LYONIA 



LYSIMACHIA 



1935 



Deciduous or evergreen: 1 vs. alternate, short-petioled, 

 entire or serrulate: fls. fascicled or panicled, white; 

 calyx-lobes 45, valvate; corolla globular or urceolate, 

 pubescent; stamens 8-10; anthers oblong, truncate at 

 the apex; disk 8-10-lobed: caps. 4-5-valved, with ribs at 

 the sutures and intruded at the apex; seeds numerous, 

 with a loose reticulate testa. About 10 species in E. N. 

 Amer., W. Indies and Mex. Allied to Pieris and often 

 included under Andromeda. 



The lyonias are much-branched shrubs with dull green 

 medium-sized foliage and small white flowers in clusters 

 or panicles. Only the deciduous L. ligustrina is hardy 

 North, but is less desirable than other hardy species of 

 allied genera. It prefers moist peaty soil, while the 

 evergreen tender L. ferruginea thrives best in a sandy, 

 well-drained soil. Cultivated and propagated like leu- 

 cothoe and pieris. 



ligustrina, Muhl. (Xolisma ligustrina, Brit. An- 

 dromeda paniculata, Ait. A. ligustrina, Muhl. A. 

 parabolica, Duham. L. paniculata, Nutt.). Decid- 

 uous, much-branched shrub, to 10 ft. : Ivs. obovate to 

 oblong-lanceolate, entire or obscurely serrate, pubescent 

 beneath, 1-2 in. long: fls. in leafless racemes, forming 

 terminal panicles; corolla globose, whitish, %in. long. 

 May-July. Canada to Fla., west to Tenn. and Ark. 

 B.B. (ed. 2) 2:691. Var. foliosifldra, Fern. Racemes 

 less crowded, often elongated, conspicuously leafy- 

 bracted. Var. pubescens, Rehd. (Andromeda ligustrina 

 var. pubescens, Gray. A. lomentosa, Hort., not Dum.- 

 Cours.). A form with soft dense pubescence. 



ferruginea, Nutt. (Xolisma ferruginea, Heller. An- 

 dromeda ferruginea, Walt.). Evergreen shrub or small 

 tree: Ivs. cuneate, obovate to oblong, with revolute 

 margin, scurfy when unfolding, especially below, 1-2 in. 

 long: fls. nodding, globular, white, in clusters in the 

 axils of the upper Ivs. Feb., March. S. C. to Fla. S.S. 

 5 : 234. L.B.C. 5 : 430. Handsome evergreen shrub, but 

 rarely cult., hardy only S. Var. arborescens, Rehd. 

 (Andromeda rigida, Pursh). Of vigorous growth, more 

 rigid and with crowded Ivs., growing into a small tree. 

 Var. fruticosa, Rehd. (Xolisma fruticbsa, Nash. A. 

 rhomboidalis, Nouv. Duh.). Shrubby: Ivs. sparser, 

 conspicuously reticulated. ALFRED REHDER. 



LYONOTHAMNUS (Lyon's shrub; named for W. S 

 Lyon, who sent specimens to Asa Gray from Santa 

 Catalina Island, California). Rosacese. Ornamental 

 woody plant grown- for its handsome foliage and the 

 large clusters of white flowers. 



Evergreen shrub or small tree: Ivs. opposite, petioled, 

 lanceolate and nearly entire or pinnate: fls. perfect, in 

 terminal flat corymbs; calyx with 2-3 bractlets at the 

 base; tube hemispherical; lobes 5; petals 5, orbicular; 

 stamens 10, inserted at the margin of the 10-lobed, 

 lanate disk: carpels 2, developing into woody dehiscent 

 caps., each with 4 ovate-oblong seeds. One species on 

 the islands off the coast of S. Calif. The pinnate-lvd. 

 variety is grown to some extent in N. and S. Calif, and 

 is locally known as "ironwood" or "palo fierro." It is 

 difficult to prop.; seeds are rarely obtainable and only a 

 small percentage germinate; cuttings are usually not 

 successful, but it is said that basal sprouts root more 

 readily. 



