432 , Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Rubus villosus, Alton. 



Eastern North- America, reaching Canada, there the ordinary 

 Blackberry-bush. Growth tall. Fruit large and pleasant [Asa 

 Gray]. The Rochelle- and Lawton-varieties are of this species [C. 

 Koch]. The root-bark is praised for medicinal purposes. 



Rum ex Acetosa, Linne. 



The Kitchen- Sorrel. Europe, Middle and Northern Asia to 

 Japan, also in the frigid zone of North-America. Endures the frost 

 of Norway northward to lat. 71 10 ' [Schuebeler]. A perennial 

 herb. The tender varieties, particularly the Spanish one (R. His- 

 panicus, Koch), also the alpine one (R. montanus, Desfontaines) 

 serve as pleasant acidulous vegetables, but must be used in modera- 

 tion, as their acidity, like that oi the species of Oxalis (Wood- 

 Sorrel), depends on binoxalate of potash. The South- African R. 

 luxurians, L., serves likewise as culinary sorrel. Aquatic species 

 of Rumex help to solidify embankments subject to floods. 



Jtnmex hymenosepalus, Torrey. 



Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Southern California. This " Dock," 

 vernacularly known as " Canaigre," has come into use in tanneries, 

 the roots acting by their powerful tan-principle doubly as quick as 

 oak-bark. This may prove a hint for testing other large species of 

 the extensive genus Rumex in this respect. The root of R. hymeno- 

 sepalus yields in a dry state 23f per cent, rheo-tannic acid. W. N. 

 Evans found even 37f per cent, tanning principle in the dried root 

 according to Dyer. The foliage serves as a culinary vegetable. 



Rumex Fatientia, Linne. 



Middle and Southern Europe, South-Western Asia. Biennial. 

 It is the R. sativus of Pliiiius according to Fraas. Bears the cold 

 of Norwegian winters to lat. 70. The young leaves furnish a 

 palatable sorrel-like spinach. In cold climes it pushes forth its 

 leaves, before the frost is hardly gone, and thus comes in as one of 

 the first vegetables of the season. 



Rumex scutatus, Linne. 



The French Sorrel. Middle and Southern Europe, Northern 

 Africa, Orient. Also perennial, and superior to the foregoing as a 

 culinary plant. They are all of use against scurvy, and most easily 

 reared. Dr. Rosenthal lauds even the common R. crispus (Linne) 

 of Europe and Asia as a spinach-plant ; further for culinary pur- 

 poses, R. pulcher (Linne) and R. bucephalophorus (Linne) from 

 the countries at or near the Mediterranean Sea. 



