An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



289 



RHEUMATISIVI BOOT. A common name for 



Jef^' r.V() n i<f diph t/lla. 



BKEXIA (from rhexis, a rupture ; applied to this 

 genus for no obvious reason). Okd. Melasfomacea. A 

 genus comprising about seven species of mostly hardy, 

 pretty, erect herbs or sub-shrubs, natives of extra-tropical 

 Eastern North America. Flowers variously coloured, soli- 

 tary or cymose : caJyx tube oblong, campanulate, or urceo- 

 late, the dilated limb of four triangular or subulate 

 lobes : petals four, obovate : stamens eight. Leaves oblong, 

 shortly petiolate, three-nerved, entire or bristly-serrulate. 

 The species described below are all hardy herbs. They 

 thrive best in a bed of peat, but are sometimes grown 

 in pots of the same soil. Propagation may be readily 

 effected by division. Some of the plants formerly placed 

 under this genus are now included nnder Pleroma 

 (which Kt'e). 



R. Cillosa (h.lir-fringed).* /. purple, lin. to liin. in diameter ; 

 cyiiif few-tlt»\\ered, leafy. .July and August. I. rarely as much 

 as liu. long, ovate, bristly on the upper surface, three-ribbed. 

 Stem simple, 1ft. to lUt. high, smooth, four-angled above. 1812. 

 (S. B. F. t). 298.) 

 R. mariana (Maryland). /. purple, lAin. to2in. wide, hairy ex- 

 ternally: falyx mostly smooth. July to September. (. lanceo- 

 late, acute, sboit-petioled, bristly-serrate, three-ribbed. .Stem 

 1ft. to 2ft. high, branched, terete or six-angled. 1759. Plant 

 bristly. This species varies with narrower, often linear leaves, 

 and smaller, whitish flowers. (L. B. C. 366; S. B. !•'. U. 41.) 

 R. vlrginloa (Virginian).* Deer (.irass; Meadow Beauty. 

 //. bright purple, cymose. .Julj^ and August. L ovate ,and ovate- 

 lanceolate, liarely acute, sessile, bristly-serrate, three to tive- 

 rihbed, the lowest rounded. Stem 6in. to 12in. high, four-angled, 

 nearly simple. 1759. Plant bristly. (B. .M. 968 ; (in. ii. 291, 69 ; 

 1.. B.C. 840.) 



BHINACANTHUS (from r/its, rhinos, the nose, 

 and Acanthus; alluding to the curious shape of the 

 Acanthus-like corolla). Ord. Acanthacea:. A small genus 

 (about four species) of stove, loosely branched, sometimes 

 sub-scandent shrubs, natives of tropical and South Africa, 

 Madagascar, the East Indies, and the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago. Flowers few, at the axils of the bracts, sub- 

 sessile, sometimes fascicled or cymose and paniculate ; 

 calyx deeply five-cut, with narrow segments ; corolla with 

 an elongated tube and a bilabiate limb, the dorsal lip 

 bidentate. the anterior one trifid ; stamens two, affixed to 

 the throat of the corolla. Leaves entire. The best-known 

 species is described below. For culture, see Justicia. 

 R. commnnis (common). Ringworm Root. fi. white ; upper lip 

 linear, straight ; panicle axillary or terminal, bi- or tricliotomously 

 spreading. .June. I. oblong or ovate-oblong, h. 2ft. East 

 Inilies, 1790. (B. M. 325, under name of Jitslicia namtta.) 



BHINANTHACIS^:. Included under Scrophuln- 

 ri)ieir. 



BHIITANTHUS (from rhis, rhinos, the nose, and 

 anihos, a flower ; alluding to the form of the corolla). 