floribundus, Gray. Usually shrubby: Ivs. of the typi- 

 cal form lanceolate, crenulate or subentire, dark green 

 and lustrous above, yellowish green and glabrous or 

 pubescent below, 4-8 in. long and %-% m - wide: fls. 

 white, ^-J^in. across in large corymbs 48 in. wide. June, 

 July. Various transitional forms between the foliage of 

 the type and that of the following variety are shown in 

 Zoc. 1:5. Var. asplenifolius, Brandegee (L. asplenii- 

 fplius, Greene). Fig. 2239 (after Hall). Sometimes tree- 

 like, to 75 ft. : Ivs. pinnately divided into 3-8 incisely Ipb- 

 ulate segms. S.S. 4 : 297. This variety is quite plentiful 

 on the island of Santa Cruz and also on Santa Rosa and 



is cult, for its handsome fern-like foliage; the type, 

 which is found only on the island of Santa Catalina, is 

 less handsome and was never brought under cult. 



ALFRED REHDER. 



LYSICHITUM (Greek, a loose or free cloak; probably 

 referring to the spathe). Also written Lysichiton. 

 Aracese. A genus of one species; a hardy plant resem- 

 bling the skunk cabbage, which has been offered by 

 dealers in native plants. 



Nearly stemless swamp herb with large Ivs. from a 

 thick horizontal rootstock : spathe peduncled, sheathing 

 at base, with a broad colored lamina or none, at first 

 enveloping the cylindrical spadix, which becomes long- 

 exserted upon a stout peduncle; fls. perfect, crowding 

 and covering the spadix; perianth 4-lobed; stamens 4; 

 ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled; ovules horizontal, orthot- 

 ropous: fr. a 2-seeded berry, immersed in the spadix. 



camtschatcense, Schott. Lvs. 1^4 ft. long, 3-15 in- 

 wide, oblong-lanceolate: peduncle shorter than the Ivs- 

 May, June. E. Siberia, Japan, Alaska, Ore., Calif. 

 B.M. 7937. G.C. III. 27:219; 57:301. G.M. 48:330. 



L. H. B. 



2239. Lyonothamnus floribundus var. asplenifolius. 



LYSILOMA (Greek, probably meaning free border). 

 Leguminosse. About a dozen unarmed trees and shrubs 

 of the American tropics, scarcely cult. They bear bipin- 

 nate Ivs., and fls. in heads or in cylindrical spikes; petals 

 united into a 5-lobed corolla: pods straight and flat, the 

 valves opening away from the persistent sutures. Some 

 of these plants are often called acacias. L. acapulcensis, 

 Benth. (Acacia acapulcensis, Kunth). Tree-like: pinna3 

 8-9 pairs, the Ifts. very many, oblong-linear and pubes- 

 scent, glands 2 or 3 between some of the pinna?: fls. 

 white in cylindrical axillary spikes; stamens many, 

 monadelphous. Mex. Reported in Santa Barbara. 

 L. bahamensis, Benth. (L. latisiliqua, Gray, not 

 Benth.). WILD TAMARIND. Tree, to 50 ft., wide-spread- 

 ing: pinna? 3-5 pairs; Ifts. 20-50; blades of the latter 

 oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acute, glabrous or nearly 

 so: fl.-heads white, less than */in. diam.: pod oblong, 

 flat and undulate. S. Fla., Bahamas, Cuba. L.Schiede- 

 dna, Benth. Pinnae 6-9 pairs: Ifts. 40 pairs, linear, 

 obtuse, glabrous or minutely puberulent; stipules semi- 

 ovate to falcate: fls. white, in 1-3 axillary pedunculate 

 heads. Mex. L. divaricdta (Mimdsa divaricata, Jacq.) 

 is a doubtful species with synonymy apparently yet to 

 be cleared up. L jj g 



LYSIMACHIA (probably after King Lysimachus). 

 Primulacese. LOOSESTRIFE. Erect or creeping leafy 

 herbs grown in damp wild gardens and borders. 



Leaves opposite or whorled, entire, usually black- 



