Leucopogon
(from leucos, white, and pogon, a beard; referring to the limb of the corolla being bearded with white hairs). ORD. Epacrideae. A genus comprising about 130 species of handsome greenhouse evergreen shrubs, rarely trees, of which 118 are from Australia, and the rest from New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the Malayan Archipelago. Flower white, small, in terminal axillary spikes, rarely racemes. Leaves variable, sessile or petiolate, striate-nerved. All the species here described are Australian. For culture, see Epacris.
L. amplexicaulis (stem-clasping). fl. white; spikes slender, interrupted, terminal and in the upper axils, longer than the leaves; bracts lanceolate, leaf-like, and nearly as long as the flowers. June. l. sessile, stem-clasping, spreading, cordate-ovate, acute, convex or with recurved margins, ciliate, striate on both sides. h. 3ft. 1815. SYN. Styphelia amplexicaulis. L. australis (Southern).* fl. pure white; spikes many-flowered, erect, axillary. Winter and early spring. l. linear-lanceolate, more than 1in. long, with recurved smooth margins. h. 2ft. to 4ft.
L. collinus (hill-loving). fl. white; spikes short and dense, terminal or in the uppermost axils, or terminating short, leafy, axillary branches. May. l. usually oblong or linear, obtuse or with a sort point. h. 2ft. 1824. L. ericoides (Heath-like). fl. white, few together, in close axillary clusters or spikes, rarely exceeding the leaves. June. l. mostly oblong-linear, mucronate, but sometimes narrow and acute; margins revolute or recurved. h. 5ft. 1815.
L. interruptus (interrupted). fl. white, small, rather numerous; spikes slender and interrupted, but not exceeding the leaves, solitary, or two or three together at the ends of the branches. June. l. mostly crowded at the end of each year's shoot, so as to appear verticillate, from almost oval to oblong-elliptical, obtuse, or with a minute callous point, flat, or nearly so, finely nerved. h. 2ft. 1826.
L. juniperinus (Juniper-like). fl. white, almost sessile, solitary or twin. April to June. l. divaricate, lanceolate-linear, ending in a setaceous mucrone, with recurved, slightly denticulated margins. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 1804. (L. B. C. 447.) L. lanceolatus (lanceolate). fl. white; spikes nodding, aggregate, axillary, many-flowered. Winter to summer. l. lanceolate, flat, dark green. h. 6ft. to 12ft. 1790. (B. M. 3162.) L. Richei (Riche's).* fl. pure white; spikes erect, many-flowered, a little shorter than the leaves. Winter and spring. l. glabrous, oblong-lanceolate, hardly 1in. long, broadest beyond the middle, convex above, with sub-recurved margins. h. 3ft. to 4ft. 1822. (B. M. 3251.) L. verticillatus (whorled).* fl. white or pink; spikes nearly terminal, aggregate. Summer. l. oblong-lanceolate, attenuated at the apex, disposed in whorls 2in. to 4in. long, of a lovely rose-colour when young. h. 3ft. to 6ft. 1837. (B. M. 6366.) L. virgatus (twiggy). fl. white; spikes terminal and axillary, almost aggregate, few-flowered. Summer. l. linear-lanceolate, attenuated at the apex, very acute, convexly concave, imbricated and spreading, with ciliated margins. h. 2ft. 1824.