304 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



Laburnum, seacoast. See Sophora tomentosa. 



Lactuca sativa. Lettuce. 



Family Cichoriaceae. 



Local names. — Lechuga (Spanish); Ghisa, Chishana ( Japan j. 

 This plant is difficult to grow in Guam. Seed brought from the United States was 

 repeatedly planted, but without success. In Bengal, where the climatic conditions 

 are very similar to those of Guam, the seed is sown at the beginning of October. It 

 sometimes remains in the ground a month or two before all of it germinates. As it 

 is liable to be destroyed by insects it should be sown in large shallow seed pans, 

 supported on flower pots standing in vessels of water. The soil is kept moist and 

 shaded by muslin or by an inverted pan of the same size as that containing the 

 earth. Firminger recommends that the plants be pricked out when four leaves have 

 formed and planted in beds at about eight or ten inches apart. "If two or three 

 plants be reserved and allowed to run to seed, the seed thus saved may be sown 

 almost immediately and a supply of plants secured which, if grown in a spot tolerably 

 sheltered from the sun and excessive wet, will come into use during the hot and 

 rain seasons. " a In Guam the best plants grown thus far have been Japanese varie- 

 ties. These are upright in shape and are sometimes cooked as pot herbs. They 

 grow to the height of 3 feet. b 

 References: 



Lactuca sativa L. Sp. PI. 2: 795. 1753. 

 Lada, Ladda (Guam). See Morinda citrifolia. 

 Lagairai ( Philippines) . See Ipomoea pes-caprae. 



Lagenaria lagenaria. Bottle gourd. 



Family Cucurbitaceae. 



Local names. — Tagoa (Guam); Calabaza vinatera (Spanish); Vango (Fiji); 



Opo, Upo, Opu, Sicoi, Tabayag, Kalubai (Philippines);. Fangu (Samoa; 



Futuna); c Ipu (Hawaii); Hue (Tahiti); Ue (Rarotonga); Kapop kapop, 



Kabo Kabole (German New Guinea); Kaddu (India); Laoki-kudu (Bengal); 



Labo (Macassar); Diya labu (Ceylon); Hu-lu (China); Acocote, Alacate 



(Mexico); Marimbo (Porto Rico). 



This well-known and widely spread plant has been cultivated in Guam from time 



immemorial. It is easily distinguishable from other gourds by its white flowers. 



The hard mature shell is used as a dipper or bottle, the green fruit cut into strips as 



a vegetable, and the seeds as medicine. 



The plant is annual and is planted in June. It often springs up spontaneously and 

 may be seen climbing over walls and the roofs of native dwellings. Unless seasoned 

 well the fruit is insipid. It acts as a laxative and is likely to purge if eaten in any 

 quantity. 



References: 

 Lagenaria lagenaria (L.) Cockerell, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 19: 95. 1892. 

 Cucurbita lagenaria L. Sp. PI. 2: 1010. 1753. 

 Lagenaria vulgaris Ser. Mem. Soc. Phys. Genev. 3 1 : 16. 1825. 

 Lagenaria vulgaris Ser. Same as Lagenaria lagenaria. 



«Firminger, Manual of Gardening for Bengal, etc., ed. 4, p. 172, 1890. 



*> Useful Plants of Japan, p. 13, 1895. 



cThe Samoan name "fangu," identical with the Fijian "vango," is applied to 

 gourds used to hold oil and also to all bottles and jugs. The same word is thus used 

 in the island of Futuna. In Samoa "me," identical with the Tahitian "hue" and 

 the Rarotongan "ue," is used generally to designate all creeping plants, whether 

 Cucurbitaceae, Leguminosae, or Convolvulaceae. In Samoa "ipu," identical with 

 the Hawaiian "ipu," is the word for "cup," which may be made of a gourd, of 

 coconut shell, or of tin or porcelain. 



