, 1909-11-10

west 1DQlfS 10 DIdZl. IL HPSSIO' "O
rapid growers and most constant boomers.
Many new varieties have been produced
from seeds, comprising red, golden, white
or various-c oloured flowers. First intro
duced from the West Indies in 1852.
Here in Santa Cruz we could speak OF the
yellow Lantana or the purple Lantana,
whose scientific names, according to Baron
Eggers, are given below.
50 far the leaves only have been mention
ed. The flowers, which grow IN heads,
as every one knows, are IN form like other
yerbenacou8 flowers, that is to say having q
tube with an expanded top Qimb, as the
botanist call it) Of five unequal divisions,
and in the throat two pairs Of stamens,
one pair longer than the other. There
is q small calyX and u bract support
ing each flower. In the purple lanta-
ma the outer bracts are larger than usual and
form a conspicuous ring Of brocts, or. lnyoIu-
ere, which gives the species its name. The
ovnry grows into a stone-bearing fruit or
dru0e, as in the pigeon berry (duranta) only
it is very much smaller. The small fruits Of
a head of flowers clustered together resem-
bic somewhat a small black berry, especially
in the yellow l~autana, where they are shining
black, whereas IN the purple lantona they
have a dull purple colour. The small fruit
contains two little stones or nutlets, not four,
as in the case of the duranta. The flowers
in the ~lantanas do not drop off IN a hurry
nothing would be gained by it, since the
stigma is below the anthers, not above them
or on u level as in the case Of the vervaln,
consequently, although the corolla finally
drops off, it first fades and wlthers.
Baron Eggers gives four species OF janta-
ma as +, und in st. C1oix, but the Other two
are rare.
From the lantanas we may turn to their
humble little cousin the Lippia. Asa Gray
says that the genus if named for 4. Li2t,
an Italian botanist. The Santa Cruz species
is called Lippja nod Hora, which means that
the flowers spring from the nodes or Joints of
the stem.It may be seen on many pastures, and
appears especially to love the seaside. We
may see it any time at Judith's Fancy
for instance. a small low plant almost
CT Keeping among the grass and roofing
at the Joints of the stem. 1t has
rather thick, browmsh leaves, widening at
the top, which Is also serrated. The
tiny heads Of white flowers remind US IN
their form of the larger heads Of its cousins
the ~lantaIas, but they are naI lnoeed,
and when the fruit forms it IS not a drupe,
as in the lautauas, but a pair Of cohermg dry
nutlets with two seeds III each. HARD any
one except a lover Of plants mott ces the little
llppIt VI liz ld9' IA CEJ DE' ~
ippia which every body notices, and most
people esteem, namely the garden plant
known as the Jemon-Sce1tte8 cer6enQ. THIS
plant the botanists call LipPja Cjhjodor",
though it is perhaps more commonly known
as A1oysja c.rjodora. In this plant the
flowers are not grouped in heads as in our
common Lippia of the pastures, but are ar
ranged on slend er spikes. The difference
between the spike and the head is after all
only a question of space-dowers that are
distinctly separated by intervals on a spike
when brought very close to each other form
a head. Striking examples of This are seen
in the ocacias, in most Of winch the flowers
are grouped in round heads, but il a few are
arranged on small spikes.
The mention of the lemon-scented VERDE
na in this article must, however, be regard
ed as a depression, since it was to be Hunted
to uatire plants Of the yerbepaceous family;
while thus is u foreigner, coming originally
from Chill. There S i'll remain, however,
0 interesting natives to be studied,
ITO be c~0ntinued)