LEGUMINOSAE 
445 
Lavandula Tourn. ex Linn. Labiatae (v, q.v. for genus characters). 
20 sp. Medit. region, from Canaries to India. Z. vera DC. is the 
common lavender. From it is obtained oil of lavender, by distillation 
of the firs. The oil is used in painting, &c. , and in the manufacture 
of lavender water. Z. Spica Cav. and Z. Stoechas L. are also used. 
The protandrous firs, are visited by bees and form a good source 
of honey. 
Lavatera Linn. Malvaceae (ii). 20 sp. chiefly Medit.; 2 in Canaries, 
1 Austr., 1 mid-As. Z. arborea L., tree-mallow, on rocks on the 
Brit, coast. 
Lavoisiera DC. Melastomaceae (1). 50 sp. Brazil. 
Lawsonia Linn. Lythraceae. Z. inermis L., the only sp., everywhere 
cultivated in the tropics, originally E. Afr. to N. Austr. The powdered 
leaves form the well-known cosmetic, henna, used in the East to 
stain the finger-nails, &c. red. 
Layia Hook, et Am. Compositae (v). 14 sp. west N. Am. 
Leandra Raddi. Melastomaceae (1). 200 sp. trop. Am. 
Lebeckia Thunb. Leguminosae (ill. 3). 24 sp. S. Afr. 
Lecanopteris Blume. Polypodiaceae. 1 sp. Indo-mal., often placed 
in Polypodium. 
Lechea Kalm. Cistaceae. 4 sp. Am. 
Lecythidaceae. Dicotyledons (Archichl. Myrtiflorae). 18 gen. with 220 
sp. of trop. trees. The leaves are generally in bunches at the ends of 
the twigs, simple, exstipulate. Firs, single or in racemose infls., $ , 
perigynous or epigynous, with complete fusion of receptacle and 
ovary. K 4 — 6, C 4 — 6, A 00 in several whorls, the sta. more or less 
united at base. Ovary with 2 — 6 or more loc., in each 1 — 00 ana- 
tropous ovules. There is usually an intra-staminal disc as well as one 
under petals and sta. Berry or capsule. No endosperm. Berthol- 
letia and others are economic plants. Chief genera : Barringtonia, 
Napoleona, Couroupita, Lecythis, Bertholletia. United to Myrtaceae 
by Benth. -Hooker and Warming. 
Lecythis Loefl. Lecythidaceae. 30 sp. trop. S. Am. The fruit is a 
huge wooden capsule, opening by a lid. The oily seeds are eaten as 
Sapucaia nuts. The empty fruit is termed a ‘monkey-pot’ from its 
use in catching monkeys. It is filled with sugar, the monkey inserts 
its hand, clasps it, and then cannot withdraw it. 
Ledum Rupp, ex Linn. Ericaceae (1. 1). 3 sp., two in N. Am., Z. 
palustre L. circumpolar. The leaves are rolled back (cf. Empetrum). 
This sp. is used in Labrador as tea. Seeds winged at ends. 
Leea Royen. Vitaceae (11). 45 sp. trop. Old World. 
Leersia Soland. ex Sw. Gramineae (vi). 5 sp. N. temp, and trop. Marsh 
grasses similar to Oryza, and used as fodder in As. Z. oryzoides Sw. 
(Eur.) has cleistogamic firs. (Darwin, Forms of Firs. , p. 335). 
Leguminosae. Dicotyledons (Archichl. Rosales). The second largest 
family of flowering plants, with about 440 gen. and 7000 sp., 
