34 



LEP 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



LEU 



Icosandria, order Monogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. 

 Calix : perianth half superior, in five deep, ovate-oblong, or 

 roundish, often coloured segments. Corolla: petals five, 

 with claws, roundish, equal, twice the size of the calix, and 

 much longer than the stamina. Stamina : filamenta numerous, 

 inserted into the calix, awl-shaped, incurved, shorter than the 

 corolla; antherae small, roundish, two-lobed. Pistil: germen 

 half inferior, turbinate ; style simple, columnar, erect, about 

 the length of the stamina ; stigma capitate, umbilicate, undi- 

 vided. Pericarp: capsule roundish, coated in the lower part, 

 of three, four, or five cells, and as many valves, bursting at 

 the upper part, the partitions from the middle of each valve 

 opposite to each calix-tooth. Seeds: numerous, linear, some- 

 what angular, tapering at each end, very small, inserted into 

 the central column. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: 

 five-cleft, half-superior. Petals: five, with claws, longer than 

 the stamina. Stigma: capitate. Capsule: three to five celled. 

 Seeds : angular. The species are, 



1. Leptospermum Scoparium; New Zealand Tea, or Com- 

 mon South Sea Myrtle. Leaves ovate, mucronate, obsoletely 

 three-nerved ; calices smooth ; teeth membranaceous, co- 

 loured. This is a small tree or shrub, sometimes growing 

 to a moderate height, and generally bare on the lower 

 part, with a number of small branches growing close together 

 towards the top ; the younger ones silky. The under- 

 wood in Adventure Bay and Van Diemen's Land, chiefly 

 consists of this shrub. It grows commonly in dry places 

 near the shores in New Zealand. The leaves were used by 

 Captain Cook's ships' crews as tea ; whence they named it 

 the Tea-Plant. The leaves have a very agreeable bitter fla- 

 vour, with a pleasant smell when fresh ; but lose something 

 of both when dried. The infusion made strong proved emetic 

 to some in the same manner as green tea. It was also used 

 with spruce leaves in equal quantity, to correct their astrin- 

 gency in brewing beer from them ; and they rendered the 

 beer exceedingly palatable. This plant is easily kept in our 

 green-houses, and is covered in summer with elegant white 

 blossoms, whose calix-teeth, stamina, and style, are purplish. 



2. Leptospermum Aromaticum. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 nerveless, quite entire ; calicine segments coloured, decidu- 

 ous. It flowers in July. Native of New Zealand. 



3. Leptospermum Flavescens. Leaves linear-lanceolate 

 obtuse, nerveless ; calices smooth ; teeth membranaceous, 

 coloured, naked. Petals white, often with a purple tinge, 

 turning yellowish in drying. Dr. Smith received it from New 

 South Wales. 



4. Leptospermum Attenuatum. Leaves lanceolate-linear, 

 acute, three-nerved ; calices silky, villose ; teeth membrana- 

 ceous, coloured, almost naked. The flowers of this seem to 

 have been white, and generally grow two together on short 

 flower-stalks, which are silky like the calix. This was also 

 received by Dr. Smith from New South Wales. 



5. Leptospermum Lanigerum. Leaves obovate, lanceolate, 

 obscurely three-nerved ; calices clothed with long shaggy hairs. 

 This species varies with smooth and downy leaves ; and the 

 calix is sometimes merely silky, sometimes clothed with long 

 and thick projecting down. Some of the varieties are to be 

 met with in Kew Gardens. Imported by Dr. Smith from 

 New South Wales. 



6. Leptospermum Parvifolium. Leaves obovate, nerveless ; 

 branchlets and calices silky, villose ; teeth membranous, co- 

 loured, naked. Flowers terminal, solitary, small, white. The 

 leaves are not a quarter of an inch long, flat, thickish, 

 dotted, smooth, on short stalks. Imported from N. S. Wales. 



7. Leptospermum Arachnoideum. Leaves awl-shaped, 

 sharp-pointed ; branchlets rough-haired ; calices and teeth 



villose. Flowers small, solitary, terminating the short sub- 

 divisions of the branches, and remarkable for the very long 

 and fine white spreading hairs, like a spider's web, which 

 clothe the germen and whole calix. Brought from New 

 South Wales. 



8. Leptospermum Juniperinum. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 sharp-pointed; branchlets silky; calices smooth; teeth mem- 

 branaceous, coloured, naked. Flowers numerous, white, 

 solitary, at the ends of the leafy shoots. Imported from New 

 South Wales. 



9. Leptospermum Baccatum. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 sharp-pointed ; bractes smooth ; germen and calix-teeth, 

 downy; capsule with a pulpy coat. This is a low depressed 

 shrub. The flowers seem to be yellow, and by the appear- 

 ance of the dried fruit it must be very pulpy. Native of New 

 South Wales. 



10. Leptospermum Ambiguum. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 recurved at the point; calices smoothish; teeth leafy, lanceo- 

 late, naked ; stamina longer than the corolla. It forms a 

 handsome bushy evergreen shrub, blossoming plentifully in 

 the green-house in summer. The branches are downy ; leaves 

 numerous, crowded, dark-green, channelled, dotted, recurved 

 at the tip. Flowers white. Received from New S. Wales. 



11. Leptospermum Virgatum. Leaves opposite, linear- 

 oblong, bluntish ; stalks axillary, three-flowered; umbels ter- 

 minating. The under surface of the leaves is covered with 

 dark resinous spots. Gathered by Forster in New Caledonia. 



12. Leptospermum Triloculare. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 sharp-pointed; calix silky; teeth coloured, minutely fringed; 

 stamina fifteen ; capsule three-celled. Native of New Hol- 

 land. 



Lerchea; a genus of the class Monadelphia, order Pentan- 

 dria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, 

 tubular, five-toothed, permanent. Corolla: one-petalled, 

 funnel-form ; tube longer than the calix ; border five-parted, 

 rather erect. Stamina: filamenta scarce any, but the tube 

 of the germen ; antherae five, oblong, seated on the tube of 

 the germen. Pistil: germen subovate, superior, terminated 

 (within the corolla) by an obtuse tube ; style within the 

 tube of the germen, filiform, length of the stamina ; stigmas 

 two or three, rather obtuse. Pericarp: subglobose, torulose, 

 three-celled, sometimes two-celled. Seeds: very many. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: five-toothed. Corolla: 

 funnel-form, five-cleft. Antheree : five, placed on the tube 

 of the germen. Style: one. Capsule: three-celled, many- 

 seeded. The only known species described is, 



1. Lerchea Longicauda. This is an irregular growing 

 shrub, with sordid jointed branches ; leaves opposite, lan- 

 ceolate, petioled, even, quite entire, a foot long; stipules 

 ensiform, shorter than the petioles ; spike terminating, fili- 

 form, a foot in length; with remote, scattered, minute flowers. 

 Native of the East Indies. 



Leskia; a genus of the class Cryptogamia, order Musci, or 

 Mosses. GENERIC CHARACTER. Capsule: oblong; peri- 

 stome double; the exterior with sixteen teeth, which are 

 acute ; the interior membranaceous, divided into equal seg- 

 ments. Males: gemmaceous in different individuals. This 

 genus is united to Hypnum, as agreeing therewith entirely in 

 habit, and differing only in the uncertain character of the 

 inner fringe, which is furnished with sixteen simple teeth, in- 

 stead of double or compound ones. 



Lettuce. See Lactuca. 



Lettuce Lamb's. See Valeriana. 



Leucoium ; a genus of the class Hexandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: spathe oblong, 

 obtuse, compressed, gaping on the flat side, withering. 



