LYONIA 



LYSIMACHIA 



1935 



Deciduous or evergreen : Ivs. alternate, short-petioled, 

 entire or serrulate: fis. fascicled or paniclod, wliite; 

 calyx-lobes 4-5, valvate; corolla (iloliular or urcoolate, 

 pubescent; stamens S 10; anthers oblonc, truncate at 

 the apex; disk S-l(>-lobed: cai)s. 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. 

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

 incluiled under Andromeda. 



The lyonia.s are much-branched shrubs with dull green 

 mediinn-sized foliage and small white flowers in clusters 

 or panicles. Onlj- the deciduous L. liguslrina is hardy 

 North, but is less desirable than other hardy species of 

 allied genera. It prefers moist peaty soil, while the 

 evergreen tender L. fvrruifim-a thrives best in a sandy, 

 well-drained soil. Cultivated and propagated like leu- 

 cot hoe and pieris. 



ligustrina, Muhl. (Xollsma UgiUtrina, Brit. An- 

 drumcila imniculdia, Ait. ^4. ligiislrina, Muhl. A. 

 parabolica, Duham. L. paniculain, 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, J'eii- long. 

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

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

 less crowded, often elongated, conspicuouslj- leafy- 

 bracted. Var. pubescens, Rehd. (Andrdmeda ligmirina 

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

 Cours.). A form with soft dense pubescence. 



ferruginea, Nutt. {Xolisma ferruglnea, Heller. An- 

 dromeda fcrruginea, 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 rlgida, Pursh). Of vigorous growth, more 

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

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

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

 conspicuously reticulated. Alfred Rehder. 



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

 Lyon, who sent specimens to Asa Gray from Santa 

 Catalina Island, California). Rosacea-. 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 corj'mbs; calyx with 2-3 bractlets at the 

 ba.se; 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 ficrro." It is 

 difl^cult to prop.; seeds are rarely obtainable and only a 

 small percentage germinate; cuttings are usually not 

 successful, but it is said that ba-sal sprouts root more 

 readily. 



floribundus, Ciray. Usually shnibby; Ivs. of the t>i)i- 

 cal form lanceolate, crenulate or subentire, dark green 

 and lustrous above, yellowish green and glabrous or 

 pubescent below, 4-8 in. long and 3^4-/^4 in. wide: fls. 

 white, J^-J^in. acro.ss in large corymbs 4-8 in. wide. .lune, 

 .luly. Various transition.al forms between the foliage of 

 the type and that of the following variety are shown in 

 Zoc. 1:5. Var. asplenifdlius, Brandegee (L. asplcnii- 

 fcilius, Greene). Fig. 22:59 (after Hall). Sometimes tree- 

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

 ulate segms. S.S. 4 ;297. — This variety is cjuite plentiful 

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



is cult, for its handsome fem-Iike foliage; the type, 

 whidi 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 Lysichilon. 

 Arfie(». 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-ovule(l; ovules horizontal, orthot- 

 ropous; fr. a 2-seeded beny, immersed in the spadix. 



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

 wide, oblong-lanceolate; peduncle shorter than the lvs- 

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

 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). 

 Leguminbsae. About a dozen unarmed trees and shrubs 

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

 nate lvs., 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 persi.stent sutures. Some 

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

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

 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, 

 monatlelphous. Mex. Reported in Santa Barbara. 

 — L. bahamensis, Benth. (L. lalislliqua, 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 J2in- diam.: pod oblong, 

 fiat and undulate. S. Fla., Bahamas, Cuba. — L.Schiede- 

 ana, Benth. Pinme 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 (Mimbsa divaricala, Jacq.) 

 is a doubtful species with synonymy apparently yet to 

 be cleared up. l H. B. 



LYSIMACHIA (probably after King Lysimachus). 

 PrimuUtceii'. Loose.strife. Erect or creeping leafy 

 herbs grown in damp wild gardens and borders. 



Leaves opi)osite or whorled, entire, usually black- 



