

IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 293 



Rosa setigera, Michaux. 



North America, where it is the only climbing rose-bush. It deserves 

 introduction on account of its extremely rapid growth, 10 feet to 

 20 feet in a season. Its flowers however are nearly inodorous. 

 Other original species of roses deserve our attention, Sir Joseph 

 Hooker admitting about thirty, all from the northern hemisphere. 

 But on the snow-clad unascended mountains of Borneo, Sumatra, 

 New Guinea, and Africa south of the equator, perhaps new roses 

 may yet be discovered, as they have been traced south to Abyssinia 

 already. 



Rosa spinosissima, Linne. 



Europe, North Africa, Middle and North Asia. Adapted for 

 holding coast-sands ; unapproachable to pasture animals, and not 

 spreading like the Sweetbriar, R. rubiginosa (L.), into culture-land 

 or pastures. 



Rosmarinus officinalis, Linne. 



The Rosemary. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea. This 

 well-known bush is mentioned here as a medicinal plant, from which 

 a distilled oil is rather copiously obtainable. One of our best plants 

 for large garden-edgings. The oil enters into certain compositions 

 of perfumery. 



Rottboellia ophiuroides, Bentham. 



Tropical East Australia. A tall perennial grass, praised by Mr. 

 Walter Hill for fodder. Hardy in regions free of frost. 



. "' 



Royenia pseudebenus, E. Meyer. ,, X- ' - 



South Africa. Only a small tree, but its wooyfl jer blacj^, hard, aftd 

 durable; thus in Capeland and Caffrari^ Called ebony. Jt, 

 pubescens (Willd.), according to Dr. Pappe, furnishes there a wood 

 adapted for xylography ; this may give a cl^ie to the adaptability 

 of many other kinds of woods in the large Qrder of Ebenacese as 

 substitutes for the Turkish boxwood. 



Rubia cordifolia, Linne. (fi. 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 South Europe, South- West Asia. This perennial species 

 also yields madder-root. Several other kinds deserve comparative 

 test- culture. 



