633 



RUBUS. 



RUMEX. 



631 



RUBUS (the Latin Rubus, a Bramble), a genus of Plants belonging 

 to the natural order Kosacete, and to the section Potentillece of the 

 suborder Rosacecs proper. This genus, like that of Rasa, has proved 

 a source of difficulty and difference amongst botanists. Some writers 

 on the British Flora have described upwards of twenty-five species, 

 whilst others have reduced them to four or five, or even two. 



The following excellent description of this genus from Hooker's 

 ' British Flora ' has been drawn up by Mr. Borrer, who has investigated 

 the British species with more success thau any other botanist : 



" Shrub-like Plants or Herbs, with perennial Roots. The latter offer 

 nothing very peculiar. In some species of the former the stem is 

 upright, or merely curved at the top ; but in the greater number it is 

 either prostrate, or, as is more generally the case, assurgent, arched, 

 and decurved ; and the ends of the shoot and of the side branches, if 

 it produce any, unless prevented by circumstances from reaching the 

 ground, take root in the latter part of the year. In the winter the 

 shoot is partially destroyed, the part next to the original root surviving 

 to produce flowering branches during the ensuing summer, and 

 usually dying after the fruit has been perfected ; young shoots mean- 

 while springing up by its side. The rooted ends also become distinct 

 plants at various distances from the parent root, often many yards. 

 Thia mode of growth adds much to the difficulties in the discrimina- 

 tion of the species ; since an acquaintance with both the leafy shoot 

 and the floriferous stem, formed in the second year from its remains, 

 is necessary. The best characters are found in the figure, the arms, 

 and the leaves of the former. The leaves in all the British species of 

 this division are, occasionally at least, quinate, and, with one excep- 

 tion, digitate, or somewhat pedate from a partial junction of the stalks 

 of the two lateral pairs of leaflets ; the margins serrated, for the most 

 part unequally and irregularly ; the prickles on the leaf-stalks more 

 curved than those of the stem. In some species the inflorescence is 

 remarkable, but in general the panicle varies so much as to afford no 

 good distinction, nor can the arms of the calyx nor the form of its 

 segment be depended on. The petals in all are delicate and crumpled, 

 and in several species very considerable in size and width. There are 

 some differences in the fruit, but they are rarely discriminative. In 

 examining the figure of the leaves, the central leaflet is to be regarded ; 

 the lateral ones are always smaller and of a narrower proportion. In 

 several species the leaves occasionally survive a mild winter, and are 

 found the next season subtending flowering branches. The leaves 

 of these branches are of less determinate figure ; the number of their 

 leaflets is reduced as they approach the inflorescence, and their place 

 is supplied in the upper part of the panicle by first trifid and then 

 simple bracteas, formed by the coalescence of the stipules. These last 

 are usually long and narrow, entire, or sometimes toothed or jagged, 

 and issue from the petiole, for the most part, a little above its base. 

 They afford no distinguishing characters." This description applies 

 equally to the foreign species as to those of Britain. The essential 

 characters of the genus are : calyx 5-clcft ; petals 5. Fruit superior, 

 of several single-seeded juicy drupes placed upon a protuberant 

 spongy receptacle. The species are universally diffused over the 

 mountainous and temperate regions of the Old and New World. 



Nearly 200 species of this genus have been described. Babington, 

 in his ' Manual of British Botany,' gives 43 species as British, Hooker 

 and Arnott in the ' British Flora ' give but 9 species, whilst Dr. 

 Bell Salter, in the ' Supplement ' to the same work, makes 22 species. 

 This will be sufficient to show the difficulty of determining the species 

 in this genus. 



1. Species having minute leaves, and 3 to 7 leaflets. 



R. Idceiu, Common Raspberry, or Mount Ida Bramble. [RASP- 

 BERRY, in ARTS AND Sc. Drv.] The whole plant is villose, stem 

 round, with slender recurved prickles ; leaves pinnate, with 3 or 5 

 ovate serrated leaflets, tomentose beneath ; flowers drooping ; petals 

 obovate, wedge-shaped, entire, conniving, shorter than the calyx ; 

 carpels numerous, tomentose. It is a native of woods in Europe, from 

 Norway and Sweden to Spain and Greece. It is found also in Asia on 

 the Himalayas, in the north of Africa, and in America from Canada to 

 Pennsylvania. It is found abundantly in almost every part of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



R. tuberectia, Upright Bramble, is known by its nearly upright, 

 not rooting, obsoletely angular stem, uniform few and small prickles, 

 lower pair of leaflets sessile or nearly so, and panicle nearly simple. 

 The stems are between three and four feet high. The fruit consists of 

 a number of small dark-red aggregated carpels, which have something 

 the flavour of the raspberry, and hence recommended for cultivation. 

 It is a British species, and grows on boggy heaths, by the sides of 

 streams, &c., chiefly in mountainous districts of the North. 



R. micranthut, Small-Flowered Bramble, has an upright, round, 

 branched stem, pinnate leaves, with 5-7 oblong, ovate, doubly serrate, 

 tomentose beneath, and green above leaflets, with small reddiah-purple 

 flowers arranged in corymbs, and blask fruit. It is a native of Nepaul, 

 and one of the most gigantic of the genus, attaining a height of 8 or 

 feet. It in easily distinguished by its nearly erect, smooth, dark 

 mahogany-coloured shoots, and very long pinnate leaves. The shoots 

 loinetimes attain a length of 20 feet. There are two other species, 

 R. dittam and R. aiper, found with this in Nepaul, which have been 

 grown in this country. 



