242 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES LAVER 



oblong, obtuse, and smooth, and flowers, which are blue, i^ro- 

 duced in loose branched panicles. 



Laver, a name for ribbon-like seaweeds, of which there are 

 different kinds — Purple {For'pliyra vulgaris and P. laciniata). 

 Green (Jllva latissima and U. compressa), sea plants, natives of the 

 rocky shores of this country and Europe generally. In Scotland 

 they are called Sloak,in Ireland Slook, and in some parts they form 

 an article of food for the poor, or dressed with lemon juice they 

 appear on the table of the rich. They contain iodine, and are con- 

 sidered to be good for those suffering from scrofulous complaints. 



Leadwort (Plumbago europma), an erect, leafy, stemmed 

 perennial, wdth axillary small blue flowers. It is the type of the 

 Leadwort family (Plumbaginacese), native of Southern Europe, 

 and introduced to this country about 300 years ago ; the whole 

 plant is acrid and blistering, and is said to be used by beggars to 

 make artificial sores to excite pity. P. scandens of the West Indies 

 is, on account of its blistering qualities, called Devil's Herb. 



Leather-coat Leaf-tree, a name in the West Indies for 

 Goccoloba puhesccns, a small, slender, unbranched tree of the Buck- 

 wheat family (Polygonaceae), 10 to 20 feet high, bearing alter- 

 nately near its apex a few large, round, rigid, pubescent leaves. An 

 old and conspicuous inhabitant of the hothouses of this country. 



Leather-wood {Dirca j^^^^hostins), a low bush or slender- 

 branched shrub, native of Xorth America ; the branches are 

 tough and leather-like, and used as thongs, etc. 



Leba, a name in Eiji for Eugenia neurocalyx, a small tree of 

 the Myrtle family (Myrtacese). Its fruit is round, ribbed, often 

 3 inches long and 8 in circumference, and contains five large 

 seeds of an angular shape and crimson colour. It is a favourite 

 with the natives for scenting cocoa-nut oil. 



Leek. {8ee Onion.) 



Lemon {Citrus Limonum), a small tree with smooth, shin- 

 ing, laurel-like leaves, of the Orange family (AurantiaceaB). It 

 is found wild in Northern India, and is supposed to have 

 migrated westward in early times ; it is recorded to have been 

 growing in Palestine in the thirteentli century, and is supposed 



