L Y T 



L Y T 



under the Itavcs : the petals are acuminate, a 

 little longer than the calyx, converging, and 

 deep red : the stamens are longer than the co- 

 rolla, with brown anthers : and the flowers ses- 

 sile in a spike. It is nearly allied to the first 

 sort, and is a native of the Levant, flowering 

 in July and August. 



The third has the stem erect, four-cornered, 

 smooth : the leaves quite entire, acute, smooth, 

 dotted : the racemes simple : the pedicels in a 

 sort of whorl, filiform, an inch long : the 

 bractcs lanceolate, very short : the divisions of 

 the calyx lanceolate, smooth, dotted with red : 

 the petals three times as long as the calyx, yel- 

 low, with red stripes and dots, and two dark- 

 red spots : the stamens shorter than the corolla. 

 It is a native of North America, flowering in 

 July and August. 



Culture. — These may all be readily increased 

 either by sowinsr the seeds in the autumn, as 

 soon as they arc Rilly ripened, on a moist border, 

 with an eastern aspect ; or by parting the roots, 

 and planting them out at the same season, in 

 the same situations. 



The plants should afterwards be kept clean, 

 and in the; first method removed into the situa- 

 tions where they are to remain in the autunni. 



In the second sort the seeds should be sown 

 on a hot-bed. 



The third sort is increased by planting the 

 bulbs thrown out from the axils of the leaves. 



They all afford ornament and variety in the 

 borders and other parts of pleasure-grounds. 



LYTHRUM, a genus containing plants of 

 the hardy herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Dodecaiidna 

 Monogynia , and ranks in the natural order of 

 CalycaiithemcB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium, cylindric, striated, with 

 twelve teeth, alternately smaller : the corolla has 

 six oblong petals, bluutish, spreading, with the 

 claws inserted into the teeth of the calyx : the 

 stamina have twelve filiform filaments, the 

 length of the calyx; the upper ones shorter 

 than the lower : anthers simple, rising : the 

 pistilhmi is an oblong germ : style awl-shaped, 

 the length of the stamens, declined : stigma 

 orbiculale, rising: the pericarpium is an oblong 

 acuminate capsule, straight, two-celled or one- 

 celled : the seeds numerous and small. 



The species cultivated is L. Salicarla, Com- 

 mon or Purple Willow-herb. 



Other species may be introduced into cultiva- 

 tion- 

 It has a perennial root, thick branched, 

 somewhat woody, widely extended : the stem 

 from two or three to four or six feet high, up- 



right, tinged with red, below smooth and four* 

 cornered, above pubescent and five-cornered; 

 corners sharp, membranaceous, ragged : the 

 upper branches scattered, lower opposite, four- 

 cornered, rugged, and slightly downy, upright, 

 shortish, numerous: the leaves sessile, cm- 

 bracing, about three inches long, smooth above, 

 luiderneath slightly downy, somewhat rugged, 

 veined, spreading, all opposite, or all alter- 

 nate, or the lower ojiposite, and the upper 

 alternate : the flowers in clusters, placed at a 

 little distance from each other, in tlie axils of 

 the leaves, each consisting of about eight flow- 

 ers (six or twelve), together forming a long 

 leafy spike. It is a native of most parts of Eu- 

 rope, flowering late in the summer. 



There are several varieties ; in the first of 

 which the stalks are upright and branching, 

 three feet high : the lea\cs cordate ovate, an 

 inch, long, and three quarters of an inch broad, 

 downy, and placed by threes: the flowers in 

 long spikes, disposed in thick whorls, with 

 spaces between each ; they are of a fine purole 

 colour. It is smaller than the ccmihon sort, 

 much more downy, and the leaves br'^ader. It 

 often varies with three leaves to a joint; in 

 which case the stem is six-eorr,ered ; and some- 

 tiiues even with four leaves at a joint. And 

 Linnaeus mentions a variety, in which the stem 

 is a foot high and simple: the leaves alternate, 

 cordate-lanceolate, sessile : the flowers from 

 each upper axil, solitary, and sessile. 



There is also a variety which dots not grow 

 more than a foot high : the leaves smooth, 

 growing by threes, narrower and shorier than 

 the common sort : the flowers in terminating 

 spikes, of a light purple colour, appearing in 

 July. Likewise, inv. hich the sulks are slender, 

 not more than nine or ten inches long, spread- 

 ing out on every side : the lower part has ob- 

 long-ovate leaves, placed opposite : on the up- 

 per part the leaves are narrower and alternate : 

 the tlowers come out singly from the side of 

 the stalks at each joint ; they are larger than 

 those of the common sort, and of a deeper 

 purple colour; making a fine appearance in July, 

 when they are in full beauty and perfection. 



Cnhiue. — This sort and varieties may be rea- 

 dily increased by parting the roots in autumn, 

 and planting them out in the situations where 

 they are to remain. They may likewise be rais- 

 ed from seed sown at the same time; but the 

 first is the readiest method. 



They delight in a rather moist soil. 

 All of them are highly ornamental in the 

 larger borders, clumps, and other parts of 

 pleasure-grounds, being placed towards the 

 back parts. 



