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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS leonotis 



year, either in the early autumn or in 

 spring. It may also be increased by 

 sowing seeds in the open border in April 

 and May, and transplanting the seedlings 

 in autumn. But it is scarcely necessary 

 to go to this trouble, as increase by 

 division is so easy. 



S. maweana. — A rare species 1 ft. or 

 more high, native of Morocco, the vsrhole 

 plant being covered with silvery-white 

 hairs. Leaves ovate, heart-shaped, deeply 

 crenate-toothed, grey-green above, about 

 1 in. long. Flowers in July and August, 

 pale straw-yellow, with purple blotches 

 on the lower lip. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 thrives in warm sheltered borders in rich 

 soil, and may be increased by seeds and 

 division. The plant is figured in the 

 ' Botanical Magazine,' t. 6389. 



LAMIUM (Dead Nettle). — A genus 

 of annual or perennial hairy herbs, 

 decumbent at the base, often with heart- 

 shaped, toothed, or somewhat incised 

 leaves, and flowers in axillary or terminal 

 bracteate whorls. Calyx tubular cam- 

 paniilate, 5-toothed. Corolla tube with 

 or without a ring of hairs within the 

 dilated throat ; upper lip erect, ovate 

 or oblong, concave or arched, entire, or 

 rarely 2-cleft ; lower lip spreading, 3- 

 lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous ; anthers 

 cohering in pairs. Nutlets triquetrous, 

 smooth or minutely tuberculate. 



There are only a few species of any 

 pretensions to garden value. The white 

 (L. album) and purple {Zi. purpureum) 

 Dead Nettles of the roadsides and ditches 

 are probably the best knovni representa- 

 tives of the genus, but are only weeds at the 

 best. L. Galeohdolon, known as ' Yellow 

 Archangel,' is a yeUow-flowered perennial, 

 of which there is also a variety with 

 golden-bronzy leaves, that make it useful 

 for rockeries or rough borders. L. gar- 

 ganicum, from Italy, grows 12-18 in. high, 

 and has heart-shaped, wrinkled leaves, 

 and dense whorls of purplish flowers. L. 

 maculatum is now found natin:alised in 

 many parts of the British Islands, and is 

 recognised by its heart-shaped, crenate, 

 wrinkled leaves, having an irregular, 

 silvery-white band down the centre. The 

 flowers of the type are purple, but there 

 is also a pretty white-flowered form, as 

 well as one called aureum, with golden- 

 coloured leaves. It is a pretty plant for 

 rockeries and edgings to borders &c. 



L. Orvala is a distinct Dead Nettle 

 1-3 ft. high, native of S. Europe, with 

 large, broadly ovate, coarsely toothed 

 leaves, and whorls of deep red flowers in 

 early summer. 



Culture amd Propagation, — Any 

 ordinary light and fairly moist soil will 

 suit the Dead Nettles, which are easily 

 increased by seed or division in spring. 



MOLUCELLA.— A small genus of 

 smooth, annual herbs, with stalked, 

 crenate or incised leaves, and flowers in 

 axillary whorls, having awl-shaped, sharp 

 spiny bracteoles. Calyx obliquely bell- 

 shaped, striped, 5-10-ribbed, and much 

 dilated above into a broad, net-veined 

 limb, enclosing the small 2-lipped, arch- 

 ing coroUa. Stamens 4, didynamous. 

 Nutlets acutely triquetrous. 



M. Isevis. — A singular Syrian species, 

 12-18 inches high, with long-stalked, 

 roundish, coarsely toothed leaves. Flow- 

 ers in August, in dense, erect, columnar, 

 whorled spikes, having large, obscurely 

 pentagonal, bell-shaped and net-veined 

 calyces enclosing the white corollas. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 remarkable but not particularly showy 

 plant may be treated as a tender annual. 

 It flourishes in sandy loani, and may be 

 raised from seeds sown in heat in 

 February and March, the seedlings being 

 transplanted in May to the rockery or 

 border. 



LEONOTIS (Lion's Ear).— A genus 

 containing about 12 species of perennial 

 herbs or shrubs with toothed leaves and 

 flowers in crowded whorls. Calyx tubular, 

 10-ribbed, often incurved at the apex and 

 with an oblique 8-10 more or less spiny- 

 toothed mouth. Corolla tube cylindrical or 

 dilated above with or without a ring of 

 hairs inside; limb 2-lipped; upper lip erect, 

 elongated, concave ; lower lip short, spread- 

 ing, 3-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, 

 the lower pair longest. Nutlets ovoid, 

 triquetrous, blunt or truncate at the apex, 

 smooth. 



L. Leonurus {Plilomis Leoniirus). — A 

 handsome S. African evergreen shrub 3- 

 6 ft. high with woolly branches and oblong 

 lance - shaped bluntly toothed leaves, 

 downy above, woolly beneath. Flowers 

 in summer, bright orange-scarlet, hairy, 

 2 in. long, and borne in 4-6 more or less 

 distant whorls on a spike. 



Culture and Propagation. — This re- 



