AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



229 



LIP 



parva and L. sphcerica, the two species intro- 

 duced, are propagated by cuttings of the 

 young shoots, and thrive best in a compost 

 of turfy loam and fibrous peat. 



' Li'paris. From liparos, unctuous ; referring to 

 the leaves. Nat. Ord. Orchidace.ee. 



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 wood- 

 lands in the Middle States and westward. 



Lip Fern. See Cheilanthes. 



Li'ppia. In honor of A. Lippi, a French physi- 

 cian. Nat. Ord. Verbenacece. 



A large genus of shrubs or sub-shrubs, 

 rarely herbs, mostly American, a few being 

 found in Africa. But few of the species are 

 in cultivation. Aloysia citriodora, the Lemon 

 Verbena, is by some, placed in this genus. 



Liquida'mbar. From liquidus, liquid, and ambar, 

 amber; referring to the gum, called liquid 

 storax, produced by some species. Nat. Ord. 

 Hamamelidacece. 



A genus of beautiful deciduous trees. L. 

 styraciflua, our common Sweet Gum Tree, is 

 one of our finest forest trees, and one deserv- 

 ing more general cultivation on the lawn, and 

 for a shade tree upon the roadsides. It is a 

 tall, erect-growing tree of elegant appearance, 

 especially in autumn, when its beautiful star- 

 shaped leaves which are very fragrant when 

 bruised, or after a shower when young, 

 change to a bright red, quite as conspicuous 

 as those of the Maple, and remain on the tree 

 much longer. This is the tree whose rough, 

 corky-ridged 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 unsophisticated city men, with about 

 as much chance of growing as their fence 

 pickets. There are several other species, 

 one from the Levant, and the others of late 

 introduction from Formosa, one or more of 

 which furnish the wood used by the Chinese 

 to make the chests in which they export their 

 tea. They are increased by seeds. 



Liquid Manures. See Manures. 



Liquorice. See Olycyrrhiza. 



Liriode'ndron. 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. Nat. Ord. 

 Magnoliacece. 



L. tulipifera, 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 200 feet, with a trunk as straight 

 as an arrow. Its flowers which are of the size 

 and shape of Tulips, and very fragrant, are 

 produced in June in the greatest abundance. 

 Color greenish white, variegated with yellow 

 and orange. There are two varieties of the 

 species, one of which furnishes white, the 

 other yellowish lumber. The former is of 

 but little value to the mechanic, but the latter 

 is highly esteemed for cabinet work, for boat- 

 building and especially in the manufacture of 

 wooden pumps, wooden-ware, etc. ; it is also 

 largely used for carriage bodies. Lirioden- 



LIT 



drin, a stimulant tonic, with diaphoretic 

 properties, is obtained by macerating the 

 inner bark, especially the root. It is propa- 

 gated by seeds sown as soon as ripe. 



Li'riope graminifolia. A synonym of Ophio- 

 pogon spicatum. 



Lisia'nthus. From lysis, the termination of a 

 disease, and anthos, a flower ; referring to its 

 intense bitterness and medicinal properties. 

 Nat. Ord. Gentianacece. 



This .genus is composed of green-house an- 

 nuals and evergreens, mostly of little merit 

 as flowering plants, the exception being L. 

 princeps, 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. Russellianus 

 (Syn. Eustoma Russelllanum), an annual or 

 biennial from Mexico, is another very pretty 

 species with rich blue flowers shaded with 

 purple. It is propagated only by seeds. 



Lissa'nthe. From lissos, smooth, and anthos, a 

 flower ; in reference to the limb of the corolla 

 being destitute of hairs. Nat. Ord. Epa- 

 cridacece. 



A genus of small, rigid shrubs, sometimes 

 not more than three or four inches high, and sel- 

 dom exceeding five feet, having small needle- 

 pointed leaves, and small, usually white flow- 

 ers, borne in short spikes from the sides of the 

 branches. L. sapida, a native of south-eastern 

 Australia, is called the Australian Cranberry, 

 on account of its resemblance both in size and 

 color to the European Cranberry, but its flesh 

 is thin, and more like that of the Siberian 

 Crab. The fruits of L. strigosa, and L. Mon- 

 tana are eaten in Tasmania, the latter being 

 a very dwarf mountain species, bearing large, 

 white, transparent, fleshy fruits. 



Lissochi'lus. From lissos smooth, and cheilos, a 

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

 Ord. Orchidacece. 



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 with in large collections. 



Li'stera. Twayblade. Dedicated to Dr. Martin 

 Lister, an early British naturalist. Nat. Ord. 

 Orchidacece. 



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. 



Lita'nthes. From litos, small, and anthos, a 

 flower; because of the extremely small size 

 of the plant. Nat. Ord. Liliacece. 



L. pusillus, the only species, is an exceed- 

 ingly small bulbous plant, having a bulb about 

 the size of a pea. The flowers are small, 

 white, solitary and drooping. It was intro- 

 duced from South Africa in 1870, and forms a 

 pretty object when grown in clumps in a 

 pot. 



Iiithospe'rmum. Gromwell. From lithos, a 

 stone, and sperma, a seed ; the little nuts or 

 seeds are extremely hard, and have a surface 

 as smooth as polished pebbles. Nat. Ord. 

 Boraginacece. 



