LEG 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



LEG 



almost longer, concave. Stamina: filamenta three, (some- 

 times four or five,) capillary, longer than the corolla, incum- 

 bent on the pistil, equal ; antherae roundish. Pistil: germen 

 ovate ; style none ; stigmas three, feathery, divaricated. 

 Pericarp : capsule ovate, three-sided, three-celled (accord- 

 ing to Gsertner, one-celled,) three-valved ; and also with three 

 internal valves converging towards the exterior ones, con- 

 stituting partitions. Seeds: solitary, ovate, cornered inwards. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix : three-leaved. Petals: 

 three, linear. Capsule: three-celled, three-valved, with as 

 many internal ones. Seeds: solitary. The species are, 



1. Lechea Minor. Leaves linear-lanceolate ; flowers pani- 

 cled. Root fibrous, perennial, putting up several upright 

 simple stems, panicled at top, and round. Native of North 

 America, in Virginia and Canada. 



2. Lechea Major. Leaves ovate-lanceolate ; flowers late- 

 ral, wandering. Stem purplish, round, with simple, alternate, 

 remote branches. Stamina four, the two upper ones approxi- 

 mating. Native of North America, in Virginia and Canada. 



3. Lechea Racemulosa. Leaves linear, acute, ciliate ; 

 panicles slender, very branchy, pyramidal; flowers small, 

 alternate, pedicelled ; stalk erect. It grows in sandy fields 

 from New Jersey to Carolina. 



4. Lechea Thymifolia. Leaves linear, acute ; panicles 

 leafy, elongated ; branches short ; flowers fasciculate, late- 

 ral and terminal ; pedicels very short ; flowers small, hoary- 

 tomentose ; stalk erect ; the lower branches, which in most 

 species of this genus trail on the ground, have a great resem- 

 blance to Thymus Serpyllum. Found on slate hills, and in 

 the dry barren woods of Virginia, in North America. 



5. Lechea Tenuifolia. Leaves very narrow ; panicles 

 divaricated ; branchlets alternate ; pedicels elongated, divari- 

 cated ; stalk erect. The lower branches in this species 

 have linear leaves, by which it is easily distinguished from 

 the rest. The whole plant is very hairy. Found on dry 

 gravelly hills from Virginia to Georgia. 



6. Lechea Verticillata. Leaves elliptical, serrated; flowers 

 whorled. Stems several, spreading, or decumbent, a span 

 long. Sent by Dr. Ruttler from Madras. 



7. Lechea Chinensis. Leaves ovate-lanceolate ; spathes 

 three-flowered, terminating; stem annual, manifold, creeping, 

 short; flowers from a large blunt spathe; petals blue, with 

 claws. Native of China near Canton. 



Lechenaultia ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mo- 

 nogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix, superior; tube 

 of the corolla slit longitudinally on one side ; antherse coher- 

 ing ; pollen of compound grains ; stigma obsolete, in the 

 bottom of a two-lipped cover ; capsule prismatic, of two 

 cells and four opposite valves with central partitions ; seeds 



cubical or cylindrical, shelly. (Brown.) The following 



species are all natives of New Holland. 



* Small shrubs with heath-like leaves ; flowers axillary or ter- 

 minal; capsule valvular; seeds cubical. 



1. Lechenaultia Formosa. Flowers axillary, solitary, droop- 

 ing, without bractes; corolla smooth, two-lipped. 2. Le- 

 chenaultia Tubiflora. Flowers nearly terminal, solitary, 

 slightly stalked ; corolla tubular, curved, with a closed limb; 

 leaves awl-shaped, with a small pellucid point. 3. Leche- 

 naultia Expansa. Corymbs axillary, of few flowers; stalks 

 with a pair of bractes each ; corolla with one lip, in fringed 

 segments. 

 ** Herbaceous. Flowers opposite to a leaf; capsule opening 



only when far advanced, its valves cohering by a narrow 



neck; seeds cylindrical. 