R. occidental it, the Western Bramble, is a native of Canada and the 



West Indies, and was introduced into this country in 1696. It has 

 umbellate flowers, and fruit like the raspberry, but black, and growa 

 to the height of 4 or 6 feet. 



2. Digitate leaves, with from 3 to 5 leaflets. 



R. ccesius, the Gray Bramble, or Dewberry. Stem trailing, round 

 or nearly so, glaucous : prickles straight, unequal, passing insensibly 

 into setae, the length of the largest rarely equalling the diameter of 

 the stem; leaves digitate, of 3 or more rarely 5 ovate leaflets, the 

 outermost sessile; calyx embracing the fruit. It is a native of 

 Europe and the north-east of Asia, in woods and hedges. Many of 

 the species described by botanists may be referred to this ; the most 

 important of these are R. Sprengdii, R. dumetorum, R. foliolosus, R. 

 jlagettaris, and R. coryliflorus. The last, the Hazel-Leaved Bramble, 

 is admitted as a species by most British botanists. It is known by 

 its stem being decurved and roundish, prickles straight, passing into 

 setse ; leaves digitate, with five ovate leaflets ; fruit spreading or 

 reflexed. It is generally a much larger and stronger plant than R. 

 ctzsiut. Dr. Lindley refers several of the species of the German 

 botanists, Weihe and Nees, to the R. coryliflorus, which he admits as 

 a genuine species. 



R. ipectabilis, Showy Bramble, is one of the handsomest of the 

 genus. It has a glabrous stem, not bearing prickles; leaf of three 

 ovate, acute, doubly and unequally serrated leaflets, downy beneath ; 

 flowers of an agreeable purplish colour, on terminal peduncles. It is 

 a native of America. 



R. fruticoius, Shrubby Bramble, or Common Blackberry, is one of 

 the most common species of the genus. It has a 5-angled erect stem, 

 rather tomeutoae, bearing recurved prickles, 3-5 leaflets, each on a 

 secondary petiole; rose-coloured or white flowers arranged on a panicle; 

 reflexed sepals, almost without prickles; purplish black fruit. It is a 

 native of almost all Europe, in hedges, thickets, and woods. There 

 are no less than ten generally admitted varieties of this species, and 

 some botanists make many more. The fruit of this species and its 

 varieties are well known as blackberries, or bumblekites, and also 

 scald-berries, from their supposed power of giving scald-head to 

 children. 



R. arcticus, the Arctic Bramble, is the smallest species of the genus. 

 It has three glabrous obtusely-serrated leaflets, no runners, stem 

 bearing only one flower, and without prickles, the petals notched. It 

 is a native of the mouuta-nous and colder regions of Europe. Its stem 

 never attains a greater height than six inches, and is furnished with 

 from three to four leaves, with a single large deep rose-coloured 

 flower, which is succeeded by a purplish-red fruit highly prized for its 

 flavour among the Swedes. 



3. Leaves singly lobed, not digitate or pinnate. 



R. odoratiu, the Sweet-Scented Bramble. It has an upright stem, 

 with large showy red flowers, numerous ovato velvety carpels, and red 

 fruit. It is a native of North America, in the woods of Canada, and 

 the Alleghanies. It grows to the height of 4 or 5 feet, and is called 

 odoratui on account of the fragrance of its foliage. Another American 

 species, resembling the hist, ii the R. Nutkanus, the Nootka-Souud 

 Bramble. It flowers from May to October. 



R. chanucmorut, the Cloud-Berry, is known by its dioecious flowers, 

 uimple-lobed leaves, and herbaceous single-flowered stem without 

 prickles. It grows in great abundance on the Scotch Highlands, and, 

 under the name of Roebuck-Berries and Knot-Berries, the fruit is 

 gathered in great quantities by the inhabitants of those districts. It 

 is the badge of the clan of M'Farlane. 



RUBY. [SPINEL.] 



RUD, or RED EYE. [LEUCISCUS.] 



RUDBE'CKIA, a genus of Plants dedicated by Linnoous to the 

 memory of his predecessors the Rudbecks, father and son, in the 

 botanical chair at Upsal. It belongs to the natxiral order Composites, 

 and possesses many species. Some of these are well known in gardens. 

 The are herbaceous, biennial, and perennial. 



RUDISTES. [HHTOEIIES.] 



RUE. [RUTA.] 



RUE'LLIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Acanthacece, which was so named by Linnicus in compliment to J. 

 Ruelle, physician of Francis I., who wrote commentaries on Dios- 

 corides, as well as some other botanical works. The genus, as 

 formerly constituted, embraced a great many Indian species, which 

 are now distributed among some other genera. The species are dis- 

 tributed through the tropical parts of Asia, including the tropical 

 and subtropical parts of Australia. It includes many highly orna- 

 mental plants, as are also those which have now been excluded from 

 it ; all are easily cultivated, and often to be seen in our hot-houses. 

 Some of the species which have now been removed to other genera 

 are found at considerable elevation on the sides of the Himalaya 

 Mountains; of these the most remarkable is ^Echmtmthera formerly 

 Ruellia yossypina, which has its stems covered with a thick coating 

 of white tomentum, which probably enables it to withstand a greater 

 degree of cold thau most others of the family. 



The leaves of R. strepens are subacrid. A valuable dye, called 

 Room, is obtained in Assam from a species of Ruellia. 



RUFF, a Bird. [ScoLorAciD.E.] 



RUFFP:, a Fish. [CEBNUA.J 



RUMEX, a genus of Plants, from 'rumex,' u sort of spike, spear, or 



