LAP 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



LAS 



13 



being saffron-coloured, then scarlet, and finally of the same 

 colour as the tube. This may be distinguished from all the 

 other species by the very deep colour of the flower, and the 

 property of losing its spines. It is the handsomest plant of 

 the genus, and deserves to be esteemed for its pleasant 

 though powerful smell, and the brightness of its colours, as 

 well as for its flowering through the whole summer. 



16. Lantana Inermis. Stem unarmed; leaves lanceolate, 

 toothed, alternate ; flowers in corymbs. Peduncles axillary, 

 very slender; flowers pale purple; berries purple, one-seeded. 

 Native of La Vera Cruz and Jamaica. 



17. Lantana Urticsefolia. Stem prickly; leaves oblong- 

 cordate, serrate, opposite ; flowers in corymbs, yellow. 

 Native of the West Indies. 



18. Lantana Bullata. Leaves oblong-ovate, acuminate, 

 serrate, wrinkled, alternate; flowers in heads, white. Native 

 of the West Indies. 



19. Lantana Alba. Stem unarmed; leaves ovate, serrate ; 

 flowers in axillary sessile heads, white : they come out in 

 pairs, and sit close to the branches. This species was sent 

 from Campeachy by Dr. Houston. 



Lapeyrousia ; a genus of the class Triandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: spathe inferior, 

 shorter than the corolla, of two, rarely but one, folded valves. 

 Corolla: of one petal, superior, salver-shaped, nearly or quite 

 equal; tube long, slender, triangular, its throat a little enlarg- 

 ed ; limb in six deep segments, shorter than the tube, either 

 quite equal and regular, or slightly irregular, in the former 

 case horizontal, in the latter inclining. Stamina: filamenta 

 three, inserted into the mouth of the tube, rather shorter than 

 the limb, various in direction ; antherse oblong, incumbent. 

 Pistil: germen inferior, roundish; style capillary, as long as 

 the stamina; stigmas three, linear, deeply divided, spreading- 

 and recurved, downy. Pericarp: capsule membranaceous, 

 three-lobed, or with three compressed dilated angles, of three 

 cells and three valves, with very short partitions. Seeds: 

 numerous, in two rows, nearly globose, or slightly angufar 

 from pressure. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Spatha: of one 

 or two folded valves. Corolla: salver-shaped; limb in six 

 deep segments, shorter than the tube. Stigmas: three, 

 deeply divided. Capsule: membranaceous, triangular, with 

 many globular seeds. The species are, 



1. Lapeyrousia Corymbosa. Flowers regular, corymbose; 

 tube scarcely longer than the limb; stamina widely spread- 

 ing ; stem two-edged, somewhat branched. Flowers nume- 

 rous, blue. Native of the Cape. 



2. Lapeyrousia Falcata. Flowers slightly irregular, ra- 

 cemose ; tube twice as long as the limb ; stem compressed ; 

 leaves nearly radical, falcate, obovato-lanceolate. From 

 the Cape. 



3. Lapeyrousia Fasciculata. Radical leaves sword-shaped, 

 erect; floral ones crowded, recurved, undulated, obtuse, 

 longer than the clustered flowers; corolla regular; tube twice 

 as long as the limb ; spatha of one valve. Flowers white. 

 Native of the Cape. 



4. Lapeyronsia Fissifolia. Leaves deeply split, and clasp- 

 ing the stem at their base, with a short sword-shaped point; 

 floral ones rounded; flowers purple, fragrant. From the Cape. 



5. Lapeyrousia Anceps. Leaves sword-shaped, decurrent, 

 toothed at the outer edge ; stem corymbose, spreading ; 

 corolla irregular; tube thrice as long as the limb. Native'of 

 the Cape. 



6. Lapeyrousia Silenoides. Leaves linear-sword-shaped, 

 entire ; floral ones as long as the rest ; corolla irregular ; 

 tube five times as long as the limb, erect. Flowers red. 

 Native of the Cape. 



