1854 



LIBERTIA 



LICUALA 



BB. Clusters dense: pedicels shorter than the bracts. 



formosa, Graham. Lvs. rigid, 1-1 J^ ft. long: st. 2-3 

 ft. long: infl. of many sessile and many-fld. umbels; 

 inner segms, obovate-cuneate, H~%in. long, white; 

 outer segms. half as long and oblong, greenish brown; 

 filaments connate toward the base: caps, globose. Chile. 

 B.M. 3294. B.R. 1630. Gn. 45, p. 192 (fine habit 

 sketch); 40, p. 441; 70, p. 175; 75, p. 545. G.M. 51:797; 

 55:92. G. 29:687. 



AA. Fls. blue. 



caerulescens, Kunth. Lvs. linear, rigid, 12 in. or 

 more long: st. 1-2 ft., with a few reduced Ivs.: infl. 6 in. 

 or less long, of very many umbels, each many-fld.; fls. 

 blue; inner segms. J^in. long, oblong, the outer much 

 shorter and greenish brown: caps, globose, very small. 

 Chile. 



L. ntvea, offered abroad, may be one of the white-fld. species 

 above: described as having iris-like foliage and spikes of white fls.: 



WILHELM MILLER. 

 L. H. B.f 



LIBOCEDRUS (libas, drop, tear, and Cedrus; allud- 

 ing to the resinous character of the trees). Syn. Hey- 

 deria. Pinacese. INCENSE CEDAR. Ornamental trees 

 chiefly grown for their handsome evergreen foliage and 

 good habit. 



Branchlets flattened, rarely quadrangular, frond- 

 like in arrangement: Ivs. scale-like, with decurrent 

 base, with or without glands: fls. monoecious or dioecious, 

 terminal, similar to those of Thuya: cones oblong to 

 ovate, with 4, rarely 6, woody scales, the lower pair 

 sterile, small and short, the second one much larger 

 and fertile, each scale bearing 2 long-winged seeds, the 

 third pair, if present, connate into a woody septum. 

 Eight species in W., N. and S. Amer., Austral, and S. 

 W. China. Allied to Thuya which differs chiefly in the 

 more numerous cone-scales with 2 pairs fertile. 



The incense cedars are of pyramidal habit, clothed 

 with small scale-like leaves, and rather small, ovate or 

 oblong cones. None of the species is quite hardy North, 

 but L. decurrens thrives in the vicinity of the city of 

 New York, and even in sheltered places in eastern 

 Massachusetts. It is a valuable park tree, forming a 

 symmetrical narrow pyramid, with bright green 

 foliage. It is also an important timber tree, the wood 

 being light, soft, close and straight-grained, is very 

 durable in the soil, and is used for fencing, for shingles, 

 for the interior finish of houses, and also for ship- and 

 boat-building. The other species are hardy only South, 

 and, though very ornamental trees, they are hardly 

 cultivated in this country; they are all important 

 timber trees in their native countries. The incense 

 cedars thrive best in a well-drained soil, and prefer open 

 situations; they are liable to lose their lower branches 

 rather early. Propagate by seeds sown in spring; also 

 by cuttings under glass in late summer or fall, which 

 root rather slowly; sometimes grafted on thuya and 

 chamsecyparis. 



decurrens, Torr. (L. Craigana, Low. Thuya Craigana, 

 Murr. T. gigantea, Carr., not Nutt.). WHITE CEDAR. 

 Tree, to 100, occasionally to 200 ft., with erect or 

 spreading, short branches, forming a rather narrow, 

 feathery head: bark bright cinnamon-red: branchlets 

 much flattened, bright green on both sides: Ivs. oblong- 

 ovate, adnate, with long decurrent base, free at the 

 apex and acuminate, glandular on the back: cones 

 oblong, %-l in. long, light reddish brown; scales 

 mucronate below the apex, a third connate pair sepa- 

 rating the 2 fertile ones. Ore. to Calif, and W. Nev. 

 S.S. 10:534. F.S. 9, p. 19. Gn. 29, pp. 266, 267; 60, 

 p. 250; 75, p. 296; 78, p. 586. G.C. 111.36:284; 44:338. 

