122 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



LIV 



lave Oak. See' Qucrrxs r-'/r/is. 

 Livistonia. In honor of Patrick Murray, of Liv- 

 istone, near Edinburgh. Linn. He.mndrki-1r>- 

 <runia. Nat. Ord. Palmacefe. 



A eenus of very interesting Palms, inhabiting 

 the Upper Assam, Southern China, the Indian 

 Archipelago, and Australia. Two of the species; 

 attain a height of from ninety to one hundred 

 feet. The remaining species rarely exceed I 

 thirty or forty feet in height. L. Australts, also 

 called Corypha Australia, is one of the few Palms 

 found in Australia, and is principaUy found j 

 along the coast. It is the tallest of the species. ; 

 Its unexpanded leaves, prepared by being scald- 

 ed and then dried in the shade, are used for 

 making hats, while the younger and more ten- 

 der leaves are eaten like cabbages. In Assam 

 the leaves of L. Jenkinsiann are used for making 

 the peculiar umbrella hats worn in that coun- 

 try. Several of the species are under cultiva- 

 tion, particularly L. Australia, which is largely 

 grown for decorative purposes in all large cities 

 in the United States. Young plants are ob- 

 tained from seed. Introduced in 1846. 

 Llavea. In honor of M. La Have, the discoverer 

 of the only known species. Linn. Cryptogamia- 

 Fdices. Nat. Ord. PolypodlacecK. 



L. cordifdla, the only species, is a very inter- 

 esting Fern, found in the higher elevations of ! 

 Mexico. It requires the same treatment as most 

 green-house Ferns. 



Loasa. Meaning unknown; probably a com- 

 memorative name. Linn. Polyadelphia-Polyan- 

 dria. Nat. Ord. Loasacece. 



A genus of very curious climbing or creeping 

 plants, of annual or biennial duration, having 

 yellow, white, or scarlet flowers. The seed should 

 t>e sown in March on a gentle heat, and after 

 being gradually hardened the plants may be 

 removed to the borders of the flower-garden. 

 The leaves of all the species have more or less 

 of the irritating qualities of the common Sting- 

 ing Nettle. They are all natives of Chili, and 

 were introduced in 1822. 



Lobelia. Named in honor of Matthew Label, au- 

 thor of various botanical works. He was a na- 

 tive of Lille, became physician and botanist to 

 James L, and died in London in 1816. Linn. 

 Pentandria-Afonoyynia. Nat. Ord. Lobeliacece. 



An extensive and varied group of interesting 

 plants. The genus consists of over eighty 

 species, many of which are highly ornamental 

 and useful in the garden and in the green- 

 house. L. erinus and its varieties are trailers, 

 and remarkable for their profusion of beautiful 

 blue flowers. They are usually treated as an- 

 nuals, and grown from seed, but succeed grown 

 from cuttings. This species was introduced 

 from the Cape of Good Hope in 1752, and from 

 it have sprung numerous varieties, running 

 through all shades of blue, rose, lilac, etc. A 

 very pretty double blue variety was originated 

 in 1870. L. Oirdinalis, Cardinal Flower, a native 

 species, common throughout the States, is one 

 of the most brilliant flowers in cultivation. 

 Though usually found in moist places, it will 

 grow well in the border, and is one of our best 

 plants to grow on the shady side of the house. 

 L. syphilitica, another species common to our 

 waste places, has beautiful blue flowers. L. 

 inflatu, (Indian Tobacco,) an annual species, 

 common in the Northern States, is perhaps the 

 best known of the whole family, because of the 

 medicinal properties it was formerly supposed 

 to possess. It is still largely used in medicine, 



LOL 



but is not now considered a specific for every 

 disease that flesh and blood are heirs to. 

 Loblolly Bay. See Gordonia. 

 Lobster-Leaved Cactus. See EpiphyUum. 

 Loco. See Astragalus. 

 Locust Tree. See liobinia. 



Lodoicea. Named after Laodice, the daughter of 

 Priamus and Hecuba. Linn. Dmcia-Polyandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Palmacece. 



L. Seychellarum, the only species of this genus, 

 is one of the most remarkable of the order. It 

 is found only on the islands Praslin and Curi- 

 ense of the Seychelles group. This Palm has a 

 nearly cylindrical trunk, scarcely exceeding a 

 foot in diameter, grows to the height of one hun- 

 dred feet, and bears a crown of fan-shaped 

 leaves, some of which are upward of twenty i'eet 

 long and twelve feet wide. Many marvelous 

 stories are told of this tree, its fruit, and its 

 uses. "We give the description and history of 

 this Palm, which is far more wonderful than 

 fiction, in the language of Thomas Moore, 

 F.L.S., as related in the "Treasury of Botany:" 

 " This magnificent Palm requires a great length 

 of time to arrive at maturity. The shortest 

 period before it puts forth its flower-buds is 

 thirty years, and a hundred years elapse before 

 it attains its full growth. From the age of fif- 

 teen to twenty-five years it is in its greatest 

 beauty, the leaves at this period being much 

 larger than they are subsequently. The stem 

 grows quite upright, straight as an iron pillar, 

 and in the male trees frequently attains a hun- 

 dred feet in height, the females being shorter. 

 At the age of thirty it first puts forth its blos- 

 soms, the males forming enormous catkins about 

 three feet in length and three inches in diam- 

 eter, while the females are set on a strong zig- 

 zag stalk, from which hang four or five, or 

 sometimes as many as eleven nuts, averaging 

 about forty pounds weight each. From the 

 time of flowering to the maturation of the fruit, 

 a period of nearly ten years elapses, the full 

 size, however, being attained in about four 

 years, at which time it is soft and full of a semi- 

 transparent, jelly-like substance. The arrange- 

 ments provided by nature for the roots of this 

 tree are of a most peculiar kind. The base of 

 the stem is rounded, and fits into a natural 

 bowl or socket about two and a half feet in 

 diameter and eighteen inches in depth ; this 

 bowl ia pierced with hundreds of small oval 

 holes about the size of a thimble, with hollow 

 tubes corresponding on the outside, through 

 which the roots penetrate the ground on all 

 sides, never, however, becoming attached to the 

 bowl, their partial elasticity affording an al- 

 most imperceptible but very necessary ' play ' to 

 the parent stem when struggling against the 

 force of violent gales. This bowl is of the same 

 substance as the shell of the nut, only much 

 thicker. It rots very slowly, for it has been 

 found quite perfect and entire in every respect 

 sixty years after the tree has been cut down." 

 Logwood. See Hcematoxylon. 



i Loiseleuria. Alpine Azalea. Named for Lnise- 

 leur Delongchamps, a French botanist. Linn. Pent- 

 andria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Ericaceae. 



L. procumbens, the only species, is a trailing 

 evergreen shrub with small elliptical leaves, and 

 terminal clusters of small rose-colored or white 

 flowers. It is found on the summits of the 

 White Mountains in New Hampshire, in the 

 most rocky situations. 

 ; Lolium. See Daniel. 



