in Extra-Tropical Countries. -331 



Royenia Pseudebenus, E. Meyer. 



South- Africa. Only a small tree, but its wood jet-black, hard and 

 durable; in Capeland and Caffraria called ebony. E,. pubescens 

 (Willdenow), according to Dr. Pappe, furnishes there a wood adapted 

 for xylography; this may give a clue to the adaptability of many 

 other kinds of woods in the large order of Ebenacese as substitutes 

 for the Turkish boxwood. 



Kubia COrdifolia, Linne. (R. Mungista, Roxburgh.) 



From the Indian highlands through China and Siberia to Japan; 

 also occurring in various parts of Africa, as far south as Caffraria 

 and Natal. This perennial plant produces a kind of madder. 

 Probably other species likewise yield dye-roots. The genus is 

 represented widely over the globe, but as far as known not in 

 Australia. 



Rubia peregrina, Linne*. 



Middle and Southern Europe, South- Western Asia. This perennial 

 species also yields madder-root. Several other kinds deserve com- 

 parative test-culture. 



Rubia tinctorum, Linne*. 



The Madder. Countries at the Mediterranean Sea, extending to 

 temperate Western Asia. Hardy still at Christiania. A perennial 

 herb of extremely easy culture. Soil, fit for barley, is also suitable 

 for madder. Its culture opens any deep subsoil and suffocates weeds, 

 but requires much manure, leaving the land enriched however. 

 Stagnant water in the soil must be avoided, if madder is to succeed. 

 The harvest is in the second or third year. It can be raised from 

 seeds, or planted from off-shoots. The roots merely dried and 

 pounded form the dye. The chemical contents are numerous: in the 

 herb: rubichloric and rubitannic acid; in the root: alizarin, purpurin, 

 rubiacin, rubian, ruberythric acid and three distinct resins; also 

 chlorogenin, xanthin and rubichloric acid. On the five first depend 

 the pigments produced from the root. Madder is one of the requisites 

 for alizarin-ink. Since the manufacture of artificial alizarin from 

 anthracene, a constituent of coal-tar, was commenced, the cultivation 

 of madder has declined. Still it remains a valuable root, handy for 

 domestic dye. The root is also important as an emmenagogue. 



Rubus acuminatus, Smith. 



Indian mountains, at elevations between 4,000 and 7,000 feet. 

 A scandent species with large fruits. 



Rubus biflorus, Hamilton. 



Indian mountains, at temperate altitudes between 7,000 and 10,000 

 feet. A rambling shrub, with sweet red or orange-colored fruit. 

 Hardy in England. Another Himalayan species, R. macilentus 

 (Cambessedes), has bright yellow fruits. 



