iJvM) 



LEUCOSTICGIA 



LEUCOTIIOE 



LEDCOSTfeGIA iC.ivok, »/ii/< roof: silliidinR to (ho 

 indusuiK l\iUjihxiu\ci-a\- A siniill gnnip of Iiuliaii ferns 

 uf siiiiUl stiitun- jilliiHl to IX-ivalli.i, tlio imlusiuiii siii:ill, 

 n.imnv, thin. ;iltaohi><l by its baso, with the ;ipi-x ;iiul 

 sides fiw. Tin- Ivs. :uv luostly tri-qu:uli-ii)iiinate. l''ur 

 cult., (vnsvilt Dm-aUia. 



pirvula, Wall, Kiwttitoi'ks \vi<lc»-civopins, scaly: Ivs. 

 no:irly sossilo, (Icltoiil, K'ss than 1 in. lonn, half as wido, 

 usually tripiunatc. Singapore luid Borneo. 



L. M. Underwood. 



LEUC6TH0E {Ltticothoi-: (laughter of Orehainus, 

 king of HabyloniaV Including Agari.shi. Eriaif<;i. 

 drniuuental shrubs grown ehielly for the handsome 

 rather hirge usually evergreen leaves and the white 

 (lowers. 



Evergreen or deciduous: Ivs. alternate, short-pet ioled, 

 st'rrate: fls. in axillary or terminal racemes; calyx 

 5-parted, imbricate; corolla ovate or cylindrical; 

 stsimcns 10; anthers obtuse or '2-a\vned or 4-awnc<l at 

 the ai)ex: c.ips. 5-lobed, with the sutuics not thick- 

 ened, separatmg into 5 valves; sei'ds minute, irregular. 

 — .About 35 species in N. and S. .\mer., Maihigasc.ir, 

 Himalay:»s and Japan, formerly often united with 

 .\nilromeda, which differs hke Lyonia chiefly in its 

 valvatc caljTC. 



The leucothoes, and particularly the evergreen spe- 

 cies, are very handsome shrubs with rather large lus- 

 trous leaves and with white, rarely pink or scarlet, usu- 

 ally nodding flowers, appearing mo.stly in .s])ring. The 

 South .\merican species, which are very rare in culti- 

 vation, though they surpass the others in beauty of 

 the flowers, are hardy only South, while the other 

 species can be grown ;i.s far north as Massachusetts 

 and western New York, the evergreen ones in slieltcrcd 

 positions or with slight protection during the winter. 

 They are very hand.some for borders of shrubberies or 

 as undergrowth in open woods. They thrive best in 

 somewhat moist peaty or sandy soil, and prefer shaded 

 or partly shaded situations, but also grow in full sun if 

 the soil is not too dry. 



Of the leucothoes, Calesbui is one of the most orna- 

 mental and popular hardy broad-leaved evergreens. It 

 is used for massing in connection with rhofiodcndrons, 

 kalmias, and the like, serving as a base for these taller 

 plants. The shinj' dark green leaves are borne with 

 regularity on a recurved stem often 2 to H feet, long, 

 and sometimes color brilliant bronze and claret shades 

 in autumn when exposed to the direc^t rays of the 

 sun. Leucothoe sprays are largely used by florists 

 in making up designs and in connection with galax 

 leaves, usually, howj'Ver, in the more informal jiieces. 

 They were introduced to the trade about 1890. The 

 fragrant flowers are in the leaf-axils, borne along the 

 stem in early spring, and are usually conspicuous, con- 

 sidering the fact that the leaves are persistent. It is 

 this graceful evergreen spray effect, with the good 

 color and dense habit, that makes leut^othoe so desira- 

 ble as a plant for ma.ssing, and also the fact, perhaps, 

 that it is fairly easy to transplant. Seefls are produced 

 freely, and can be sown in sphagnum moss and sand 

 under gla.'tH, as rho<lodendrons and azaleas are grown, 

 prickf^l off in flats and planted fiutdoors in early spring, 

 when the plants are a few inches high. L<Micothoe is 

 aWt propagat<-<i by division, underground runntTS and 

 cuttings, the latter being plunged in sanil on the bench 

 and givfm mfxlerate Uittom heat. It is usually voX- 

 Icctefl, however, in its native habitat, in small plants, 

 tran.splantwl to nursj-ry rows and grown for several 

 seasons. (Harlan P. Kelsey.J 



A. Lvt. evergreen: racemtn axilltiry, smnelimes clustered, 



ihnrter than the Ivs.; anthers avmless. 



B. Racemes dense, sessile, many-JUl. : j/ith of fjranches solid. 



azilllris, I>)n (Arulrf/mtjla aiilUiris, Lam.). Shrub, 

 to ') ft., with sprea^iing and usually recurving branches, 



puberulous when young: Ivs. with short pubescent 

 petioles, oval to oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, 

 scniilati' toward the apex, glos.sy above, pale and 

 s])ar,sely pubescent beneath when young, 2-4 in. long: 

 racemes 1-2 in. long; sepals broadly ovate; corolla 

 white, usuallv greenish in bud, • r,in. long. April, May. 

 Va. to Fla. and Ala. (i.0.11. 114. H.B. (ed. 2) 2:087. 

 Ci.VV. 0, p. 279. V.ir. longifolia, Pursh. Lvs. linear- 

 lanceolate. B.M.2:{,')7. 



CStesbaei, Gray (Andromeda axillaris, Michx. ^l. 

 CiilcxlKri, Walt.). To () ft., similar to the former, with 

 glabrous, slender and nion' arching branches: lvs. 

 loiiger-i)ct ioled, ovati^lanceolate to lanceolate, ciliately 

 appressed-s<'rrate, glossy above, usually light green 

 beneath, glabrous, 3-7 in. long: racemes larger; sepals 

 narrower; (•orolla over ji in- long: white, usually red- 

 di.shinbud. April, May. Va.toCla. P.M. 19.55. L.B.C. 

 14:i:!20. R.I I. 100.5, p. .577. G. 34:487. Gn.M. 2:18. 



2141. Leucothoe recurva. (,X14> ~ 



— This species is handsomer than the former, and also 

 somewhat hardier: lvs. and fl.-buds assume a beautiful 

 pur[)le hue late in fall which is retain ed through the 

 winter. 



BB. Racemes peduncled, with rather few, slender-pedi- 

 cellcd fls.: pith lamellate. 

 populif61ia, Di])]). (L. acuminata, Don. Andr&meda 

 acuminata, Ait. A. populifblia. Lam.). Shrub, to 12 

 ft., with spn^ading branches: lvs. short-petioled, ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, entire or obscurely serrulate, 

 glabrous, 2-4 in. long: pedicels .as long as corolla; calyx 

 short; corolla cylindrical, over Jijin. long. June, 

 to Kla. 



AA. Lvs. deciduous: racemes mostly terminal, secund, longer 

 than the lvs.; anthers awned. (Subgenus Eubotrys.) 

 racemdsa, Gray (Andrdmcda racemf>sa, Linn. L. 

 .spir/tia, Don. Lyhnia racemdsa, Don). Shrub, to 10 

 ft., with mostly erect branches: lvs. oblong to ovate, 

 acute, serrulate, pubescent beneath, at least on the 

 veins, 1-3 in. long: racemes erect, 2-4 in. long; corolla 

 cylindrical, 3^in. long; anthers with 4 awns. April- 

 June. Mass. to Fla. and'La. Em. 423. G.O.H. 57. 



V(^ry 

 S.C. 



