the 

 plants at the same season is also a ready method for 

 increasing the stock, either of species or varieties. 



Cultivation. Dwarf tender forms of Lobelia prefer 

 a rather light soil, wherein plenty of leaf mould has 

 been incorporated. When planted in bedding arrange- 

 ments, they should be kept well watered throughout the 

 summer, in order to insure a continuous flowering habit. 

 From 4in. to 6in. apart is about the proper distance, but 

 seedling plants will usually cover more space than others 

 obtained from cuttings. Half-hardy perennial species 

 should be afforded a deep rich soil, as they well repay 

 for liberal treatment by producing much more vigorous 



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