14 



LAS 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



LAS 



in the spring ; transplant them the following autumn, where 

 they are designed to remain, for they send out long deep 

 roots, which are frequently broken by transplanting them 

 when large ; place them three feet asunder. They will decay 

 to the ground every autumn, but the roots continue many 

 years, and require no other culture but to clear them from 



weeds. The species are, 



V. Laserpitium Latit'olium ; Broad-leaved Laserwort. 

 Leaflets cordate, gash- serrate. Root about the thickness of 

 a finger, striking two feet into the ground ; stem round, 

 striated, green, with a glaucous bloom on it, smooth, filled 

 with white pith; umbel upright, flat, or somewhat convex, 

 iu the largest half a foot in diameter, composed of very 

 many, round, striated rays; flowers white; petals inflex, 

 obcordate, almost equal. It varies so much that it might be 

 mistaken for a different species. This acrid aromatic plant 

 has something of bitterness, and seems to merit a place among 

 the aromatic stimulants, emmenagogues, and aperient sudo- 

 rifics ; the root is the hottest part of the plant. This plant 

 is used in medicine by the peasants and farriers of Some 

 countrffes, but not by regular practitioners. It flowers in 

 July, and ripens seed in September. -Native of many parts 

 of Europe. 



2. Laserpitium Trilobum; Columbine-leaved Laserwort. 

 Leaflets three-lobed, gashed. Root perennial, round, a foot 

 or more in length, with abundance of fibres at top, blackish 

 on the outside, white within, with a yellowish pith in the 

 middle, smelling when bruised, and having a bitter unplea- 

 sant taste; stem round, from four to six feet in height, 

 marked with lines but not grooved, firm, upright, shining, 

 glaucous-green, becoming dark purple with age, having 

 brachiate branches, and an aromatic sweetish taste ; petals 

 small, white, attenuated at the base. It flowers from May to 

 July. Native of the Levant and Austria. 



3. Laserpitium Gallicum ; French Laserwort. Leaflets 

 wedge-form, forked. Root perennial ; stem not much branch- 

 ed, and having only one or two (seldom three) leaves at the 

 lower part. It varies with entire rounded leaflets ; indeed, 

 few plants vary more. It flowers in June and July. Native 

 of the south of Europe. 



4. Laserpitium Silicifoliurn. Root many-forked ; stem 

 smooth ; leaflets pinnatifid, with lanceolate segments. Stem 

 on open rocky hills, perennial, one or two lines thick, and 

 sometimes not more than a span high ; in a lower situation 

 among bushes, and on the borders of woods, it grows to the 

 height of four feet, with a stem the thickness of a pen ; um- 

 bels close, flattish, composed of numerous rays ; petals white 

 or yellowish. Native of Carniola and Italy. 



5. Laserpitium Angustifolium ; Narrow-leaved Laserwort. 

 Leaflets lanceolate, quite entire, sessile. Flowers white; 

 seeds winged, curled. It flowers in June and July. Native 

 of the southern parts of Europe. 



6. Laserpitium Prutenicum. Leaflets lanceolate, quite 

 entire, the outmost united. Root perennial ; st^ hirsute ; 

 seeds pubescent, acrid, aromatic. Native of Prussia, 

 Leipsic, Austria, Carniola, Dauphiny, and Italy. 



7. Laserpitium Dauricum. Stem spotted; leaflets pinna- 

 tifid, acuminate. Root subfusiform, the thickness of a finger, 

 dirty white, with thickish fibres all round. This is a biennial 

 plant, the whole of which is smooth, has some smell when 

 bruised, and a slightly aromatic acrid taste. Native country 

 unknown. 



8. Laserpitium Peucedanoides. Leaflets linear-lanceolate, 

 veined, striated, distinct. Stem a foot high ; flowers white. 

 Native of Monte Baldo. 



