314 
THE ANDROMEDA. 
Lyonia racemosa, D. Don (racemose- 
flowered Lyonia). — A deciduous shrub of 
three or four feet high ; the leaves are oval- j 
lanceolate, serrulate ; the flowers are cylin- 
drical, white, in terminal, one-sided spikes, 
having a very ornamental appearance ; it 
flowers in June and July. A native of bogs 
and swamps in North America. The flowers 
have a fine odour. There are two varieties : 
— latifolia and stricta. 
Lyonia rigida, Nuttal (rigid-leaved 
Lyonia). — An evergreen shrub, with cuneate- 
lanceolate coriaceous leaves ; the flowers are : 
globose, white, from the axils of the leaves ; I 
it flowers in April and May. A native of 
North America. 
Lyonia salicifolia, "Watson (willow-leaved 
Lyonia). — A deciduous shrub allied to L. 
'paniculata, and like it possessing considerable 
beauty ; the leaves are lanceolate-acuminate, 
shining ; the flowers are greenish-white glo- ; 
bular, in compound terminal racemes: it flowers 
in June and July. A native of the Mauritius. 
The Lyonias require similar treatment to 
that which will be detailed under the next head. 
LEUCOTHOE. 
Leucothoe acuminata, G. Don (acumi- 
nate-leaved Leucothoe). — An evergreen shrub 
of two to three feet high, with ovate-lanceolate 
shining coriaceous leaves ; the flowers are 
cylindrically ovate, white, in short drooping 
axillary racemes ; they are very freely pro- 
duced in July and August. A native of 
sandy swamps, in Georgia and Florida. It is | 
variously named : — Andromeda formosis- 
sima ; A. laurina ; A. reticulata; A. popu- 
lifolia; and A. lucida ; and is called '"'pipe 
stem-wood" by the Americans, from the 
circumstance of the stems being hollow, and 
used by them as pipe stems. 
Leucothoe axillaris, D. Don (axillary- 
racemed Leucothoe). — An evergreen shrub 
of two to three feet high, with oblong or oval, 
acuminate, serrulated leaves ; the flowers are . 
white, ovate-cylindrical, in short axillary 
racemes ; it blooms in May and June. A 
native of the mountains of North America. 
There is a variety with very long linear- 
lanceolate leaves. 
Leucothoe floribunda, D. Don (numerous- 
flowered Leucothoe). — An extremely beautiful 
evergreen shrub, growing two or three feet 
high, and very bushy ; the leaves are coria- 
ceous, ovate-acute, finely serrulated ; the 
flowers are white, ovate, disposed in several 
close one-sided spikes at the ends of the 
branches, forming a terminal forked panicle ; 
it blooms in May and June. A native of the 
mountains of Georgia. This plant is rare, j 
and generally esteemed difficult of cultivation, j 
Leucothoe spicata, G. Don (spicate-ra- 
cemed Leucothoe). — A glabrous evergreen 
shrub of two feet high., with elliptic-lanceolate, 
serrated leaves, and long one-sided spikes of 
cylindrical-ovate white flowers ; produced in 
June. A native of North America. 
Leucothoe spinulosa, G. Don (spinulous- 
leaved Leucothoe). — An evergreen shining 
low shrub, with coriaceous ovate-oblong, 
serrulated leaves, and white ovate-cylindrical 
flowers, in one-sided axillary racemes ; it 
blooms in May and June. A native of Lower 
Carolina. It is also known as Andromeda 
Catesb&i, and is a very beautiful species. 
L. floribunda, which is oae of the most 
beautiful, is also generally considered one of 
the most difficult species to cultivate. The 
following details refer specially to it, but the 
same system of cultivation will be found suit- 
able for the whole family of Andromedae. 
This species of Leucothoe pre-eminently 
delights in the cool moist situation which has 
already been alluded to. It is very impatient 
of heat and a dry atmosphere ; when planted, 
as it has sometimes been seen, in a border on 
the south side of a brick wall — a situation 
usually afforded to rare and delicate plants, 
and where, therefore, this would be very likely 
to be placed — it soon gets into a very un- 
healthy state, and eventually languishes and 
perishes. It is also impatient of being kept 
in a pot, though it may be taken up and placed 
in pots for forcing one season without much 
injury being sustained ; in this case it requires 
planting out again, after flowering. But when 
retained during the summer in pots, it always 
suffers, more or less ; and no treatment appears 
so prejudicial to its health as to be potted and 
placed in a dry and hot situation, exposed to 
the rays of the sun, or within the influence of 
reflected heat. In thus alluding to its inadap- 
tation to pot culture, it is not assumed that it 
cannot be well grown in pots, for the skill and 
energy of British gardeners would accomplish 
even greater deeds than this, but in ordinary 
cases, and under ordinary treatment, it does 
not succeed when so grown. In fact, its 
proper position is out-of-doors, as a hardy 
shrub ; and there through the winter and 
early spring its pearly flowers and dark green 
foliage are very beautiful. 
To secure the condition of coolness and 
moisture in the soil, so desirable in cultivating 
these plants, and not always naturally existing, 
at least when the necessary drainage to prevent 
stagnant moisture has been attended to, the 
following practice has been adopted with 
success : — Beneath the soil forming the beds 
in which they are grown, is formed an imper- 
vious layer of stiff or clayey soil, hollowed out 
like a dish ; this should slightly slope to one 
point, where there should be egress for the 
