L Y T 
are terminated by three or four final! flowers, of a 
bright purple colour, growing in a bunch. This 
flowers in June, but is rarely planted in gardens. 
The ninth fort is a perennial plant with trailing (talks, 
which grow naturally in moift woods in moft parts 
of England, fo is not cultivated in gardens. The 
leaves ftand oppofite at each joint ; they are fmooth, 
oval, and acute-pointed. The flowers come out fingly 
from the fide of the ftalk, upon long foot-ftalks ; they 
are yellow, and fpread open like the flowers of Chick- 
weed. This flowers in May and June, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. 
The tenth fort grows naturally among Rallies and 
Reeds, by the rivers fides in Holland •, this hath a 
perennial creeping root like the firft. The ftalks rife 
a foot high ; they are ilender, and are garniflied by 
fpear-fhaped leaves an inch and a half long, and a 
quarter of an inch broad in the middle, placed feme- 
times by pairs, at others by threes, and often four at 
each joint, furrounding the ftalk. The flowers alfo 
come out at each joint, four of them Handing round 
the ftalk in whorls, each having a diftindt flender foot- 
ftalk an inch long. The flowers are ftnall and yel- 
low •, they appear in June, and are fometimes fuc- 
ceeded by feeds which ripen in autumn •, it may be 
treated in the lame manner as the firft fort, and is 
equally hardy. 
LYSIMACHIA G A LE R I C ULAT A. See 
Scutellaria. 
LYSIMACHIA NON PAPPOSA. See 
CEnothera. 
LYSIMACHIA SILIQUOSA. See Epilo- 
BIUM. 
LY THRUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 532. Salicaria. 
Tourn. Inft. R. H. 253. tab. 129. Willow Herb, or 
purple Looftrife. 
The Characters are, 
Pke flower hath a cylindrical ftriated empalement of one 
leaf ', indented at the h im in twelve parts, which are al- 
ternately /matter. It has fix oblong blunt petals which 
fpread open , whofe tails are inferted in the indentures of 
the empalement , and ten flender ftamina the length of the 
empalement , the upper being fhorter than the lower, ter- 
minated by flngle rifling flummits. In the center is flituated 
an oblong germen , flupporting an awl-floaped declining fiyle , 
crowned by a rifling orbicular fligma. I he germen after- 
ward turns to an oblong acute capfuls with two cells , filled 
with f matt feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linnaeus’s eleventh clafs, intitled Dodecandria Mo- 
nogynia, which includes thofe plants whofe flowers 
have twelve ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Lythrum ( Salicaria ) foliis oppofitis ccrdato-lance- 
olatis, floribus fpicatis dodecandris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
446. Lythrum with heart fpear-fhaped leaves placed op- 
pofite, and flowers growing in fpikes , having twelve fla- 
mina. Salicaria vulgaris, purpurea, foils oblongis. 
Tourn. Inft. R. H.. 253. Common purple Willow Herb 
with oblong leaves. 
2. Lythrum (fl'omentofum) foliis corflato-ovatis, flori- 
bus verticillato-fpicatis tomentofts. Lythrum with 
oval heart-fhaped leaves , and flowers growing in whorlly 
fpikes , which are woolly. Salicaria purpurea, foliis fub- 
rotundis. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 253. Purple Willow Herb 
with roundifh leaves. 
3. Lythrum ( Hyffopifotta ) foliis alternis linearibus, 
floribus hexandris. Horn Upfal. 1 1 8. Lythrum with 
linear alternate leaves, and flowers having fix ftamina. 
Salicaria hyfibpi folio anguftiore. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 
2 53. Willow Herb with a narrow Hyfflop leaf. 
"4. Lythrum ( Lujitanicum ) foliis lanceolatis ternis gla- 
bris, floribus fpicatis decandris. Lythrum with fmooth 
fpear-fhaped leaves placed by threes , and flowers growing 
in fpikes, which have ten ftamina, Salicaria Lufitanica, 
anguftiore folio. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 253. Portugal 
Willow Herb with a narrower leaf. 
