HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



189 



EHO 



green-house. Of our native species, R. maxi- 

 mum, (Great Laurel,) common from Maine to 

 Ohio, is a tall-growing shrub, with leaves from 

 four to ten inches long, very thick and glossy. 

 The flowers are a light rose color, nearly white, 

 with greenish throat, and spotted with yellow 

 or light red. E. Cntawbiense, common on the 

 Alleghanies from Pennsylvania southward, is 

 perfectly hardy, and flowers most profusely. It 

 seldom grows above four feet high, but forms a 

 symmetrical shrub, exceedingly ornamental for 

 a lawn plant. This species is the parent of all 

 our hardy varieties, having been hybridized with 

 the Nepal species, n. arboreum. From this cross 

 there has been raised a great number of beauti- 

 ful kinds, most of which are hardy in the lati- 

 tude of New York. The varieties include colors 

 from nearly pure white to dark crimson. All 

 the hardy sorts are of easy culture, growing 

 freely in almost any loamy soil, but they prefer 

 a moist situation, protected from cold winter 

 winds. When first planted they should be 

 mulched with any convenient material that will 

 prevent evaporation and keep the roots moist 

 and cool. Several fine species have been lately 

 introduced from the East, a few of them bearing 

 but little resemblance to the common Rhodo- 

 dendron, one being a climber. The plants are 

 propagated by seeds, cuttings, layers, or graft- 

 ing. 



Rhodotypus. From rhodon, a rose, and typos, 

 type. Linn. Polyandria-Tetragynia. Nat. Ord. 

 HosacecK. 



A genus of Eosacen; from Japan. They were 

 introduced in 1866. E. kerrioides, the only spe- 

 cies at present known, is a slender-branching, 

 hardy evergreen shrub, remarkable for its large, 

 terminal, pure white flowers. It is well adapted 

 for the lawn, contrasting finely with the Wei- 

 gela and other hardy ornamental shrubs. 



Rhppala. From Roupdla, the Guianan name. 

 Linn. Tetrandria-Mono<jynia. Nat. Ord. Proteacew. 

 A gemis of South American trees or large 

 shrubs, having simple or pinnate coarse leaves, 

 conspicuous for their terminal or axillary ra- 

 cemes of yellow flowers, which are often covered 

 with a rich brownish wool. A number of the 

 species are under cultivation in the green- 

 houses, -but chiefly in botanical collections. 



Rhubarb. See Rheum. 



Rhus. Sumach. Derived from rous in Greek, 

 which is from rhudd, a Celtic word signifying 

 red; alluding to the color of the fruit, and also 

 of the leaves of some species in autumn. Linn. 

 Pentandria-Trirjynia. Nat. Ord. Anacardiucecn. 



An extensive genus of deciduous shrubs, na- 

 tives of the United States, Europe, and Asia. 

 They are all interesting from the beautiful colors 

 their leaves assume in drying off in autumn. 

 The species are more or less poisonous. E. toxi- 

 codendron and its varieties, commonly called 

 J'oison Icy or Poison Oak, are about as danger- 

 ous as the fabulous Upas Tree of Java. There 

 is also a singular fact connected with this plant 

 that makes it distinctive: some persons can 

 handle it with impunity, while others, from 

 the slightest touch, or even from the wind blow- 

 ing over the plant, will have their arms, face, 

 and bodies fearfully and painfully swollen by 

 it. The same is true, though in a less degree, 

 when the leaves of Celery or Parsnip are touched 

 by the arms or face when damp. R venitia, or 

 Poison Eldrr, has so virulent a sap, that it is 

 said to occasion fever and inflammation in those 

 who cut it down. One of the most beautiful 



RIB 



species is R. cotinus, or Smok Tree, a native of 

 the south of Europe. It is remarkable for its 

 feathery inflorescence. This species also yields 

 the yellow dye-wood called Young Fustic. R. 

 verniclfera, a Japan species, is a small tree, and 

 yields the famous Lacquer so extensively em- 

 ployed by the Japanese for lacquering various 

 articles of furniture and small ware. It exudes 

 from wounds made in the tree, and is at first 

 milky white, but becomes darker, and ultimately 

 black on being exposed to the air. Nothing is 

 known respecting the mode of preparing it; 

 that is kept a profound secret, as one of their 

 sources of wealth. 



Rhynchosia. From rhynchos, a beak; the keel of 

 the flower is beaked. Linn. Diadelphia-Decandria. 

 Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



An extensive genus 01 herbs and under-shrubs, 

 mostly of a twining habit. They are natives of 

 the West Indies, Mexico, South America, and 

 India. They are plants of but little beauty. 

 R. precatoria has pretty little half-black and half- 

 scarlet or yellow shining seeds, which the Mexi- 

 cans string into necklaces and rosaries. 



Rhynchospermum. From rhynchos, a beak, and 

 sperma, a seed. Linn. Pentandria-Moniogynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Apocynacece. 



R. jasminoides is a very beautiful, free-flower- 

 ing, and sweet-scented green-house climber, a 

 native of India, China, and Japan. In habit it 

 resembles the Jasmine, as its specific name im- 

 plies. It is a rapid grower, requiring only ordi- 

 nary green-house culture. A variety with varie- 

 gated foliage is very ornamental. Propagated 

 by cuttings. Introduced in 1846. 



Ribbon Grass. See Arundo and Phalaris. 



Ribes. Currant, Gooseberry. From Ribas, the 

 name of an acid plant mentioned by the Arabian 

 physicians, and which is known to be Rheum 

 r'tbes. Linn. Pentandria-3fonotjynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Grossulariftceai. 



Our garden varieties of Currants have all orig- 

 inated from E. rubrum, a native of Northern 

 Europe; and the same species is also indigenous 

 to the swamps of New Hampshire, north and 

 west to Wisconsin. The berries of this shrub 

 are uniformly red in their wild state. The 

 white, bronze, and other varieties, have been 

 produced under cultivation. To the Dutch we 

 are indebted for the first endeavors to improve 

 this fruit by cultivation, the nurserymen -of 

 other nations having paid but little if any atten- 

 tion to this branch of fruit-culture. At what 

 date any of our choice varieties were produced 

 we are unable to state ; but little improvement 

 was made, however, previous to the nineteenth 

 century, though the Dutch cultivated a white 

 Currant in 1729. The Black Currant, It. nigritm, 

 is a native of most parts of Europe, and abounds 

 in the woods of Russia and Siberia. Cultivation 

 has added but little to its quality; its taste is 

 peculiar, and to most persons disagreeable. It 

 is used chiefly for jellies. R. rubrum, the Red 

 Currant common in our woods, has fruit similar 

 to the above, but smaller. R. aureum, the Buffa- 

 lo or Missouri Currant, is an ornamental shrub, 

 remarkable for the spicy fragrance of its yellow 

 blossoms in early spring. It is widely cultivated, 

 and would be one of the most desirable shrubs, 

 were it not for its tendency to sucker and spread 

 itself beyond bounds. R. sanguined is another 

 ornamental variety, with rich crimson ftowem, 

 the plant growing to a height of eight or ten 

 feet. The Oo&sAeny, R. grossular'ut, is a native of 

 the United States, from Virginia northward, 



