R U S 



R U S 



green, round, striated, from eighteen inches to 

 three feet in height, sending out from the sides 

 many short branches ; having many leaves on 

 them, nearly of the same shape and size with 

 those of myrtle, hut very stiff, and ending in 

 sharp prickly points : they are alternate, about 

 half an inch long, and one-third of an inch 

 broad near the base, ovate, quite entire, sessile : 

 from the middle of the leaf above comes out a 

 single flower, on a very short pedicel ; it is small, 

 and yellowish green or purplish ; when it first 

 appears, it is the size and shape of a small pin's 

 head ; when expanded, composed of three outer 

 widish calyx-leaves, and three inner narrower 

 like rays, ending in a narrow point. The female 

 flowers are succeeded by berries, which are red, 

 bigger than those of the asparagus, and almost as 

 large as some cherries, of a sweetish taste; hav- 

 ing two large orange-coloured seeds in each : 

 the flowers come out in March and April. Jt is 

 a native of the Southern parts of Europe. 



The second species has the roots with large 

 knotty heads, and long thick fibres like those of 

 the preceding sort ; from which arise many 

 tough limber stalks near two feet high : the 

 leaves stiff, ovate-oblong, ending in points, more 

 than two inches long and almost one broad, 

 placed alternately : the flowers are produced on 

 the under surface of the leaves near the middle, 

 sitting close to the midrib ; are small and her- 

 baceous : the female flowers are succeeded by 

 small red berries about the size of those of ju- 

 niper. It is a native of Italy, flowering in May. 



The third has the root like the preceding: the 

 stems about ten inches high : the leaves lanceo- 

 late, about three inches long, and one inch broad 

 in the middle, drawing to a point at both ends, 

 and having several longitudinal veins running 

 from the footstalk to the point : they are mostly 

 alternate, but sometimes opposite: on the mid- 

 dle of the upper surface comes forth a small leaf 

 of the same shape ; and at the same point, from 

 the bosom of the small leaves, come out the 

 flowers, which are of a pale yellow colour. The 

 berries are almost as large as those of the first 

 sort; are red, and ripen in winter. It is a na- 

 tive of Italy, &c. flowering in April and Mav. 



The fourth species has roots like those of the 

 other species: the stalks slender and much more 

 pliable : they rise about four feet high, and send 

 out many side branches : the leaves oblong, 

 acute-pointed, about two inches long, and one- 

 third of an inch broad, rounded at the base, 

 smooth, of a lucid green, placed alternately, and 

 sessile : the flowers are in long bunches at the 

 end of the branches, of an herbaceous yellow 

 colour : the berries like those of the first sort, 



but smaller, ripening in winter. It is a native 

 of Portugal. 



The fifth species sends out pliant stalks which 

 rise seven or eight feet high, and have several 

 short branches proceeding from their sides : the 

 leaves are stiff, about two inches long, and one 

 inch broad towards their base, where they are 

 rounded to the footstalk, but they end in acute 

 points ; many longitudinal veins run from the 

 footstalk to the point : the flowers are produced 

 in clusters on the edges of the leaves, and are 

 white: the berries yellowish red, not so large as 

 those of the first sort. It differs from the other 

 sorts in having androgynous flowers divided into 

 six equal segments to the bottom, but falling off 

 in one piece, and arising from the edge, and not 

 the disk of the leaf. It is a native of the Canary 

 Islands, flowering most part of the summer. 



Culture. — They are capable of being readily 

 increased by the roots, which send up nume- 

 rous stalks or suckers which may be taken up 

 in autumn, winter, sr spring in open weather, 

 and divided into many separate sets each forming 

 a proper plant, though they need not be divided 

 very small unless where a great increase is re- 

 quired, planting the largest at once where they 

 are to remain, and the smallest in nursery-rows, 

 &c, when each plant soon increases by offsets, 

 and assumes a bushy growth. 



They are capable of being raised from seeds, 

 but they often remain in the ground till the se- 

 cond spring. The seeds of the hardy sorts 

 should be sown in any bed or border an inch 

 deep, and the tender kind in pots, placed under 

 shelter in cold weather ; and when the plants 

 are a year old, pricking them out in March, the 

 hardy sorts in nursery-beds for two or three 

 years, and the tender sorts in pots. 



The different hardy sorts are proper for the 

 verges of shrubberies, or any close plantations, 

 as they thrive under the drip of trees, and re- 

 main green the year round. 



But the last tender sort requires the shelter of 

 a green-house in winter, where it affords variety 

 among other potted plants. 



RUSH, FLOWERING. See Butomus. 



RUSH, SWEET. See Acorus. 



RUTA, a genus containing plants of the under- 

 shrubby evergreen kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Maltisiliquce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted perianth, short, permanent : the corolla 

 has five petals, spreading subovate, concave; 

 with narrow claws : the stamina have ten fila- 

 ments, awl-shaped, spreading, the length of the 



