HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



197 



ROS 



"Duchess of Edinburgh" are types; so that, 

 when a continued bloom of Roses is desired 

 during the entire summer and fall months, 

 the class known as monthly (embracing Tea, 

 Bourbon, Bengal, and Noisette) are the best. 

 True, these varieties are not usually hardy, 

 unless in that portion of the country where 

 the thermometer never gets 20 below the 

 freezing point; but they can be saved through 

 the winter in almost any section if pegged 

 down and covered up with five or six inches of 

 leaves or rough litter. This covering, however, 

 should not be done until quite hard frost comes; 

 in the locality of New York, about the 1st week 

 in December. If done sooner, there is danger, 

 if the season is mild, (as it usually is here until 

 December 1st,) that the shoots may be smoth- 

 ered and decay by a too early covering. This 

 same rule we adopt in covering Grape Vines, 

 Clematis, Raspberries, Strawberries, or, in fact, 

 any other plant or shrub that we believe to be 

 benefited by winter protection, as we have never 

 yet seen injury done to half-hardy plants by 

 frost previous to that date. In this matter of 

 covering, the amateur in gardening often errs, 

 first from his anxiety to protect his plants be- 

 fore there is danger in the fall ; and next, in his 

 enthusiasm in spring, he is deceived by some 

 warm day in March to uncover what is not safe 

 until April. 



Hose Acacia. See Robinia hispida. 



Rose Bay. See Rhododendron. 



Rose Apple. See Eugenia. 



Rose Campion. See Lychnis. 



Rose Geranium. See Pelargonium. 



Rosemary. See Rovmarinus. 



Rose of Heaven. See Lychnis cceli-rosa. 



Rose of Jericho. See Anastatica. 



Rosewood. A valuable South American timber, 

 produced from several species of Dalberqia. The 

 finest quality is from Rio Janeiro, the product 

 of D. niijra, which see. 



Rosmarinus. Rosemary. From ros, dew, and 

 marinus, of the sea; on account of its maritime 

 habitat. Linn. Diandria-Monoyynia. Nat. Ord. 

 LamiacecK. 



The Rosemary is a half-hardy, low-growing 

 evergreen, a native of the south of Europe. It 

 has long been cultivated and valued for the es- 

 sential oil it yields. The whole plant is aro- 

 matic, but the flowers, which are pale blue, are 

 chiefly used in distillation for the oil, which is 

 the principal ingredient of Hungary Water and 

 Eau de Cologne. There are several varieties 

 under cultivation in the gardens, R. officincdis 

 being the more common species. Propagated 

 by cuttings. 



Rouge Plant. See Rivina tindoria. 



Roupellia. Named in honor of Charles Roupel, a 

 distinguished botanist of South Carolina, l/nm. 

 Pentandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Apocynacece. 



This is the far-famed Cream-fruit tree of Sier- 

 ra Leone, a remarkable and showy green-house 

 climber. In its native home it is a most beau- 

 tiful and fragrant plant, but under artificial 

 cultivation its pure white flowers are of cream 

 color, and it is in all respects inferior to the 

 flattering accounts given by its discoverer, and 

 not worth the care and attention required to 

 grow it. 



Roxburghla. Named after Dr. Roxburgh, once 

 director of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Linn. 

 OalandriarMonogytda. Nat. Ord. Roxburghtocece. 

 A genus of evergreen twining plants from In- 

 dia, where they are found six hundred feet long. 



RUB 



The leaves are broad and shining. The flowers 

 are produced singly and in small clusters on 

 short axillary peduncles, the color green; they 

 are large and handsome, but very fetid, and 

 this disagreeable feature prevents their intro- 

 duction into choice collections of hot-house 

 plants. 



Royal Bay. See Laurus nobili*. 



Royal Fern. See Osmunda regalis. 



Royal Palm. See Oreodoxa reyia. 



Royena. A name given by Linna5us in honor of 

 Adrian von Royen, Professor of Botany at Ley- 

 den. Linn. Decandria - Dlgynia. Nat. Ord. 



Ebenacece. 



A genus of tropical shrubs or low-growing 

 trees, some of which are cultivated in the green- 

 house for their beautiful white flowers and 

 glossy foliage. The wood of the species is of 

 the nature of ebony, but not of sufficient size to 

 make it valuable. 



Rubia. Madder. From ruler, red; the color of 

 the roots. Linn. Tetrandna-Monoyynia. Nat. Ord. 

 GaliacecK. 



The perennial species, which are not remark- 

 able for their beauty, are quite hardy. There 

 are also some half-hardy shrubs, which -are 

 worth cultivating in a green-house for their 

 flowers, which are generally yellow. A red dye 

 is derived from the roots of all the species, but 

 principally from those of R. lincturium, which is 

 cultivated as a field-plant in the south of Eu- 

 rope. 



Rubus. Bramble, Raspberry, Blackberry. From 

 the Celtic word rub, red; in reference to the 

 color of the fruit of some of the species. Linn. 

 Icosandria-Polygynia. Nat. Ord. Eosacece. 



The species are mostly shrubs, trailing or 

 erect, with prickly stems, bearing edible fruit. 

 The plants of this family, growing in all situa- 

 tions, and almost every kind of soil, vary great- 

 ly, and are consequently very perplexing to the 

 botanist; and so little are authors agreed as to 

 which are species and which merely varieties, that 

 while Bentham reckons only five species, Bab- 

 ington enumerates forty-five. It is this tendency 

 to vary, however, that has given us many of the 

 most esteemed kinds of Blackberries, etc., found 

 in American gardens. The English garden vari- 

 eties of the Raspberry have all originated from 

 R. Idaius, & native of Europe and Mount Ida in 

 Crete, whence its specific name. The fruit of 

 this species is red. Cultivators, however, have 

 obtained varieties with crimson, brown, yellow, 

 and nearly white fruit. The Red Antwerp and the 

 White Antwerp (but which is pale yellow) have 

 been long and favorably known, both in Eng- 

 land and the United States; but they do not 

 survive the winter without protection in our 

 Northern States, and for that reason are little 

 'grown at the North. There are now a large 

 number of varieties raised from our native species 

 that possess qualities of goodness and hardiness 

 that entitle them to universal cultivation, though 

 they are inferior in quality to the foreign kinds. 

 Brinckle's Orange is an American seedling raised 

 by the late Dr. Brinckle, of Philadelphia. It is, 

 however, of foreign parentage, and consequently 

 tender, but the highest flavored of all Raspber- 

 ries. The wild Red Raspberry. /.'. .sV/v/o-vx, com- 

 mon in hedges and on the hillsides throughout 

 the Middle and New England States, closely re- 

 sembles the European species. Its fruit is ten- 

 der and somewhat watery, but the flavor is fine. 

 Some excellent varieties of this species are un- 

 der cultivation. The Black Raspberry, com- 



