300 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Rhubarb continued. 



mushroom-houses, or any structure where there is a 

 temperature of about 55deg. or GOdeg. ; if subjected to 

 a strong heat before growth commences, the rootstocks 

 are liable to decay. Plants about three years old are 

 best for forcing, but, where such are not at command, 

 older ones will do, though the crowns will most likely not 

 Btart so readily, nor will the leaf-stalks be so strong. 

 Forcing under glass, or in a mushroom-house, is by far 

 the most satisfactory plan where it can be carried out; 

 all that is necessary is to place the roots nearly close 

 together, scatter a little soil amongst them and over the 

 tops, and water occasionally. In the open ground, 

 Rhubarb forcing may be conducted by placing large 

 flower or seakale-pots, boxes, &c., over the roots where 

 they have been growing, and burying them with a good 

 depth of fermenting material, composed of stable litter 

 and leaves. Forcing may commence indoors about 

 November; a supply would not be readily obtained out- 

 side at that season, as the necessary heat could not be 

 BO steadily maintained. 



SORTS. Of these, the following are amongst the best 

 in cultivation : 



CHAMPAGNE (Hawke's), early, deep red ; an excellent variety for 

 general culture, good in all respects. EARLY RED, one of the 

 best early varieties, much grown in market gardens ; the leaves 

 are shining and somewhat glaucous. GOLIATH or MONARCH 

 (Stott's), vigorous ; leaf-stalks broad and very large. LiNN^us 

 (Myatt's), a good early sort of fine quality, excellent for forcing. 

 PARAGON (Kershaw's), very distinct ; stalks well formed and 

 firm; early. SCARLET DEFIANCE (Baldry's), stalks crimson; 

 leaves large; a good second early sort. VICTORIA (Myatt's). 

 stalks very large and thick, of good quality ; a well-known and 

 excellent variety for summer use. 



RHUS (from Rhous, the old Greek name of the 

 genus used by' Theophrastus). Sumach. Including 

 Lithrcea OBD. AnacardiacecB. A genus comprising 

 about 120 species of stove, greenhouse, or hardy trees 

 or shrubs, mostly possessing poisonous properties in a 

 greater or lesser degree ; they are found in the temperate 

 regions of both hemispheres, being especially abundant 

 at the Cape of Good Hope, but rarely occur within the 

 tropics. Flowers small, polygamous, in axillary and 

 terminal, bracteate panicles; calyx four to six-parted, 

 persistent, the segments imbricated; petals four to six, 

 equal, much spreading, imbricated; stamens four, five, 

 six, or ten. Drupes small, dry, compressed. Leaves 

 alternate, simple, one to tbree-foliolate, or impari-pinnate ; 

 leaflets entire or serrate. " Some American species, such 

 as R. venenata and R. Toxicodendron, produce effects 

 almost rivalling those once fabulously imputed to the 

 Upas-tree of Java (Antiaris), the hands and arms, and 

 sometimes even the whole body, becoming greatly swollen 

 from simply touching or carrying a branch of one of 

 these plants, and the swelling being accompanied with 

 intolerable pain and inflammation, and ending in ulcera- 

 tion. These effects, however, are not felt by everyone, 

 some people being able to handle the plants with im- 

 punity " (Lindley and Moore). R. Coriaria affords the 

 sumach or shumac of commerce. From R. Cotinus the 

 yellow dyewood called Young Fustic is obtained. A 

 selection of introduced species (which are hardy, de- 

 ciduous shrubs, except where stated otherwise) is given 

 below. The greenhouse kinds will grow in any soil, and 

 may be increased by ripened cuttings, inserted in sand, 

 under a hand glass. The hardy species are very suitable 

 for shrubberies. Some of them propagate freely by cut- 

 tings of the roots, and others by cuttings and layers. 

 R, aromatica (aromatic). /. pale yellow, in clustered, scaly- 

 hracted, catkin-like spikes, preceding the leaves. April and 

 May. I. pubescent when young, thickish when old sweet- 

 scented when crushed ; leaflets three, rhombic-ovate, unequally 

 cut-toothed, the middle one wedge-shaped at base A. 8ft 

 North America, 1773. SYN. R. suaveolens. 

