HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



119 



LIB 



second year. They will grow anywhere and 

 bloom well; the size and length of spike will, 

 however, be in proportion to the richness of the 

 soil. 



Libertia. Named after Mademoiselle M. A. Lie- 

 bert de Malmedy, a Belgian lady and botanist. 

 Linn. Monadelphia-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Iri- 

 dacece. 



A small genus of half-hardy bulbs, natives of 

 Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Chili. 

 They are of dwarf habit, with delicate white 

 flowers, which are produced in umbels on a 

 scape one and a half feet high. They are in- 

 creased by offsets. Introduced in 1822. 



Liebigia. Named after Liebig, the celebrated Ger- 

 man chemist. Linn. Didynamia-Anfjiospermia. 

 Nat. Ord. Gesneracece. 



A genus of hot-house evergreen plants, allied 

 to jEschynanthus, and requiring the same treat- 

 ment. They are natives of the East Indies. 



Libonia. Derivation not given. Linn. Diandria- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. AcanthacecK. 



A recently introduced genus of handsome 

 flowering plants from Brazil. L. floribunda, the 

 only species now known, is a small suffruticose 

 plant, with elliptic oblong leaves, and very 

 abundant tubular yellow-tipped scarlet flowers, 

 one or two from each leaf axil. The calyx is five 

 cleft; the corolla tubular, with an erect bilabi- 

 ate limb; two stamens affixed to the middle of 

 the tnbe, with two-celled cordate-ovate anthers, 

 one cell inserted higher than the other; disk 

 annulate; style filiform, with a punctate stigma. 

 The flowers are drooping, very abundant, and 

 exceedingly ornamental. The leaves are apt to 

 drop if the plant is allowed to suffer for water. 

 L. 1'enrhosic-nsis, a seedling from the above, is in 

 many respects a decided improvement. The 

 plant is dwarfer and of denser growth ; the foli- 

 age is darker, larger, and more persistent; the 

 flowers are even more abundant, there being 

 from four to six at the axils instead of two, with 

 more red and less yellow ; and they make their 

 appearance earlier. These plants should be 

 grown in the green-house, where they will flower 

 from November till spring. They are also ex- 

 cellent sitting-room plants, and worthy of a* 

 place in any collection. They grow best in a 

 moderately rich loam, and should be regularly 

 and abundantly watered. They are easily raised 

 from cuttings. Introduced in 1864. 



Lignum Vitae. See (Juaiacum. 



Ligustrum. Privet. From ligare, to tie; refer- 

 ring to the use made of the flexible shoots. 

 Linn. Diaudria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Oleacece. 



A genus of hardy shrubs. L. mdgare, the com- 

 mon Privet, extensively used for hedges, is a 

 native of nearly all parts of Europe, and is prop- 

 agated by cuttings of young shoots. L. Calif or- 

 nica, a species of recent introduction, is a shrub 

 remarkable for the beauty of its foliage. The 

 leaf is considerably larger than that of the com- 

 mon Privet, of a very dark waxy-green on the 

 upper surface, and the under surface pea-green. 

 The plant is of rapid growth. Singly, upon the 

 lawn, it is of great beauty, while its adaptation 

 for a hedge is perfect. When first introduced 

 its hardiness was questioned; it has, however, 

 in the park at Garden City, L. I., and elsewhere, 

 stood the past severe winters without the slight- 

 est injury. There arc on those grounds plants 

 twelve feet high and from ten to twelve feet in 

 diameter. This species, like the others, is in- 

 creased readily from cuttings. 



Lilac. See Syringa vulyaris. 



LIL 



Liliurn. The Lily. From the Celtic word /;, 

 signifying whiteness; the lily having long been 

 considered an emblem of whiteness and purity. 

 Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. LUiaceas. 

 This genus, the type of an extensive order, 

 numbers upward of sixty species, and is emi- 

 nently distinguished for its surpassing loveli- 

 ness, its rare combination of grandeur and 

 chaste beauty. A remarkable feature in this 

 family of plants is, that it has no poor relations. 

 In a general collection of the species, all that can 

 be imagined desirable and perfect in floral 

 forms will be realized. A great inducement to 

 the cultivation of this genus is their ease of cul- 

 ture, and their almost perfect hardiness, thriv- 

 ing with all the vigor of indigenous forms when 

 planted in the flower border. All of them de- 

 light in light rich soil, such as is afforded by a 

 mixture of loam and well-rotted manure, and 

 one uniform treatment is applicable under all 

 circumstances to the whole of the species: all 

 may be grown together in the border, and re- 

 main undisturbed anumber of years, frequent re- 

 movals being injurious, by destroying the roots. 

 All the species thrive best when planted in partial 

 shade, the shrubbery border, or in large beds in 

 an open grove. Propagated by offsets. When the 

 old bulbs have several small ones formed around 

 them, take them up in October, divide them in- 

 to single bulbs, and replant the large flowering 

 bulbs immediately into fresh, rich earth, where 

 they are to flower. Plant the small bulbs in a bed 

 of the same kind of soil by themselves; let them 

 remain until sufficiently large and strong for 

 flowering, which should require but two years; 

 then take them up, select the larger bulbs, and 

 plant them where they are to remain, taking care 

 to enrich the earth with well decomposed ma- 

 nure, the small ones to be replanted as before. 

 L. candidum should be taken up and replanted 

 in August or first part of September, as the bulbs 

 make a growth in autumn, upon which in a great 

 measure depends their flowering the coming 

 season. In selecting the situation for the Lily- 

 bed, care should be taken to have the dryest 

 spot possible, where water is not liable to stand 

 in the winter. A good mulching of leaves, coarse 

 manure, or evergreen boughs will prove highly 

 beneficial. The species are pretty generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the temperate regions of 

 the northern hemisphere; a few only are found 

 in the mountains of sub-tropical Asia. Cali- 

 fornia has furnished several that are among the 

 more difficult to cultivate kere, because of the 

 difference in the seasons of growth. Japan has 

 furnished by far the greater number of really 

 excellent species, among which are L. auratmn, 

 or Golden Banded ; L. speciosum and its varieties ; 

 L. Kramerii, L. Leichtlinii, L. Tigrimnn flora plena, 

 L. Thunbergianum in variety, L. longifloium. L. 

 candidum, the oldest known species, comes from 

 the Levant. Asia furnishes L. Chalcedonicum; 

 Siberia the beautiful little L. tenuifolium, whichis 

 there grown as an article of food. The United 

 States contributes L. superbum, L. Canadense, L. 

 rhUadelphicum, L. Catfsba.'i, L. Caroiinianum, and 

 L. Columbianum, together with L. Washingtoni- 

 anum, L. Humboldtii, L. parvum, L. Californicum, 

 L. pardalinum, L. Roezlii, L. Parryi, and L. Wal- 

 kerii from California. Most other species are 

 found scattered throughout Europe. The great 

 popularity of this flower has induced the growers 

 and dealers to sub-divide the species and mul- 

 tiply varieties to such an extent as to bewilder 

 the amateur in making a selection. A prominent 