 M.D.G. 1905:129. In cult, the young trees are con- 

 spicuous by their bright and deep green foliage, while 

 the trees in their native localities are mostly of a light 

 yellowish green. Var. compacta, Beissn. Dwarf com- 

 pact form of globose habit. Var. glafcca, Beissn. With 



glaucous foliage. Var. aureo-variegata, Schwerin. 

 Foliage variegated with yellow. 



L. chilensis, Endl. Tree, to 60 ft., with compact, pyramidal 

 head: branchlets much compressed: Ivs. glaucous green, small, 

 erect-spreading, obtuse, with a silvery line beneath: cones ovate- 

 oblong, J^in. long. Chile. G.C. 1850, p. 439. R.H. 1867, p. 410. 

 Gn. 30, p. 552. L. cupressoides, Sarg. (L. tetragona, Endl.). Tree, 

 to 100 ft., with compact, pyramidal head, sometimes shrubby: 

 branchlets almost tetragonal: Ivs. ovate or ovate-lanceolate, with 

 slightly spreading and acute apex: cones ovate; scales with a large, 

 curved spine on the back. Chile to Patagonia. G.C. 1850, p. 439. 

 Gn. 30, p. 552. L. Doniana, Endl.=L. plumosa. L. macrolepis, 

 Benth. & Hook. Tree, to 100 ft. : branchlets compressed, green on 

 both sides: Ivs. acute, the lateral strongly keeled, the middle ones 

 obovate, apiculate: cones obovate-oblong, 1 in. long, consisting of 

 6 truncate scales. W.China. Gn. 62, p. 183 (habit). G.M. 47:860. 

 J.H. III. 57:91. L. plumdsa, Sarg. (L. Doniana, Endl.). Tree, to 

 100 ft., with dense, pyramidal head: similar to the former, but Ivs. 

 larger, more closely set and more spreading, without any silvery 

 line beneath: scales of the cone with a large, curved spine on the 

 back. New Zeal. This species is the most tender of this genus. 

 L. tetragdna, Endl.=L. cupressoides. ALFRED REHDER. 



LIB ONI A: Jacobinia; Libonia ftoribunda=J '. pauciflora, page 

 1715. 



LICUALA (Molucca name). Palmacese. Showy, 

 dwarf fan palms, grown for their peculiar habit and 

 handsome foliage. 



Stems solitary or in groups, never very tall, and 

 usually slender: lobes of the Ivs. long, wedge-shaped, 

 plicate, truncate and variously lobed or split, deeply 



and irregularly di~ 

 vided, appearing 

 but not truly 

 peltate; rachis 

 very short; ligule 

 short; sheaths 

 fibrous: fls. large, 

 hermaphrodite, in 

 a loose panicle 

 which appears 

 among the Ivs. 

 Species 50 or 

 more, from Trop. 

 Asia to Trop. 

 Austral. Allied 

 genera in cult, are 

 Brahea, Serenoa, 

 Erythea, Pritch- 

 ardia, Livistona, 

 Trachycarpus, 

 Rhapis. From 

 these Licuala is 

 distinguished by 

 the carpels of the 

 ovary 3 - angled, 

 slightly coherent; 

 style single, fili- 

 form: albumen 

 equable : embryo 

 dorsal. Desirable in cultivation. G.C. II. 25:139. 



Licualas are very handsome warmhouse palms of 

 moderate growth, several species of which have been 

 grown to some extent commercially. They delight in a 

 tropical temperature and abundant moisture, and 

 should also be shaded from strong sunshine in order to 

 produce foliage of the deep, rich shade of green that is 

 common to this genus. Some advise treating them as 

 semi-aquatic. The most attractive species is L. grandis, 

 which has been until recent years a costly species owing 

 to its comparative rarity in cultivation. It is probably 

 within twenty-five years that the first consignment of 

 seeds of this species was received in America. The 

 large fan-shaped leaves of licualas are somewhat tender 

 and easily injured, which makes them of less value for 

 house decoration, but as exhibition plants there are few 

 palms more striking than L. grandis and L. elegans. L. 

 spinosa and L. peltata are also well worth cultivation, 

 though objection is sometimes found to the strong 

 hooked spurs with which their leafstalks are armed. 



2143. Licuala peltata. 



