RHGEO 



RHUBARB 



1527 



of the ovary. H. discoJor is a short-stemmed erect- 

 growing long-leaved plant, not unlike a broad-leaved 

 small Pandanus in habit. Fls. white, small and many 

 in a boat-shaped spathe-like structure arising fi'om the 

 axil of the leaf and which is sessile or nearly so; sepals 

 3, free, more or less petal-like; petals .'{, soon withering; 

 stamens 6. Var. vittata, Hook. (Tradescdntiii discolor, 

 var. vittata, Miq. T. discolor, var. varicijiMd , Hook. T. 

 variegdta, Hort.), is the common form in cult. The Ivs. 

 are 8-12 in. long, dark purple beneath and longitudinally 

 striped above with pale yellow. A striking plant for 

 the warmhouse, or for the open in the South. B.M. 

 5079. F.S. 11:1169-70. Cult, as for warmhouse Tra- 

 descantias. L_ jj_ 3_ 



RHOPALA. See Eoupala. 



EHOPALOSTYLIS (name refers to the club-shaped 

 spadix). Palmclcew. Two species of pinnate palms, 

 both of which are favorite conservatory palms and 

 nearly always sold as species of Areca or Kentia. How- 

 ever, Rhopalostylis belongs to the large group in which 

 the ovule is borne on the side and is more or less pen- 

 dulous, while in Areca and Kentia the ovule is at the 

 base and erect. From the 5 cultivated genera listed 

 under Hedyscepe (which see) Rhopalostylis differs as 

 follows: sepals of staminate fls. awl-shaped to lanceo- 

 late, not imbricated: stamens 6-12: pistillate fls. with 

 short petals, valvate at the apex. The two species are 

 spineless palms with medium ringed caudices: Ivs. ter- 

 minal, equally pinnatisect; segments equidistant, numer- 

 ous, narrowly sword-shaped, acuminate, the margins not 

 thickened, recurved at the base, the midveins promi- 

 nent, with 1-3 nerves on each side ; raehis concave above, 

 scurfy; petiole very short ; sheath elongated: spadices 

 short, spreading, with a very short, thick peduncle, and 

 fringed, rather thick, densely-fld. branches: spathes 2, 

 symmetrical, oblong, flattened, the lower 2-winged: 

 bracts adnate to the flower-bearing areas, subulate at 

 the apex: bracelets scaly: fls. medium: fr. small or 

 medium, ellipsoidal, smooth. 



s&pida, H. Wendl. & Drude (Areca sdpicla, Soland. 

 KSntia sdpida, Mast.). Stem 6-10 ft. high, 6-8 in. in 

 diam., cylindrical, green: Ivs. 4-6 ft. long, pinnate: 

 segments very narrow, linear ; margin replicate ; 

 nerves, midrib and petiole covered with minute scales: 

 fls. pale pinkish: fr. brown. New Zealand. B.M. 5139. 



Baileri, H. Wendl. & Drude (Areca Baiieri, Hook. 

 Kintia Baheri, Seem. Seaforthia rohusta, Hort.). 

 Stouter and taller than R. sapida: Ivs. larger and 

 broader; segments linear-lanceolate, acuminate; nerves, 

 midrib and petiole sparsely scaly: fls. white: fr. more 

 globose, scarlet. Norfolk Isl. I. H. 15:575. B,M. 5735 



Jared G. Smith, 



RHUBARB, or Pie-plant (see Rheum), is com- 

 monly grown by division of the roots, and this is the 

 only method by which a particular type can be in- 

 creased. Propagation from seed, however, often proves 

 satisfactory, and always interesting, as the seedlings 

 vary greatly. The seed germinates easily, and if 

 started early the plants become fairly large and strong 

 the same season. Although the crop is so easily pro- 

 duced, and so certain and regular after a plantation has 

 once been started, it is one of the most profitable of 

 market-garden crops, even in small places and neigh- 

 borhoods. A large number of home gardeners are still 

 without it on their premises, although everybody seems 

 to want Rhubarb pie as soon as spring opens, this plant 

 giving the first available material in the year for pies. 



Rhubarb delights in extremely rich soil. Very large 

 and brittle leaf-stalks cannot be secured except from 

 soil that is really "filled with manure to overflowing." 

