Citation: Smith, Trans. Linn. Soc. 4:216 (1798).

Derivation: Greek lasios, hairy, shaggy; petalon, leaf or petal; alluding to the hairy calyx.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Velvet-bushes.

Description:
Woody branching evergreen shrubs, densely stellate-hairy on the leaves (at least the lower surface and branches; leaves exstipulate, with pinnate venation, shortly petiolate.

Flowers bisexual, in axillary or terminal dense heads or lax inflorescences, sessile or pedicellate; bracts linear or narrow-lanceolate usually persistent; epicalyx of 1-3 more or less linear shortly fused segments; calyx petaloid, coloured with the 5 lobes longer than the fused part; petals 5, gland- or scale-like, very much shorter than the anthers which they oppose; stamens 5, free, with short filaments and dark-coloured linear-oblong connivent anthers opening by terminal pores; ovary usually 3-celled, with 2 anatropous ovules in each cell, densely hairy; style simple, slender.

Capsule globose, dehiscing loculicidally, shorter than and enclosed by the calyx; seeds usually solitary in each cell, blackish, carunculate, with broad flat cotyledon, and an inferior radicle.

Distribution:  Nearly 40 species; endemic to Australia.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Flowers in very dense heads, sessile; epicalyx longer than the calyx.	L. discolor 3.
1. Flowers in lax or slightly congested groups, distinctly pedicellate; epicalyx usually shorter than the calyx
2. Style with reflexed hair-clusters; epicalyx of 1-3 segments; leaves lanceolate to broad-ovate	L. schulzenii 4.
2. Style glabrous; epicalyx of 3 segments; leaves linear to oblong-lanceolate
3. Calyx glabrous inside	L. behrii 2.
3. Calyx tomentose inside
4. Epicalyx about as long as the fused part of the calyx	L. baueri 1.
4. Epicalyx about as long as the calyx	L. x_tepperi 5.

Author: Not yet available