LEVISTICUM 



LIATRIS 



909 



; has only one species, and is distinguished by having 

 the bracts of its involucel grown together. 



officinale, Koch. LOVAGE. Tall : Ivs. dark green, 

 shining ; segments wedged shaped at the base, cut to- 

 ward the apex: fls. yellow: seeds 3-ribbed, hollow and 

 boat-shaped on one side, convex on the other. S. Eu. 



LEWlSIA (after Meriwether Lewis, of the famous 

 Lewis and Clark expedition across the continent to the 

 Pacific in 1804). Portulacacece. The BITTER-ROOT, L. 

 rcdh'iva, is an odd and interesting plant. It has a 

 thick-branched root : Ivs. like a Portulaca, fleshy and 

 linear, and handsome fls. borne 3 or 4 in. above ground. 

 The fls. are 1-2 in. across, rosy, varying to white, red or 

 purplish, with 8-14 petals. The plant has been thor- 

 oughly tested in the East, and is desirable for rockeries, 

 needing perfect drainage, a sunny position and careful 

 watering while in flower. One of those perennials that 

 should be planted in groups for best effect, and also as 

 a precaution to prevent loss by oversight in careless 

 weeding during flowerless period. 



The starchy root is dug by the Indians in spring, and 

 eaten. The bark is ordinarily very bitter, but at flower- 

 ing time it is said to slip off easily, and the root when 

 boiled has little of the bitter taste. The roots from 

 which the plant was described showed signs of life after 

 being in the herbarium for several years. Pursh planted 

 them, and they grew for a year. This event suggested 

 the name rediviva. The fine fls. figured in B.M. 5395 

 came from a root which had been immersed in boiling 

 water in order to make an herbarium specimen. The 

 root is called spatulum or spatlum by the Indians. The 

 Lewis and Clark expedition was planned in the house 

 of Bernard M'Mahon, an early American horticulturist. 

 (See M'Mahon). A full account of this plant is given 

 by Pailleux and Bois in Le Potager d'un Curieux; also 

 in R.H. 1892, p. 298. Generic characters are: sepals 5-8, 

 persistent; stamens numerous: style 6-8-parted: cap- 

 sule circumscissile. The genus has 2 species. 



rediviva, Pursh. Fls. June-Aug. Wash, and Calif, to 

 Nev. B.M. 5395. R.H.1892, p. 298. V. 2:306. Mn. 2, p. 

 J. WOODWARD MANNING and W. M. 



LlATBIS (a name of unknown derivation). Com- 

 pdsitce. BLAZING STAR. BUTTON SNAKEROOT. A genus 

 of hardy perennials, confined to eastern and southern 

 N. America. Fifteen or more species have been recog- 

 nized, all of which are best adapted to the wild-flower 

 border. The most showy are L. elegans and L. pycnos- 

 tachya. All produce their flowers in wand-like spikes 

 or racemes, the petaloid coloring of the involucral bracts 

 often adding to the effect of the usually bright rose-red 

 or purple flowers. Their flowers are produced in late 

 summer and autumn. They multiply by offsets from 

 their corm-like base, or may be grown from seed, which 

 should be sown in autumn. They will grow and pro- 

 duce flowers in poorer soil than most garden plants, but 

 thrive best in good, rich garden soil, and require no 

 special care. When grouped in masses they give best 

 results. 



AA. Bracts of involucre obtuse. 



B. Heads hemispherical, %-\ in. broad, 15-45- flowered, 

 and peduncled. 



scaridsa, Willd. Stem stout, 1-5 ft. high: lower Ivs. 

 spatulate or oblong-lanceolate, 4-6 in. long, K in. wide; 

 upper narrowly lanceolate: heads large, numerous, in 

 a relatively loose spike; involucral bracts often tinged 

 with purple: fls. purple: pappus bristles minutely bar- 

 bellate. Throughout the U. S. and Can., east of the 

 Rocky Mts. B.M. 1709. B.R. 7:590 and 20:1654. G. C. 

 III. 14:593. D. 271. P.M. 5:27 (as L. 6oraZi*).-Next to 

 L. elegans and pycnostachya, perhaps the most desir- 

 able species for ornamental purposes. 