 R. atomaria (undivided). A synonym of R. villota. 

 R. caroliniana (Carolina). A synonym of R. glabra, 

 R. coccinca (red). A synonym of R. glabra. 



Rims continued. 



R. copallina (gum-copal), fl. greenish-yellow, in a terminal, 

 thyrsoid panicle. July. I., petioles wing-margined between the 

 nine to twenty-one oblong or ovate-lanceolate, often entire 

 leaflets, which are oblique or unequal at the base, smooth and 

 shining above. Branches and stalks downy. A. 1ft. to 7ft 

 North America, 1688. Shrub with running roots. 



R. Coriaria (hide-tanning), fl. whitish green, in large, loose 

 panicles. July and August. I. villous ; leaflets eleven to fifteen, 

 elliptic, with large, blunt teeth, becoming purplish-red in decay. 

 h. 15ft. to 20ft. Portugal to Tauria, 1629. Shrub or low tree. 



R. Cotinus (Cotinus).* Smoke Plant. /. pale purplish or flesh- 

 colour, in loose panicles ; pedicels becoming lengthened and 

 hairy after flowering. June and July. I. obovate, undivided. 

 h. 6ft. to 8ft. Spain to Caucasus, 1656. Shrub rambling. 

 (J. F. A. 210.) 



R. C. pendula (weeping). A form with pendulous branches. 



R. diversiloba (variously-lobed). 1. smaller than in R. Toxico- 

 dendron; leaflets ovate, very obtuse, obtusely lobed on the 

 anterior margins. Branchlets short, h. 15ft. California. Erect 

 tree. (B. R. 1845, 38.) 



R. elegans (elegant). A synonym of R. glabra. 



R. glabra (glabrous).* fl., males greenish-yellow, females 

 greenish-red, paniculate. June. I. glabrous ; leaflets seventeen 

 to twenty-one, lanceolate-oblong, serrate, whitish beneath. 

 Branches glabrous, h. 5ft. to 18ft. North America, 1726. Shrub 

 or low tree. (W. D. B. 15 ; T. S. M. 572.) SYNS. R. caroliniana, 

 R. coccinea, R. elegans (W. D. B. 16), R. sanguinea,. 



FIG. 373. RHUS GLABRA LACINIATA. 



R. g. laciniata (torn).* Fern-leaved Sumach. A very elegant 

 variety, having leaves cut in a laciniate manner. See Fig. 373. 

 (R H. 1863, 7.) 



R. javanica (Javan). A synonym of R. semialata Osbeckii. 



R. lucida (clear), fl. white; panicles axillary and terminal, 

 shorter, or a little longer, than the leaves. July. I. shortly 

 petiolate; leaflets sessile, obovate, quite entire, very blunt, 

 somewhat emarginate, quite smooth, glossy. A. 4ft. to 6ft. Cape 

 of Good Hope, 1697. Greenhouse. 



R, sanguinea (bloody). A synonym of R. glabra. 



R. semialata Osbeckii (half-winged, Osbeck's).* I large; 

 leaflets fifteen to twenty-three, oval, toothed, whitish-woolly 

 beneath. Bark smooth. A. 20ft. Japan, 1867. Greenhouse. 

 (R. H. 1867, 111, under name of R. Osbeckii.) 



R. suaveolens (sweet-smelling). A synonym of R. aromatica. 



R. succedanea (substituting).* Red Lac Sumach, fl. greenish- 

 yellow. June and July. fr. white, the size of a cherry, contain- 

 ing a smooth nut I. smooth, permanent, on wingless petioles ; 

 leaflets eleven to fifteen, ovate-lanceolate, taper-pointed, shining, 

 netted with veins, and glaucous beneath. A. 10ft. to 15ft Japan, 

 1768. Greenhouse evergreen. 

 R. Toxicodendron (poison-tree).* Poison Ivy ; Poison Oak. 



t greenish-yellow, in loose, slender, axillary panicles. June, 

 leaflets three, rhombic-ovate, mostly pointed, and rather 

 downy beneath, variously notched, sin ua ted, or cut-lobed. North 



