673 



STfje Ereas'ttrn of 23atan». 



[lept 



the corolla rotate or bell-shaped, the fruit 

 quite smooth on the surface. [B. S.] 



LEPTANDRA. Veronica. 



LEPTANTHUS. A small genus of aqua- 

 tic herbs belonging to' the Pontederiacece, 

 natives of North America, differing from 

 Heteranthera in having the three filaments 

 all alike. L.graminea is common in streams 

 in North America, and has much the habit 

 of the narrow-leaved pond-weeds. The 

 small yellow flowers with a salver-shaped 

 perianth float on the surface of the water, 

 and are produced from a one-flowered ter- 

 minal spathe. [J. T. S.] 



LEPTARRHENA. A genus of Saxifraga- 

 cece, found on the north-west coast of Ame- 

 rica, and in Kamtschatka. It is allied to 

 Saxifraga, from which it differs by the 

 anthers being four-celled ithe partition 

 being incomplete), and by the two carpels 

 adhering only by their bases : a herb with 

 shining evergreen leathery undivided 

 and serrate leaves, resembling those of 

 Pyrola secunda; scape with a terminal 

 panicle of small inconspicuous white 

 flowers. [J. T. SJ 



LEPTINELLA. A genus of Composite 

 of the tribe AnthemidecK, consisting of four 

 or five prostrate or procumbent herbs with 

 the scent of Artemisia or of tansy, all 

 natives of the southern extremity of South 

 America, or of some of the Antarctic . 

 islands. They are remarkable for the 

 shape of the minute ray-florets, of which 

 the corolla appears to be formed by a I 

 double membrane connected at the summit 

 and the base, with a cavity between them. I 

 One species, L. scariosa, though possessed | 

 of no beauty, is interesting as one of the 

 flowering plants which extend the furthest 

 into the Antarctic regions. 



LEPTOCARPUS. A genus of Australian 

 Eestiacece, consisting of leafless herbs, with 

 the stems simple, and the dioecious flow- 

 ers fasciculate. [J. T. S.] 



LEPTOCATJLIS. A genus of umbellif ers, 

 characterised by each half of the fruit hav- 

 ing five inconspicuous ribs, and one oil- 

 vessel (vitta) in each furrow. The species 

 are natives of North America, of no great 

 interest, having umbels of few small white 

 flowers. [G. D.] 



LEPTOCERAS. A genus of terrestrial 

 Australian orchids belonging to the Are- 

 tlmseee. They have solitary or geminate 

 radical leaves, and one or many-flowered ! 

 scapes, the flowers often fragrant. They 

 have membranaceous sepals, the upper for- I 

 nicate, the lateral deflexed ; clavate erect J 

 petals ; a lip articulated with the winged 

 column ; and four pollen-masses. [T. M.J 



LEPTOCHILUS. Gymnopteris. 



LEPTOCHLOA. A genus of grasses be- 1 

 longing to the tribe ChloridecB. The spikes 

 of inflorescence are disposed in racemes, 

 and the spikelets mostly unilateral, two or 

 more-flowered; glumes keeled ; outer pale 

 keeled, three-nerved, with a straight awn. 



The species, of which about three dozen are 

 described, are, for the most part, handsome 

 grasses, and chiefly natives of South Ame- 

 rica and the "West Indies. L. arabica is 

 found growing near Naples. [D. M.] 



LEPTODACTYLON. A genus of Polemo- 

 niacece, though often considered as only a 

 section of Gilia. The three species grouped 

 together under this name are distinguished 

 from the other species of Gilia by the fol- 

 lowing characteristics : they are lowly 

 branching perennial herbs, with alternate 

 sessile palmatisect leaves, the segments 

 subulate and needle-like ; and the solitary 

 sessile flowers are either terminal or axil- 

 lary at the tops of the branches ; the divi- 

 sions of the calyx are subulate and prickly; 

 the corolla is somewhat salver-shaped, with 

 entire lobes ; the anthers are ovate ; and 

 there are many ovules in each cell of the 

 ovary. The species are natives of North 

 America. [W. C] 



LEPTODAPHNE. A genus of Brazilian 

 lauraceous trees, with net-veined leaves, 

 and flowers in panicles. The perianth is 

 funnel-shaped, with a limb of six deciduous 

 segments; stamens nine, in three rows, 

 the outer six fertile, some of them pro- 

 vided with an erect tooth-like appendage; 

 the inner three sterile, sometimes absent, 

 and when present having two glands at 

 their base ; the anthers are four-celled. 

 The fruit is fleshy and enclosed within the 

 fleshy base of the perianth. [M. T. M.] 



LEPTOGLOSSIS. A genus of Peruvian 

 herbaceous plants of the family Scrophula- 

 riacecp. The leaves are hairy ; the flowers 

 grow at the extremity of the branches ; 

 the corolla is plaited and overlappingin the 

 bud : its limb somewhat two-lipped and sal- 

 ver-shaped. The genus is intermediate be- 

 tween Sclncenkia and Broivallia. [M. T. M.] 



LEPTOGRAMMA. Grammitis. 



LEPTOLiENA multiflora is the sole 

 representative of a genus of Chlenarece, in- 

 habiting Madagascar, and forming an ele- 

 gant tree with undulate glabrous leaves, 

 corymbose flowers, a small rather fleshy 

 cylindrical involucre, three sepals longer 

 than the involucre ; five petals; ten sta- 

 mens ; and a three-celled capsule, with one 

 or two seeds in each cell. [B. S.] 



LEPTOLOBIUM. A genus of tropical 

 leguminous trees and shrubs, almost en- 

 tirely confined to the forests of Brazil, 

 where some of the species form large tim- 

 ber trees. They have pinnate leaves ; de- 

 ciduous stipules ; and flowers in racemes, 

 with the corolla somewhat papilionaceous. 

 The pods are narrow, flat, and of a thin 

 membranous texture. About ten species 

 are known. [A. S.] 



LEPTOMERIA. An Australian genus of 

 Santalacece, abounding in the neighbour- 

 hood of Swan River. About twenty spe- 

 cies are known, two of them separated by 

 some botanists under the name of Ompha- 

 comeria. They are broom-like shrubs, with 

 angular or roundish twiggy branches, gene- 



