LANTANA 



VERVAIN OBDEB 



LippiA 739 



numerous beautiful garden varieties are 

 supposed to be derived by selection and 

 fertilisation, but there can be little doubt 

 that other species like nivea, white, 

 crocea, bright red, with a yellow centre, 

 and perhaps others have had their share 

 in producing them, as they have all been 

 known to cultivation for very many 

 years. 



The hybrid or garden Lantanas are 

 remarkable for the freedom with which 

 they produce their flowers during the 

 summer and autumn months. They 

 display a great range of colour, including 

 pink, white, flesh-colour, lilac, crimson, 

 yellow, orange. With the exception of 

 pure white, the flowers of other colours 

 have the peculiarity of gradually passing 

 from one shade to another, a chameleon- 

 like process, which is at once interesting 

 and beautiful. 



Culture and Propagation. — At one 

 time it was usual to name choice varieties 

 of Lantanas, such as Bouquet, Blanc, 

 Don Cahnet, Eldorado, Fabiola, Glohe 

 d'Or, La Neige, Meteor, Ne Plus Ultra, 

 Ver Luisant, Victoire &c., but as a 

 packet of mixed seeds will yield all the 

 colours supposed to be the copyright of 

 such names, it is unnecessary to have 

 named varieties, especially as they can 

 never be relied upon to come, true from 

 seeds. The only safe way to increase the 

 stock of an exceptionally fine variety is 

 by cuttings. These may be taken in 

 August and September from the side 

 shoots, without flowers, and inserted in 

 sandy soil in shallow boxes, pots &c., and 

 placed in the greenhouse or on a hotbed 

 until rooted. Cuttings of the young 

 shoots may also be taken in spring and 

 wni soon root on a hotbed. 



During the winter months and until 

 May the plants require greenhouse pro- 

 tection. But from the end of May until 

 October they make effective bedding or 

 border plants, and should be grown in 

 masses or groups to obtain the best effect, 

 not dotted about here and there in single 

 specimens. The old plants may be out 

 back in autumn, and potted up for green- 

 house or conservatory decoration in 

 spring. 



Besides cuttings, Lantanas are also 

 easily raised from seed sown in hotbeds 

 in February and March. When 3-4 

 leaves have been formed the seedlings 

 may be pricked off into small pots, and 

 stUl grown on in gentle heat until well 



rooted and established. After this, some- 

 what cooler quarters, and an increasing 

 amount of air, with plenty of light, are 

 required to harden the plants oflf, and 

 induce dwarf, sturdy growth, so that they 

 will be quite fit for transferring to the 

 open ground at the end of May or begin- 

 ning of June. 



Lantanas thrive in any good garden 

 soil, well enriched with leaf-mould and 

 decomposed manure. Generally speaking 

 they may be grown in the same way as 

 Heliotropes (see p. 670) or Verbenas. 



LIPPIA. — A large genus containing 

 about 90 species of smooth or hairy 

 shrubs, undershrubs, or rarely herbs. 

 Leaves opposite or 3 in a whorl, rarely 

 alternate, entire, toothed or lobed, flat or 

 wrinkled. Flowers small, solitary, sessile 

 in the axils of the bracts, and borne in 

 long, graceful, or densely cylindrical 

 spikes, or collected into a head. Calyx 

 small, membranous. Corolla tube cylin- 

 drical, straight or incurved, with an 

 oblique, spreading 4-lobed, and somewhat 

 2-lipped limb. Stamens 4, didynamous. 

 Ovary 2-celled. Fruit small, dry, enclosed 

 by, and sometimes attached to, the calyx. 



Culture and Propagation. — Only a 

 few species are in cultivation. They all 

 like a light rich soil, and are easily 

 increased by cuttings of the young shoots 

 almost at any time of the year, inserted 

 in sandy soil, and placed in a warm 

 greenhouse. 



L. canescens {L, repens). — A small 

 creeping plant, native of Peru, more or 

 less covered with hoary hairs, and having 

 rooting stems rarely exceeding 4-6 in. 

 high. Leaves oblong lance-shaped, and 

 toothed towards the top. Flowers from 

 June to September, clear lilac, in round 

 heads at the top of slender thread-like 

 stalks springing from the axils of the 

 leaves. 



Culture and Propagation. — This is 

 a good plant for dry parts of the rock- 

 ery, the edges of beds or borders &c. 

 in mild and warm parts of the country, 

 in any well-drained garden soil. It is 

 easily increased in spring, summer, or 

 autumn by detaching portions of the 

 branches which root naturally in the soil. 

 In cold parts of the country a little pro- 

 tection in winter may be needed. 



L. citriodora [Aloysia citriodora ; 

 Verbena triphylla). — This is the well- 



3b2 