BB. Heads oblong, 3-4 lines broad, 5-15 -flowered, 

 c. Bracts not punctate. 



D. Heads sessile. 



spicata, Willd. Stem stout, rather tall, 2-5 ft., and 

 very leafy: Ivs. all linear, the lower larger and broader 

 than the upper, which are gradually reduced to the 

 linear-subulate bracts of the spike: heads 8-13-fld., 

 % in. long, closely sessile, and forming a dense spike 



from 6-12 in. long; involucral bracts rounded obtuse, 

 with usually purplish margins. In the Atlantic and 

 Gulf states, from Mass, to La. B.M. 1411. 



Var. montana, Gray (L. pumila, Lodd.). Fig. 1270. 

 Lower, 10-20 in. high: Ivs. broader, the lower ones %-% 

 in. broad, and obtuse at apex : 

 spike proportionately short and 

 heads larger. Va. and N. Car., 

 in the mountains. L.B.C. 2:147. 



DD. Heads distinctly pedi- 



celled. 



E. Lvs. oblong -lanceolate , rela- 

 tively short. 



gracilis, Pursh (L. pauciflos- 

 culbsa, Nutt. L. lanceolata, 

 Bertol). Stem slender, 1-3 ft. 

 high: lower Ivs. oblong-lanceo- 

 late, upon distinct petioles, up- 

 per reduced to small linear 

 bracts : heads in a loose raceme, 

 3-5-fld.; bracts of the involucre 

 few and rather loose. Georgia, 

 Ala. and Fla. 



EE. Lvs. attenuate-linear, the 



radical 8-12 in. long. 

 tenuifdlia, Nutt. (L. lazvigata, 

 Nutt.). Stem slender, 2-4 ft. 

 high: Ivs. without distinction 

 of blade and petiole, only a line 

 or two wide : heads in a strict 

 raceme, a foot or more long, 

 about 5-fld. : pappus strongly 

 barbellate. N. Car. to Fla. 



CO. Bracts punctate: heads 

 peduncled. 



graminifdlia, Pursh. Stem 

 comparatively slender, 2-3 ft. 

 high : Ivs. ciliate toward the 

 base, with scattered hispid 

 hairs: spike less dense, often 

 becoming racemose : head % 

 in. long ; bracts of involucre 

 punctate, rounded at the apex. 

 Atlantic states, Va. to Fla. 



AA. Bracts of involucre acute or 



mucronate. 



B. Heads 15-60-fld., cylindrical 

 or turbinate. 



C. Bracts with lanceolate, 

 spreading, rigid tips. 



squarrdsa, Willd. Stem stout, 

 6-20 in. high: Ivs. linear and 

 rigid, the lower elongated and 

 grass-like : spike variable in 

 length, bearing few to many 1370. 

 heads, the larger heads 1 in. 

 long; involucral bracts lanceo- 

 late, rigid, and usually bearing pointed tips, squarrose. 

 Eastern U. S., as far west as Neb. and Tex. B.R. 11: 

 948 is var. intermedia of this species. 



cc. Bracts with closely appressed, mucronate tips. 



cylindracea, Michx. Stem 1 ft. high: Ivs. and spike 

 as in last species: heads few, 16-20-fld.; bracts of in- 

 volucre abruptly mucronate. Upper Can. to Minn, and 

 Mo. 



BB. Heads 3-G-fld., oblong or narrow ly campanulate. 

 c. Inner bracts much longer than the fls. 



61egans, Willd. Stem 2-3 ft. : Ivs. linear, the upper 

 soon reflexed: spike dense and wand-like, 3-20 in. long: 

 heads % in. long; inner involucral bracts prolonged 

 into spreading, petaloid appendages, which surpass the 

 flowers and pappus. Va., to Fla. and Tex. B.R. 4:267. 



cc. Inner bracts not longer than the fls. 



D. Pappus bristles very plumose: bracts appressed. 

 punctata, Hook. Stem stout, 10-30 in. high: Ivs. and 



involucral bracts punctate and rigid: spike long and 



Liatris spicata, var. 

 moutana (X%). 



