948 



LUCUMA 



LUFFA 



Rivicda, GsBrtn. Lvs. elliptic-obovate, obtuse, mem- 

 branous, 4-8 in. long, lJ^-3 in. wide: calyx 5-parted: 

 ovary 5-ceIIed: seed ovoid-globose. Brazil, French Gui- 

 ana.— Var. angustifdlia, Mart., is the Egg Fruit or 

 Ti-ES of the W. Indies. It has elliptic-lanceolate lvs.. 

 acute at both ends. Fig. 1322. Cult, in S. i'la. and S. 

 Calif. -^ jl 



-Tx 



p 



(XVJ 



ZfUcitma mammosa, the"Mammee Sapota" of Jamaica, 

 is the fruit of a tree found wild also in Cuba and the 

 northeastern part of S. America. The tree is ornamen- 

 tal, about 30 feet high, of a pyramidal shape. It is occa- 

 .sionally seen where it was originally planted in pas- 

 tures near dwelling houses, but except for the droppings 

 from cattle and horses, it receives no other cultivation. 

 It requires a good deep soil and an annual rainfall of 

 about 70 inches. The flowers are cream-colored, about 

 J^ inch long, springing directly from the bark. The 

 fruit is about 6 inches long, with usually only 1 seed. It 

 has a russet-colored rough skin. The flesh is of a dark 

 yellowish red color, soft and sweet ; it has been compared 

 to a very ripe pear, but is more luscious. Marmalade is 

 made from the fruit, whence the name of "Marmalade 

 P'"™-" Wm. Fawcett. 



LTJDWlGIA (C. G. Ludwig, botanist and botanical 

 author at Leipzig, 170!>-1773). Onagrdceai. About 25 

 species of aquatic or semi-aquatic small herbs, widely 

 distributed in temperate and warm climates. FIs. small 

 and inconspicuous in the axils of the leaves, the parts 

 usually in 4's. Lvs. mostly small and mostly entire or 

 very nearly so, usually not distinctly petioled. The 

 stems are often creeping, sometimes floating. The op- 

 posite-lvd. species are by some referred to the genus 

 Isnardia. The Ludwigias have little standing as horti- 

 cultural subjects. They are sometimes useful in bog 

 gardens, and one is advertised for aquaria. Three spe- 

 cies are in the Amer. trade. 



A. Leaves opposite. 



palustris, Ell. (Isndrdia pahistris,hiim.). Water 

 Purslane. Trailing in muddy places or floating on shal- 

 low water, rooting at the joints : lvs. oval or oval-ob- 



lance-oWors, usually nar- 



long, narrowed into a short petiole 

 usually reddi.sh. — Widely distributed 

 offered as a bug plant. 



Mtilertii, Mulertt. 

 rowed into short pet i 

 truncate on top, ■' - ni i-r,,- h,'. ti-..hi > Vni.r i,v 

 Hugo Mulertt, tli. n .i . , : : ., i , ., „ ,i ,,', 



"Isis" (published in i - i i ■ • i •-" ■ i I - - ! i- .1 nU.. 



in the "Aquarium." \"! Ml i^. i::.i.|. Ii i- n-iv \', i4rly 

 distributed amongst yrowtrs of aquarium plants. It 

 seems not to have been studied by systematic botanists. 

 It is prized for its graceful habit and because it is ever- 

 green. Grows well from cuttings and from seeds. 

 aa. Leaves alternate. 



alteraifdlia, Linn. Seed-box, or Rattle-box. An 

 erect shrub, 2-3 ft. or more tall, in appearance not unlike 

 .111 Kjiilol.iuiii: lvs. lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, nar- 

 I v,. 1 III Im V, ( niirt_' or sometimes with mere sugges- 

 :1~. large for the genus {}4 in. across), 

 'US petals: capsules large, square in 

 r-^ - ii.ti. l;.i-s in eastern states.— Interesting, but 

 not .showy. l. h. B. 



LUEH£A (F. Karl van der LUke, Austrian botanist in- 

 terested in the Cape of Good Hope). Tilidcecf. About 

 16 species of trees and tall shrubs from the warmer 

 parts of America with usually toothed lvs. and handsome 

 white or rosy fls. borne in a terminal panicle, or some- 

 times in the axils; sepals and petals 5; stamens numer- 

 ous, the outer ones often without anthers ; ovary 5- 

 celled: capsule rather woody. [.I'uli.iM.illy scini-'i-valved. 

 An undetermined species is n.h . iti~i -i in S.mta Barbara, 

 1900, from Paraguay. Fran.-,-, hi uni.- ilut the inner 

 bark is used generally in I':ir;ir:iiay instead of string. 

 I.uehea is also spelled Luhea, ami the genus of this 

 name of the V'erbenacese is a South African genus re- 

 i< rred to Stilbe. 



LCFFA (Luff is the Arabic name). CumrbitAeea-. 

 Rao Gourd. Dishcloth Gourd. Vegetable iSpoN(iE. 

 Six species {according to Cogniaux. Vol. 3. DC. Monogr. 

 Phauer. ) of annual tendril-climbing herbs, inhabiting 

 the tropics of the Old and New Worlds. Fls. moncecious, 

 the staniinate ones in a long-stalked raceme or cluster, 

 the pistillate ones solitary and shorter-peduncled ; calyx 

 bell-shape or top-shape, strongly 5-lobed; corolla of 5 

 soft yellow or whitish petals, sometimes ragged-edged; 

 stamens usually 3, borne in the calyx tube: fr. a long, 

 gourd-like pepo, becoming dry when ripe and the fibrous 

 interior sponge - like. Known south as "California 

 Okra." 



Of late years, the Luffas have come into prominence in 

 American gardens, being an importation from the trop- 

 ics and China and Japan. In other countries, the fniit 

 is eaten when young, being cooked like squash or served 

 in soups and stews. The young fruit is sometimes sliced 

 and dried. (See Georgeson, A.G. Sept., 1892, and Bailey, 

 Bull. 67, Cornell Exp. Sta. ) In this country, Luffas are 

 grown mostly for curiosity and ornament. The fibrous 

 interior of the dried fruit, when bleached and prepared, 

 is used as a sponge for the bath and for scrubbing 

 (whence "Vegetable Sponge"). The culture is the 

 same as for cucumbers and melons. They are tender 

 plants, running 10 to 15 ft. The Luffas are widely dis- 

 persed in the tropics as cultivated plants. The genus 

 divides itself into 2 groups, — those species (L. ^lEgyp- 

 tiaca and L. acutanguta) with fruits not spiny or tuber- 

 culate, and those with spiny fruits. Only the following 

 species are known to be in cult, in this country: 



.Sgyptlaca, Mill. (L. cylindrica, Roem. L. Petdia, 

 Ser. L. Veltchii, Naud. L. fatida, Hort. [at least in 

 part], notCav. L. Fabi&na, Japdnica, Mexicclna [!] and 

 noctiflbra dlba, Hort.). Naoa ITO-URI of Japanese. SuA- 

 KWA of Chinese. The commone.st Dishcloth Gourd: 

 stems slender-running, furrowed, roughened: lvs. 

 roundish in outline, mostly lo-lobed, coarsely toothed, 

 very scabrous above and beneath: staminate fls. 2-3 in. 

 across, wilting in the sun: ovary cylindrical or clavate, 

 pubescent, destitute of distinct ridges, ripening into a 

 slender, cylindrical, curved fruit 1-2 ft. long. Probably 

 native to the Old World, but widely distributed in the 

 tropics. A.G. 13:526. 



