HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



121 



LIN 



simple crenulate, shining leaves, and solitary 

 large white, sweet-scented flowers, borae on the 

 tips of its branchlets. 

 Lindsaea. Named after M. Lindsay, a distin- 



fuished English botanist. Linn. Cryptogamia- 

 "ilices. Nat. Ord. PolypodiacecK. 

 An extensive genus of tropical Ferns, mostly 

 strong growing, and requiring the warm green- 

 house or hot-house to grow them. 

 Linnaea. Dr. J. F. Gronovius, with the concur- 

 rence of Linnaeus, selected this little depressed, 

 early-flowering, long-overlooked northern plant, 

 to transmit the illustrious name of Linnaeus to 

 posterity. Linn. D'tdynamia-Angiospermia. Nat. 

 Ord. Caprifoliacecv. 



L. borealis, the only species, is a beautiful lit- 

 tle trailing evergreen plant, with long, slender 

 branches, bearing small ovate or obovate leaves, 

 slightly toothed at the top, and sending up erect, 

 thread-like flower stalks, which fork near the 

 top, and bear two gracefully drooping, very fra- 

 grant, bell-like flowers, of a pale pink or nearly 

 white color, and almost half an inch in length. 

 It grows almost exclusively in woods, in cold, 

 moist situations, and is common from New Jer- 

 sey northward, and is widely dispersed over 

 northern Europe and Asia. According to soine 

 writers, its scent is so powerful, especially at 

 night, that it may be discovered at a considera- 

 ble distance. The Laplanders use a decoction 

 of its flowers as a remedy in rheumatic com- 

 plaints. 



Linum. Flax. From the Celtic word llin, a 

 thread ; whence the Greek linon, and the Latin 

 Union. Linn. Pentandria-Pentagynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Linacece. 



This genus contains upward of fifty species 

 of various characters, some rising to be small 

 shrubs, hardy and tender perennials, biennials, 

 and annuals; all of them interesting, and 

 many very handsome. One species, L. usitatissi- 

 mum, affords the well-known and valuable pro- 

 duct Flax. The tender species require the ordi- 

 nary treatment of green-house plants. L. flavum 

 is one of the most beautiful of all our yellow flow- 

 ering plants; while L. grandiflorum, an annual, has 

 magnificent crimson flowers. The hardy spe- 

 cies delight in good loamy soil. The tall-grow- 

 ing ones should be placed in the borders, and 

 the dwarf kinds on rock-work. The latter are 

 somewhat impatient of wet in winter, and in 

 consequence are usually potted in autumn, and 

 kept in a cold frame during winter. 

 Lion's Ear. See Leonolis. 



Liparis. From tiparos, unctuous; referring to the 

 leaves. Linn. Gynandria-Monandria. Nat. Ord. 

 OrchidacecK. 



A small genus of terrestrial and epiphytal 

 Orchids, of no special merit. They have mostly 

 purplish or greenish flowers. Several of the 

 species are common in moist woodlands in the 

 Middle States and westward. 

 Lip Fern. See Ckeilanthes. 



Iiiquidainbar. From liquidus, liquid, and amlxir, 

 amber; referring to the gum called liquid sto- 

 rax produced by some species. Linn. Monoscia- 

 Polijartdria. Nat. Ord. Altingiacea;. 



A genus of beautiful deciduous trees. L. 

 styrac'iflua, our common Sweet Gum Tree, is one 

 of our finest forest treys, and one deserving moro 

 general cultivation on the lawn, and for a sha 1 ; 

 tree upon the roadsides. It is a tall, erect grow- 

 ing tree of elegant appearance, especially in au- 

 tumn, when its beautiful star-shaped leaves 

 change to a bright red, quite as conspicuous as 



UV 



those of the Maple, and remain on the tree much 

 longer. This is the tree whose rough, triangular 

 branches, are sold in the streets of New York as 

 the " Alligator Plant." These pieces of stick 

 are sold by the thousands every season at from 

 twenty-five to fifty cents each, to unsophisticat- 

 ed city men, with about as much chance of 

 growing as their fence pickets. There are but 

 two other species, one from the Levant, and 

 the other of late introduction from Formosa. 

 They are increased from seeds. 



Liquorice. See Gtycyrrhiza. 



Liriodendron. Tulip Tree. From leirion, a lily, 

 and dendron, a tree; the flower produced by this 

 tree bears some resemblance to a Lily, but is 

 more like a Tulip. Linn. Polyandrici-Polygynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Magnoliacece. 



L. tulipifem, the only species, is one of our 

 most beautiful forest trees, and has no superior 

 for a shade tree where there is plenty of room 

 for its perfect development. It is common from 

 Canada to Louisiana in rich woodlands, where 

 it sometimes attains a height of two hundred 

 feet. The trunk is as straight as an arrow. 

 Its flowers are produced in June in the great- 

 est abundance. They are of the size and 

 shape of Tulips, and very fragrant. Color 

 greenish white, variegated with yellow and 

 orange. There are two varieties of the species, 

 one of which furnishes white, the other yellow- 

 ish lumber. The former is of but little value in 

 the mechanic arts, but the latter is highly es- 

 teemed for cabinet work, and is mostly used for 

 carriage bodies. Propagated by seed. 



Lissochilus. From lissos, smooth, and cheilos, a 

 lip; in allusion to the lip of the flower. Linn. 

 Gynandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. OrchidacecK. 



A genus of terrestrial Orchids from Africa, 

 producing racemes of rather showy flowers from 

 the base of the pseudo-bulbs. The species 

 are not very numerous, and the few are only 

 met in large collections. 



Lisianthus. From lysis, the termination of a 

 disease, and anthis, a flower; referring to its in- 

 tense bitterness and medicinal properties. 

 Linn. Perdandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Genlian- 

 acece. 



This genus is composed of green-house an- 

 nuals and evergreens, mostly of little merit as 

 flowering plants, the exception being L. prin- 

 ceps, an evergreen shrub from New Grenada, 

 that has long hanging flowers of a rich scarlet, 

 shading into yellow at either end, and having 

 an emerald green, five-lobed limb. This species 

 is propagated by cuttings, and was introduced 

 in 1848. L. Eussellianus, an annual or biennial 

 from Mexico, is another very pretty species 

 with rich blue flowers shaded with purple. 

 Propagated by seeds. 



Listera. Twayblade. Dedicated to Dr. Martin 

 Lister, an early British naturalist. Linn. Gynun- 

 dria-Moiui)idria. Nat. Ord. OrchidacecK. 



A small genus of terrestrial Orchids, bearing 

 slender spikes of small green flowers. Of no 

 special interest except in botanical collections. 

 The several species are common throughout the 

 United States. 



Litobrochia. A commemorative name. Linn. 

 Cryptogamia-ZUices. Nat. Ord. Polypodiacw. 



An extensive genus of tropical Ferns, differ- 

 ing from Pterui only in the reticulation of the 

 veins of the fronds. 



Live-Forever. See Sedum. 



Liver-Leaf. The popular name of Hepaiica triloba, 

 from a supposed resemblance of the leaves. 