 Yellow Battle. Syn. Alecforoloplms. Obd. ScropTiu- 

 larinew. A genus comprising two or three very vari- 

 able, erect, hardy annuals, natives of Europe, temperate 

 and North Asia, and North America. Flowers sessile 

 in the axils of the floral leaves, ebracteolate, upper ones 

 spicate ; calyx four-toothed ; corolla yellow, violet, or 

 blue, often spotted, with a bilabiate limb, the upper lip 

 entire, the lower one of three spreading lobes. Leaves 

 opposite ; cauline ones crenate ; floral ones often incised- 

 toothed, with the teeth setaoeo-cuspidate. The species 

 are more or less parasitic on the roots of grasses, and 

 thrive in any moist situation : they may be propagated 

 by seeds. 



R. CriSta*galll (Cock'sspur). Penny-grass ; Yellow Rattle, &c. 

 iL, corolla yellow, the upper lip blue. May to July. (. distant, lin. 

 to 2in. long, oblong-lanceolate or linear-oblong, obtuse or acute, 

 deeply crenate-serrate. Stem 6in. to 18in. high, erect, simple 

 or branched. Europe (Britain) (Sy. En. B. 998, under name of 

 /,'. minor.) 

 R. major (greater), fi. orange-yellow ; corolla tube longer than 

 the glaljrons calyx segmt-nts ; lobes of the upper lip longer than 

 broad ; lower lip shorter than the upper. Late sunmier and 

 autumn. (. opposite, sessile, deeply serrated. Stem usually 

 copi<iusly paniculate-branched, h. 6in. to 18in. Europe (Bri- 

 tain). (Sy. En. B. 999.) 



Vol. IlL 



A common name for Rhamnus 



BHINE-BEBBT. 



cathntfittls. 



BHINOFETALUlVt. Included under Pritillaria. 

 BHIFIDODENDBON. Included under Aloe. 



BHIFIDOFTISBIS. Included under Acrostichnm 



(which set'). 



BKIFOGOXUM (from rhips. a rod, and gonu, a 

 knee or ioint ; in allusion to the jointed stalk). Some- 

 times spelt Ripoi/onnin. Ord. Liliaceie. A small genus 

 (five species) of tall, climbing, greenhouse shrubs, of 

 which one is a native of New Zealand, and the rest 

 are Australian. Flowers rather small, shortly pedicellate 

 or sub-sessile, racemose or spicate ; perianth seg- 

 ments distinct, equal, or the outer ones shorter. Leaves 

 often mostly opposite, sometimes all alternate, three to 

 five-nerved, with reticulated veinlets ; petioles not cirrhi- 

 feroiis. The species are little known in cultivation. 

 R. album refjuires culture similar to Myrsiphyllum 

 (which see). 



R. album (white), fl. white, rather distant, in axillary, simple 

 racemes, usually shorter than the leaves. June and July. 

 .fr. red when fresll, drying black, Uu- in diameter. I. irregularly 

 opposite or alternate, elliptic or oblong, varying to ovate or 

 almost lanceolate, shortly acuminate, narrowed .at base, mostly 

 Sin. to 4in. long. Main branches often prickly. Australia, 

 1820. 



BHIFSALIS (from rhips, a Willow-branch ; re- 

 ferring to tlie flexibility of the branches). Including 

 Lepismium and Pfeiffera. Ord. Cactew. A genus of 

 greenhouse, succulent shrubs, with sub-radicant, elongated, 

 terete, or leafy-dilated and crenate stems. Thirty species 

 have been described, natives of tropical America, one 

 being found in South Africa, and one in Mauritius and 

 Ceylon. Flowers lateral, rarely terminal ; calyx tube 

 not produced above the ovary, with three to many very 



Fig. 365. Flowerino Branch of Rhipsalis funalis. 



short, scale-like lobes ; petals six to ten, spreading, ob- 

 long ; stamens numerous. Berry sub-globose, smooth. 

 Leaves scale-like. The species best known in gardens 

 are described below. They should be grown in a com- 

 post of sandy loam, leaf mould, ami brick rubbish. Pro- 

 pagation may be effected by cuttings, inserted in roftgh 



2p 



