AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



301 



LI} CUM A (the Peruvian name of one of the species). 

 STNS. Guapeba, Sersalisia (in part), Vitellaria. OBD. 

 Sapotaceee. A genus of about sixty species of lactescent 

 stove tre-38 and shrubs, mostly natives of South America, 

 extending from Chili and Peru to Mexico and the West 

 Indies, a few Australian or New Caledonian. Flowers 

 produced in clusters upon the sides of the branches. 

 Fruit large, fleshy, edible, somewhat egg-shaped, Sin. to 

 Sin. long, covered with a rusty skin. Leaves scattered, 

 leathery, entire. Probably L. mammosa is the only 

 species in cultivation. For culture, see Chrysoph.yllum. 



L. mammosa (nippled). Marmalade Plum. ft. small, whitish, 

 solitary, fr. large, oval or top-shaped, covered with a brownish 

 rough skin, under which is a soft pulp, of a russet-colour, and 

 very luscious. 1. obovate-lanceolate and oblong, 1ft. to 2ft. lon^, 

 cuspidate, glabrous, h. 5Cft. to 100ft. South America, 1739. 



LUDDEMANNIA LEHMANNI. See Cycno- 

 clies Lehmanni. 



LUDIA (from Indus, a game, sport ; in allusion to the 

 sportive and variable shapes of the leaves). OBD. Bixinece. 

 A monotypic genus, the species being an evergreen stove 

 shrub, native of the Mauritius, &c. It thrives in a compost 

 of loam, peat, and sand. Propagated by cuttings, made of 

 half -ripened shoots, and inserted in sand, under a bell glass, 

 in bottom heat. 



L. sessiliflora (sessile-flowered), fl., axillary, sessile, or shortly 

 pedicellate, calyx whitish ; anthers yellow ; sepals deflexed. July 

 and August. I. variable, oblong or lanceolate, rigidly coriaceous, 

 shining, acutish. h. 8ft. to 12ft. 1820. L. heterophylla is a form 

 with abnormal leaves, some entire and obovate, others spinose- 

 dentate. 



LUDISIA. A synonym of Hsemaria (which see). 



LUDOVIA. A synonym of Carludovica (which see). 



LUFFA (Louff is the Arabic name of L. cegyptiaca). 

 OBD. Cucurbitacece. A genus comprising about half-a- 

 score species of glabrous, scabrous, or pubescent, stove, 

 annual herbs, natives of the warm regions of the globe, one 

 being indigenous to America. Flowers white, rather 

 large, monoecious ; racemes of the male flowers long- 

 peduncle d ; female flowers solitary. Fruit oblong or 

 cylindrical, smooth or prickly, fibrous within and con- 

 taining many seeds. Leaves five to seven-lobed ; petioles 

 eglandulose at apex ; tendrils twice or many-fid. Some 

 of the gourds of this genns possess a very disagree- 

 able odour. For culture, &c., see Gourds. 

 L. acutangnla (acute-angled), fl. bright yellow. September. 



I. cordate, five to seven-angled, the angles acute, toothed. Stem 



sulcate. Tropical Africa, &c. (B. M. 1638, under name of 



L. fcetida.) 

 L. fcetida (stinking). A synonym of L. acutangula. 



LUHEA (named after C. Van de Luhe, a German 

 botanist, who wrote on the plants of the Cape of Good 

 Hope at the end of the eighteenth century). STN. 

 Alegria. OBD. Tiliaceoe. A small genus (about sixteen 

 species) of handsome stove trees, allied to Sparmannia, 

 confined to the tropical parts of the New World. Flowers 

 white or pink, showy, in axillary cymes or in terminal 

 panicles. Leaves often dentate, stellate-tomentose under- 

 neath, on short footstalks. The species thrive in a com- 

 post of fibry peat and sandy loam. Propagated by cut- 

 tings of half-ripened shoots, inserted in sand, under a 

 bell glass, in bottom heat. Probably the species here 

 described is the only one yet introduced. 

 L. paniculata (panicled). fl. rosy-white ; cymes at the tips of 



the branches disposed in a large leafy panicle. March and April. 



L broad-ovate, bluntish or acutish, cordate at the base, unequally 



serrate, h. 10ft. to 20ft. Brazil, 1828. 



LUISIA (said to be called after a Spanish botanist, 

 Don Luis de Torres). STNS. Birchea and Mesoclastes. 

 OBD. Orchideoe. A genus comprising about ten species of 

 stove epiphytal orchids, natives of the East Indies and 

 Eastern Asia, extending from the Malayan Archipelago 

 to Japan. The species have lateral spikes of dingy 

 green, purplish, or yellowish, sub-sessile flowers. Leaves 

 terete, rigid, rush-like. Stems erect. Two or three species 



Luisia continued. 



are in cultivation ; they thrive on a block of wood, with 

 sphagnum, and require a moist atmosphere in the summer, 

 when in a growing state. Propagated by divisions. 

 L. alpina (alpine). A synonym of Vanda alpina. 

 L. macrotis (long-eared), fl. yellowish-green, with a wholly 

 violaceous lip. Assam, 1869. 



L. macrotis (long-eared). /. yellowish-green, with a wholly vio- 

 laceous lip. Assam, 1869. 



L. microptera (small-winged). /. straw-colour, small, racemose ; 

 lip half purplish, half yellow. Assam, 1870. 



L. platyglossa (broad-lipped).* fl. dull dirty-purple, or with 

 white sepals and petals ; racemes few-flowered ; petals equalling, 

 or longer than, dorsal sepals ; lateral sepals keeled ; lip convex, 

 oblong, rotundate at base. Khasia. A stout species, sometimes 

 with an enormous development of downy roots. (B. M. 3648, 

 under name of Cymbidium triste.) 



L. Psyche (Psyche), fl. curiously marked, axillary, solitary ; petals 

 yellowish-green ; lip reticulated with violet-purple. I. quill-like, 

 about 6in. long. Stems erect, terete. Burmah, 1865. (B. M. 5558.) 



LUNARIA (from lima, the moon; referring to the 

 shape of the seed-vessels). Honesty. OBD. Cruciferae. 

 A genus comprising two species cf very ornamental, 

 hardy, annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, natives of 

 Europe and Western Asia. Flowers lilac, large, ebrac- 

 teate ; racemes terminal. Siliquas stipitate, broadly 

 elliptic or oblong, compressed. Leaves petiolate, entire, 

 cordate. Both species are well worth a place in any 

 garden, and thrive best in a somewhat sandy soil. In- 

 creased by seeds, or by divisions. 



FIG. 477. FLOWERING STEM OF LUNABIA ANNUA. 



L. annua (annual).* fl. violet-lilac, scentless. May to July. Pods 

 elliptical, blunt at both ends. 1. cordate. A. IJft. to 3ft. Sweden, 

 &c., 1595. A well-known and handsome annual or biennial. 

 SVN. L. ttennis. See Fig. 477. There are two or three varieties. 

 L. biennis (biennial). A synonym of L. annua. 

 L. rediviva (revived), fl. purplish, fragrant. May and June. 

 Pcds lanceolate, narrowed at both ends. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1596. A 

 perennial, not so pretty as L. annua, with smaller, scented 

 flowers. 



LUXATE, LUNULATE. Half-moon-shaped. 

 LUNGWORT. See Fulmonaria. 

 LUPINE. See Lupinus. 