9. Laserpitium Siler; Mountain Laserwort. Leaflets 



oval-lanceolate, quite entire, petioled. Root perennial, with 

 a thick head, which is crowned with abundant bristly remains 

 of former leaves, a foot and a half in length, the thickness 

 of the human thumb, round, with an irregular brown bark, 

 fleshy, and white within, with a yellowish pith. The whole 

 plant smooth. The seeds have a strong smell of cumin, and 

 an aromatic subacrid bitter taste. The root is extremely 

 bitter, and might be useful in fevers, cachexies, loss of appe- 

 tite, &c. ; an infusion of it in wine has been successfully giveu 

 in disorders of the stomach ; it yields an aromatic resinous 

 juice on being wounded, and, being made into a syrup, is 

 recommended in disorders of the breast. It flowers in July 

 and August, and ripens seed in September. Native of 

 Austria, Switzerland, and France 



10. Laserpitium Diffusum. Leaves superdecompound ; 

 leaflets linear, awl-shaped, somewhat hairy ; universal invo- 

 lucres lanceolate, membranaceous. Root perennial, striking 

 very deep, and but little branched ; stem a foot and a half 

 high, terminated by one or two umbels, solid, smooth, 

 slightly striated ; umbels very numerous, convex ; petals 

 white. Native of Switzerland, F ranee, and Italy. 



11. Laserpitium Lucidum ; Shining Lasarwort. Leaves 

 superdecompound, linear-awl-shaped ; universal involucre 

 smooth, pinnate. Root woody, large, with several forks, 

 crowned with bristles and scales of fallen leaves; stem 

 straight, grooved half a foot high ; flower often purple. Il 

 flowers in July. Native of Switzerland. 



12. Laserpitium Chironium. Leaflets obliquely cordate ; 

 petioles hirsute. Native of Montpellier in the south of France. 



13. Laserpitium Ferulaceum ; Fennel-leaved Laserwort. 

 Leaflets linear. It flowers in Juue. Native of the Levant. 



14. Laserpitium Simplex. Scape naked ; leaflets simple ; 

 leaves pinnate, multifid, acute, linear ; umbel semiglobular. 

 Root perennial, knobbed, and often multiplied at top, so as 

 to produce several stems, only two or three inches high, ter- 

 minated by a solid, rounded, reddish umbel. Native of the 

 rrrbuntains of Switzerland, Austria, and Dauphiny. 



15. Laserpitium Aciphylla. Stem sheathed ; petioles di- 

 lated ; leaves digitate, linear, elongated, mucronate. Native 

 of New Zealand ; found in Queen Charlotte's Sound. 



Lasia ; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Monogynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: spathe awl-shaped, 

 twisted, coloured, very long ; spadix shorter than the spathe, 

 entirely covered with florets. Corolla: petals four, fleshy, 

 obtuse, concave, closely embracing the organs of generation. 

 Stamina : filamenta four, short, flat, hidden by the petals ; 

 antherae two to each filament, rounded, concave, protruding 

 beyond the corolla. Pistil: germen superior, roundish; 

 style none; stigma rather abrupt. Pericarp: berry small, 

 roundish, unequal. Seed: solitary, roundish. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Spadix : covered with florets. Petals: four, 

 fleshy, inferior. Antherx: two to each filament Berry: 

 with one seed. There is but one species, 



1. Lasia Aculeata. A stemless plant, six feet nigh, with 

 large pinnatifid leaves, on long, round, upright stalks. This 

 is the CM chaoc gai of the Cochin-chinese. Native of the 

 moist plains of Cochin-china. 



Lasiopetalum ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth inferior, 

 of one leaf, wheel-shaped, hairy, in five deep equal, ovate, 

 folded, at length expanded segments, permanent, often co- 

 loured. Corolla : petals five, minute, roundish, inserted into 

 the base of the calix between its segments. Stamina : fila- 

 menta five, very short, opposite to the petals ; antheroe termi- 

 nal, ovate, two-lobed behind, opening by two pores at the 

 top. Pistil: germen superior, globose, with three furrows, 