 The seedlings, however, may be started in any good 

 clean garden soil. Sow seed in early spring, in rows a 

 foot apart and not over an inch deep. Thin the plants 

 promptly to stand a few inches apart in the rows, and 

 give the same thorough cultivation allowed to other 

 garden crops. In the following fall or spring take the 

 seedlings up, and set them in the well-prepared perma- 

 nent patch, not less than four feet apart each way, and 

 cultivate frequently during the entire season. Ten to 

 twenty plants will supply the demands of one house- 



hold, possibly with some to spare for the neighbors. 

 In spring of the next year the stalks may be pulled 

 freely. When soil fertility forces a rampant growth, 

 the stalks will be large and brittle enough without the 

 aid of boxes or kegs (bottomless and coverless) placed 

 over the plants. The beds should be renewed every 4 

 or 5 years at the least, as the clumps of roots grow so 

 large, and have so many eyes, that the stalks soon be- 

 come more numerous than desirable, and run down in 

 size. Take up the entire roots and cut them to pieces, 

 leaving only one strong eye to the piece, and plant the 

 pieces in a newly-prepared bed (or even in the old one 

 if properly enriched and prepared) four feet apart each 

 way as before. Seed-stalks are produced freely during 

 the entire season. These should be promptly pulled 

 up, unless seed is wanted. A few may be left to mature 

 the seed crop. 



Rhubarb can be forced in coldframes, under the 

 greenhouse benches, or even in an ordinary house 

 cellar. The plants need warmth (even that of a lantern 

 set among them will do), but require no light. Take up 

 good strong roots (2-year seedlings being best) in 

 autumn; leave them out until after exposure to freez- 

 ing, then crowd them together in boxes with a little soil 

 between and under them, and set them under the green- 

 house bench, or wherever wanted, or plant them out on 

 the cellar bottom. T. Greiner. 



Rhubarb is a hardy plant and will withstand consider- 

 able neglect, but, like most cultivated vegetables, it 

 responds readily to proper care and good treatment. 

 The large fleshy stems desired in culinary use are 

 produced in part by the great store of plant-food held 

 in reserve by the many big roots of the vegetable. 

 Everything should be done to increase this supply of 

 reserve food. Tillage and fertilizing, therefore, are fun- 

 damentals. In the selection of a site the writer prefers 

 a southern exposure, with sufficient slope to the south 

 to give good drainage. Plow the ground 6-8 in. deep, 

 draw furrows 5 ft. apart, set the plants 3 ft. apart, with 

 the buds one inch below the level of the ground. If 

 the soil lacks in fertility mix compost with the dirt that 

 is placed about the roots; never put fresh manure next 

 to the roots. As soon after planting as possible start 

 the cultivator, and give a thorough stirring at intervals 

 of 6-8 days up to the middle or last of August. After 

 the ground is frozen cover the rows 3-4 in. deep with 

 manure that is as free as possible from weed and grass 

 seed. As early in the spring as the ground can be 

 worked to advantage, start the cultivator and work the 

 manure into the soil. Each alternate season the sur- 

 face of the soil should have a good dressing of manure. 

 The third or fourth year after planting the hills should 

 be divided. Remove the earth from one side of the hill 

 and with a sharp spade cut through the crown, leaving 

 3-4 buds in the hill undisturbed. This work should be 

 done in the fall or early in the spring. 



As a forced vegetable, Rhubarb is growing in popu- 

 larity. The plant has no choice as to whether it is 

 grown in light or darkness. Blanching improves the 

 flavor and reduces the acid, lessening the quantity 

 of sugar needed in cooking. Divided roots, with 1-3 

 buds, which have been grown in highly fertilized, 

 well-tilled soil will give the best results. Plow out 

 the plants any time after killing frosts, divide the 

 roots and place them in single layers on top of the 

 ground, covering with earth sufficiently to protect the 

 roots from the air. Leave them in this condition until 

 the roots have been slightly frozen, and then place the 

 roots either in a root cellar, a frame heated by pipes, a 

 hotbed, mushroom house or under benches in a green- 

 house. Pack the roots close together, fllling in and 

 packing closely with good rich soil. The crowns should 

 be covered 4-6 in. Keep the soil moist and maintain a 

 genial temperature of 55-60°. Avoid over-watering. 

 The roots may be packed in a family cellar without any 

 bad effect to other things, as there is no odor from the 

 plants. Judgment must be exercised in pulling the 

 stems. The work should always be done by an experi- 

 enced person. 



The writer has grown seedlings for ten successive 

 years. Fully 75 per cent of all the seedlings showed a 

 tendency to degenerate, and 25 per cent were almost as 

 coarse as burdocks in appearance. Half of one's seed- 