5. Lythrum ( Ilifpanicum ) foliis oblongo-ovatis in- 
ferne oppofitis fuperne alternis floribus hexandris. Ly- 
thrum with oblong oval leaves placed oppofite below, but 
L Y T 
above alternate, and' flowers having fix ftamina: S'alie-s- 
ria Hifpanica, hyffopifolia, floribus oblongis fatware 
creruleis, Tourn. Inft. 253. Spanifh Willow Herb with 
a Hyffop leaf, and oblong, deep , blue flowers. 
6 . Lythrum (Verticil latum) foliis oppofitis, fubtus to- 
mentofls fubpetiolatis, floribus verticillatis iateralibus. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 446. Willow Herb with oppofite leaves, 
which are woolly on their under fide, and flowers growing 
in whorls round the ftalks. 
7. Lythrum ( Petiolatum ) foliis oppofitis linearibus pe- 
tiolatis, floribus dodecandris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 44 6. 
Willow Herb with linear leaves placed oppofite , having 
foot-ftalks , and flowers with twelve ftamina. 
8. Lythrum {Line are) foliis oppofitis linearibus, fio- 
ribus oppofitis hexandris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 447. Wil- 
low Herb with linear oppofite leaves , and flowers having 
fix ftamina, which are placed oppofite. 
9. Lythrum ( Americanum ) foliis oblongo-ovatis in- 
feme oppofitis luperne alternis, floribus hexandris, 
caule eredto. Willow Herb with oblong leaves placed op- 
pofite below, and above alternate , with flowers having fix 
ftamina and an erebt ftalk. Salicaria Americana, hyf- 
fopi folio latiore, floribus minimis. Houft. MSS. Ame- 
rican Willow Herb with a broader Hyffop leaf, and very 
fmatt flowers. 
The firft fort grows naturally by the fide of rivers and 
ditches in moft parts of England. It has a peren- 
nial root, from which come forth feveral upright an- 
gular ftalks, which rife from three to four feet high ; 
they are of a purple colour, and are garniflied with 
oblong leaves, placed fometimes by pairs oppofite, at 
others there are three leaves at each joint, {landing 
round the ftalk. The flowers are produced in a long 
fpike at the top of the ftalk ; they are of a fine pur- 
ple colour, and make a fine appearance. This flowers 
in July, and the feeds ripen in autumn : although this 
plant is defpifed, becaufe it grows common, yet it me- 
rits a place in gardens better than many other which 
are propagated with care, becaufe they are more rare. 
Jt is eafily cultivated by parting the roots in autumn, 
and fhould be planted in a moift foil, where it will 
thrive and flower without any other care than the 
keeping it clean from weeds. 
There is a variety of this with an hexangular ftalk, 
and generally with three leaves at each joint; but this 
is only accidental, for the roots of this, when removed 
into a garden, come to the common fort. 
The fecond fort hath perennial roots like the firft, 
from which come out upright branching ftalks three 
feet high, garniflied with oval heart-fhaped leaves 
about one inch long, and three quarters of an inch 
broad ; they are downy, and placed by threes round 
the ftalk. The flowers are produced in long fpikes 
at the top of the ftalks, but they are difpofed in thick 
whorls, with fpaces between each ; they are of a fine 
purple colour, and appear at the fame time with the 
former. This may be propagated in the fame way as 
the firft fort, and is equally hardy. 
The third fort grows naturally in moift bogs in many 
parts of England, fo is feldom admitted into gardens ; 
this hath a perennial root, fending up two or three 
branching ftalks about a foot high, garniflied -with 
narrow leaves, placed alternate. The upper part of 
the ftalk is garnifhed with flowers, which come out 
from the fide fingly at each joint, Handing clofe to 
the bale of the leaves ; they are ftnall, and of a light 
purple colour, appearing in June, and the feeds ripen 
in autumn. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Spain and Por- 
tugal, in moift places by the fide of waters ; this has a 
perennial root and ftalks like the firft, which feldom 
grow more than one foot high, garnifhed with nar- 
rower and fhorter leaves than the firft, which are 
fmooth, and placed by threes round the ftalk. The 
flowers grow in fpikes at the top of the ftalks ; they 
are of a light purple colour, and appear in July. The 
feeds ripen in autumn. This fort is hardy, and may 
be propagated in the fame way as the firft. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in Spain and Portugal, 
from both which countries I have received the feeds. 
Thg 
