176 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Lepidium latifolium, Linne. 



Europe, North Africa, Middle and North Asia. A perennial herb 

 of peppery acridity, much used for some select sauces. 



Lepidium sativum, Linne. 



The Cress. Orient Annual. Irrespective of its culinary value, 

 cress is of use as one of the remedies in cases of scurvy. Active 

 principle : a volatile oil and the bitter lepidin. 



Lepidosperma gladiatum, Labillardiere. 



The Sword Sedge of the sea-coasts of extra-tropical Australia. 

 One of the most important plants for binding sea-sand, also yielding 

 a paper material as good as Sparta. 



Lepironia mucronata, Cl. Richard. 



East Australia, Malayan Archipelagus, East India, South China, 

 Madagascar. This rush is cultivated (like Rice) in China for 

 textile purposes, but in poor soils, as manure impairs its strength. 

 The plant renews itself by sprouts from its perennial root. It 

 attains a height of 7 feet ; the stems are beaten flat to fit them to 

 be woven or plaited for either bed-mats, bags, and especially for 

 mat-sails, the latter being most extensively used for the junks in 

 China ; further, for floor-matting, which is exported in vast quantities 

 to the United States to be used in summer for the sake of coolness, 

 in preference to carpets (Dr. Hance. ) This rush thus furnishes the 

 raw material for a great manufacturing industry. The dyeing of 

 the mats for yellow is effected with the flowers of Sophora 

 Japonica, under addition of alum ; for green with an acanthaceous 

 plant, the Lam-yip (Blue Leaf), alum, and sulphate of copper. (Dr. 

 Hirst). 



Leptospermum Isevigatum, R v. Mueller.* (Fabricia Icevigata, 



Gaertner.) 



The "Saiidstay." Sea-shores and sand deserts of extra-tropical 

 Australia, but not extending to Western Australia. This shrub 

 or small tree is the most effectual of all for arresting the progress 

 of drift-sand in a warm clime. It is most easily raised by simply 

 scattering in autumn the seeds on the sand and covering them 

 loosely with boughs, or, better still, by spreading lopped-off branches 

 of the shrub itself, bearing ripe seeds, on the sand. 



Leptospermum lanigerum, Smith. 



South-East Australia. This tall shrub or small tree can be grown 

 in wet semi-saline soil. It exercises, like Melaleuca ericifolia, on 

 such places antimalarian influences. 



