Loasa
(the native name in South America). Including Illairea. ORD. Loaseae. Some of the plants formerly included here are now referred to Blumenbachia. A genus comprising about fifty species of hardy or greenhouse, annual or biennial, decumbent or twining herbs, beset with stinging hairs, natives of tropical America (except North Brazil and Guiana). Flowers yellow, brick-red, or whitish, often showy, axillary, solitary, racemose, or sub-paniculate; petals five, cucullate, equal, spreading, inserted in the top of the tube; scales five, inserted with the petals; furnished with three sterile filaments on the back of each, and girding two subulate appendages inside. Leaves alternate or opposite, entire, lobed, or decompound. Few species are in actual cultivation, and all are easily raised from seed, sown in a light, sandy soil, about May. It is however, generally preferable to sow it in pans, in March, and place in a gentle heat, transplanting outside about the latter part of April. Except where otherwise stated, the species described below are hardy. L. acanthifolia (Acanthus-leaved). fl. yellow; pedicels axillary, and also from the forks, solitary, one-flowered. Summer. l. cordate at the base, pinnatifid; lobes acuminated, toothed. h. 4ft. Chili. Annual. SYN. L. Placei. (B. M. 3218.) L. aurantiaca (orange). A synonym of L. lateritia.
L. canarinoides (Canarina-like). fl. dull brick-coloured; calyx of five sub-triangular sepals; petals erect or moderately spreading, ovate, shortly acuminate, gibbous at base, reticulately veined; peduncles solitary, opposite, axillary. Summer. l. opposite, rather long-stalked, cordate, cordate-oblong, or fiddle-shaped, pinnatifid, dentate, deeply veined. Stems herbaceous, 10ft. to 12ft. and more long, clothed with stinging hairs. Central America. Annual. A highly dangerous plant to the touch. (B. M. 5022, under name of Illairea canarinoides.) L. hispida (bristly). fl. bright lemon-yellow, with the center prettily variegated with green and white; blossoms 1in. across, produced in profusion. July. l. oblong, stalked, deeply cut, pinnatifid or almost pinnate, pubescent. h. 1 1/2ft. Lima, 1830. A very pretty branching annual. (B. M. 3057.) L. incana (hoary). fl. opposite the leaves, solitary, peduncled; corolla white, ten-parted, larger segments spreading, smaller ones concave; peduncles spreading, half the length of the leaves. October and November. l. scattered, petioled, spreading, ovate, acute, hispid on both sides, veins and midrib prominent below. Stem round, much-branched. h. 2 1/2ft. Peru, 1820. Whole plant covered with barbed white hairs, with a few stinging ones interspersed. Greenhouse perennial. (B. M. 3048.) L. lateritia (brick-red).* fl. brick-red, large; peduncles twin, one-flowered, terminal, about equal in length to the leaves. May. l. opposite, on long petioles, pinnate; segments roundish, crenated, lobed. Chili. A prostrate half-hardy perennial. SYNS. L. aurantiaca and L. tricolor. L. nitida (shining). fl., petals yellow, red at base, spreadingly reflexed; wings of the corona very small, toothed and stalked; pedicels axillary. June to September. l. cordate at the base, many-lobed; lobes acute, toothed, lower ones usually pinnatifid. Chili, 1822. A trailing annual. (B. M. 2372.) L. Pentlandii (Pentland's).* fl., corolla 2in. across when expanded, spreading, but not reflexed; petals ten, orange, scarcely clawed; peduncles 4in. long, axillary. May and June. l. opposite, petioled, sub-erect; lamina 4in. long, 1in. broad; petiole half the length of the lamina. h. 4ft. Peru, 1840. Annual. (B. M. 4095.) L. picta (painted). fl. white, yellow; petals bidentate; racemes terminal, leafy. June and July. l. rhomboid-obovate, or lanceolate-acuminated, lobed, serrated, lower ones petiolate, upper ones sessile. h. 1ft. Andes of Peru, 1848. Plant erect, downy. Annual. (B. M. 4428.) L. Placei (Place's). A synonym of L. acanthifolia.
L. prostrata (prostrate).* fl. yellow; peduncles axillary, one-flowered, about twice the length of the leaves. Summer. l. opposite, sessile, cordate-ovate, deeply angular. Stem prostrate, flexuous. Chili, 1879. Annual. (B. M. 6442.) L. tricolor (three-coloured). A synonym of L. lateritia. L. triloba (three-lobed). fl. yellow, small; pedicels axillary; scales petaloid, equally and bluntly three-lobed. Summer. l. cordate at the base, usually three-lobed; lobes acute, toothed; middle lobe usually again somewhat three-lobed. Chili, Peru. Annual.
L. vulcanica (volcanic).* fl. white, about 1 1/2in. across, axillary, spreading, with five erect nectaries of a red colour, barred with transverse yellow and white stripes. Summer. l. palmately three to five-lobed; lobes cut. h. 2ft. Ecuador, 1877. Annual. SYN. L. Wallisii. (B. M. 6410.) L. Wallisii (Wallis'). A synonym of L. vulcanica.