Lapsana; a genus of the class Syngenesia, order Poly- 

 gamia yEqualis. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: common 

 caliculated, ovate, cornered ; scales of the tube eight, equal, 

 linear, hollow-caliculated, keeled, sharp; of the base six, imbri- 

 cated, small, the alternate one smallest. Corolla : compound 

 imbricated, uniform ; corollules hermaphrodite, about sixteen, 

 equal ; proper one-petalled, ligulate, truncated, five-toothed. 

 Stamina : filamenta five, capillary, very short ; antherae 

 cylindric, tubular. Pistil : germen somewhat oblong ; style 

 filiform, length of the stamina; stigma bifid, reflex. Peri- 

 carp : none. Calix : ovate, converging. Seeds : solitary, 

 oblong, cylindric, three-sided, striated. Down : none. Re- 

 ceptacle : naked, flat. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: 

 calicled, each of the inner scales channelled. Receptacle: 

 naked. The species are, 



1. Lapsana Communis; Common Nipplewort. Calices o. 

 the fruit angular ; peduncles slender, very much branched 

 Root annual; stem upright, stiff, from two to four feet high; 

 branches smooth ; florets yellow, from fifteen to eighteen. -- 

 Conhnon all over Europe in hedges, shady and waste places, 

 and all cultivated grounds ; flowering during most of the sum- 

 mer months. It derives the English name from its supposed 

 efficacy in curing sore nipples. Dr. Withering calls it Dock 

 Cresses. At Constantinople it is said to be eaten raw, just 

 before it comes into flower 



2. Lapsana Zacintha; Warted Nipplewort. Calices of 

 the fruit torulose, depressed, blunt, sessile. Stem subdicho- 

 tomous, striated, stiffish ; flowers sessile, pendulous whilst 

 young; corollas tawny underneath, yellow above. Native of 

 the south of Europe. 



3. Lapsana Stellata ; Starry Nipplewort. Calices of the 

 fruit spreading all round ; rays awl-shaped ; stem-leaves lanceo- 

 late, undivided. Stems inclined and branched; flowers small, 

 appearing in July. Native of the south of Europe. 



4. Lapsana Kolpinia ; Small Nipplewort. Calices of the 

 fruit spreading ; rays spreading in a bow, and muricated ; 

 leaves linear. Annual ; resembling the preceding; it flowers 

 in July. Native of Siberia and the Levant. 



5. Lapsana Rhagadiolus; Heart-leaved Nipplewort. Cali- 

 ces of the fruit spreading all round; rays awl-shaped; leaves 

 lyrate. Stem herbaceous, annual, a foot and a half high, 

 upright, round, striated; flowers saffron-coloured. It flowers 

 in June and July. Native of Istria, the Levant, and Cochin- 

 china. 



Larch Tree. See Pinus. 



Larkspur. See Dalphinium. 



Laserpitium ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Digy- 

 nia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: umbel universal, 

 very large, with from twenty to forty rays ; partial with a 

 great many rays, flat; involucre universal many-leaved,' 

 small ; partial many-leaved, small ; perianth proper five- 

 toothed, obscure. Corolla: universal uniform; floscules 

 all fertile ; proper of five petals, which are inflex-emarginated, 

 almost eqfnal, spreading. Stamina : filamenta five, bristly, 

 the length of the corolla; antherae simple. Pistil: germen 

 roundish, inferior; styles two, thickish, acuminated, distant; 

 stigmas obtuse, spreading. Pericarp : none ; fruit oblong, 

 angulated with eight longitudinal membranes, bipartile. 

 Seeds: two, very large, oblong, semicylindric, flat on one side, 

 on the other furnished at the back and margins with mem- 

 branes (four in all.) Observe. The seed of the ninth species 

 is furrowed, and without membranes. ESSENTIAL CHARAC- 

 TER. Petals: bent in, emarginate, spreading ; fruit oblong, 

 with eight membranaceous angles. Most of the plants of this 

 genus are very hardy, and will thrive in any soil and situa- 

 tion : sow the seeds in autumn, and the plants will come up 



