laburnum. 



160 



LADANUM. 



Knight's Star. — A kind of Ama- 

 ryllis, considered by some authors as 

 forming a separate genus called Hip- 

 peastrum. 



Knives are used in gardening for 

 pruning, and also for budding and 

 grafting. Pruning-knives were for- 

 merly characterised by hooked blades; 

 but as we have already mentioned 

 under the article Instruments, straight- 

 edged blades are now preferred, as 

 making a cleaner cut. The best de- 

 scription of budding-knife is manu- 

 factured by H. Verinder, St. Paul's 

 Church-yard ; it has a straight blade, 

 the upper half of the back having also 

 a cutting edge, and the handle is ter- 

 minated by a rounded end. A great 

 variety of garden-knives, of improved 

 constructions, are manufactured by 

 Messrs. Rogers and Sons, cutlers, 

 Sheffield ; and of pruning-shears, of 

 excellent kinds, by Messrs. Wilkin- 

 son, of the same place. 



Knowltonia. — Ranunculacece. — 

 Half-hardy perennial plants, natives 

 of the Cape of Good Hope, nearly 

 allied to Adonis vernalis. They 

 should be grown in peat, mixed with 

 a little loam ; and they are increased 

 by dividing the roots. 



Kochia. — Chenopodiacece. — Bel - 

 videre or Summer Cypress. An an- 



nual plant, formerly much cultivated 

 in gardens, to gather for beaupots to 

 place in the fire-places during sum- 

 mer ; but which now is rarely seen. 

 About a century ago many plants were 

 grown for these large beaupots, but 

 as they are now no longer used, the 

 flowers that were to supply them are 

 neglected. Kochia h quite hardy, 

 and only requires sowing in the open 

 ground. 



Kolreuteria. — Sapindacece. — 

 A middle-sized deciduous tree, a na- 

 tive of China, but quite hardy in 

 British gardens, and very ornamental 

 from its large variously-divided fo- 

 liage, and its conspicuous terminal 

 compound spikesof rich yellow flowers. 

 These are freely produced in the cli- 

 mate of London, and are often suc- 

 ceeded by bladdery capsules, which 

 contain seeds ; and from these, or 

 cuttings of the roots, it is readily 

 propagated. It will grow in any soil, 

 and does not altogether dislike coal 

 smoke. 



Koniga. — Cruciferce — The Sweet 

 Alyssum. A pretty little annual, with 

 white sweet-scented flowers, often 

 used as an edging-plant to beds and 

 borders. It only requires sowing in 

 the open ground in March. 



Labels are pieces of wood, parch- 

 ment, or metal, bearing the name of 

 the plants, and tied to them. When 

 the names are affixed to a piece of 

 wood or metal, stuck into the ground, 

 they are called tallies ; and of these 

 there are many kinds. See Tally. 



Lablavia. — Leguminosce. — The 

 Egyptian Bean, formerly called Do- 

 leibos Lablab, but now Lablavia 

 vulgaris. A half-hardy annual climb- 

 ing plant, or biennial plant, which only 

 requires the usual treatment of similar 

 plants. It has a very showy flower. 



Laburnum. — Sec Cf/tisus, 



Lacebark. — See Lagetta. 



LachenaYia. — Asphodelece. — 

 Cape bulbs, with very showy flowers. 

 They will not need taking up in win- 

 ter ; but must be grown in pots in 

 a greenhouse, and allowed very little 

 water at that season. They are ge- 

 nerally grown in loam and peat, 

 mixed with a little leaf-mould. 



Ladanum, or Labdanum. — A gum 

 produced by some of the kinds of 

 Cistus, quite different from Laudanum, 

 which is a preparation from Opium, 

 and made from the Poppy. 