4. Lechenaultia Filiformis. Leaves alternate, thread- 

 shaped, somewhat compressed. 



Lecythis; a genus of the class Polyandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth six- 

 leaved ; leaflets roundish, concave, permanent. Corolla : 

 petals six, oblong, obtuse, flat, very large, of which the 

 two upper ones are very spreading; nectary petal-form, 

 one-leat'ed, tongue-shaped, flat at the base, perforated for 

 the germen, marginated ; a strap bent upwards from the 

 lower side of the flower, linear, outwardly convex, thick at 

 the tip, ovate, together with the stamina covering the organs. 

 Stamina : filamenta extremely plentiful, inserted on every side 

 into the interior disk of the buse of the nectary, very short, 

 thicker above; antherse oblong, small. Pistil: germen de- 

 pressed, acuminated, girt with the receptacle of the flower ; 

 style very short; stigma rather obtuse, conic. Pericarp: 

 rounded at the base, woody, girt above by the rudiments of 

 the calix, truncated, subquadrilocular, circumcised, with 

 orbiculated operculum. Seeds : several, glossy, with rough 

 margin. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: six-leaved. 

 Corolla: six-petalled. Nectary: ligulate, staminiferous. 

 Pericarp: circumcised, many-seeded. The species are, 



1. Lecythis Grandiflora. Leaves ovate; peduncles of the 

 flowers thick. This tree grows to the height of thirty feet ; 

 flowers at the end of the shoots from the axils of the leaves, 

 and also from the branches and shoots themselves ; corolla 

 rose-coloured ; two petals longer and wider, and four smaller. 

 The kernels of the capsule are very good to eat. The 

 Caribs call it canari makaque ; and the French, marmite de 

 singe, the ape's porridge-pot. It flowers in January, and 

 fruits in April. Native of the forests of Guiana. 



2. Lecythis Amara. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate; 

 fruit small, with a bitter kernel. This is also a very lofty 

 tree; flowers small, yellow; capsule the size of an egg, 

 hard, woody, formed like a little oval pot ; the bitter kernels 

 of which are eaten by monkeys. The Creoles call it petite 

 marmite de singe. Native of Guiana. 



3. Lecythis Parviflora. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate ; fruit small, two-celled; lid with the appendix woody, 

 produced inwards. This is not very lofty ; the boughs and 

 twigs bend towards the ground ; flowers of a golden yellow 

 colour, and smelling very sweet. The bitter kernel is only 

 eaten by monkeys. Native of Guiana, on the banks of rivers. 



4. Lecythis Jacapucaya. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, acu- 

 minate; fruit large, with an eatable kernel. It is a very lofty 

 tree, the trunk sixty feet high or more, and upwards of two 

 feet in diameter ; the bark is rough and irregular, and the 

 wood white, except towards the middle, where it is red; the 

 boughs extend every way, and are loaded with leaves ten 

 inches long; and two and a half wide; flowers at the extremity 

 of the shoots, in pendent racemes ; the corolla consists of 

 six unequal petals, white, with rose-coloured edges; nectary 

 rose-coloured; capsule thick, hard, woody, oval, rounded 

 at bottom, convex at top, with a point in the middle, 

 which is the remains of the style; it is four inches in diameter, 

 and five or six inches high. The Portuguese turn boxes 

 and other toys out of these capsules ; the kernels of which 

 are eaten, and are sweet, delicate, and preferable to almonds ; 

 they are sold in London under the name of Brazil nuts. Birds 

 and monkeys feed much upon them. The Brazilians extract 

 an oil from the kernels, which is much esteemed ; and the 

 Indians use the bark for making cordage, and as oakum for 

 stopping the seams of boats. The wood being hard and 

 durable, is ex-cellent for mill-work. Native of America, Brazil, 

 and Guiana. 



5. Lecythis Idatimon. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate; fruit small, four-celled. It resembles the preceding in 

 height and leaves; flowers axillary, at the ends of the shoots; 



