HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



199 



KITE 



trees, with dense terminal panicles of -white 

 flowers, natives of Brazil. R. macrophyUa is oc- 

 casionally seen in the green-house. It is also 

 known as R. leucocephala. See also Psychotrii. 



Rue. See Ruta. 



Ruellia. In honor of John Rudle, of Soissons, 

 botanist and physician to Francis I. Linn. Di- 

 dynamiarAngiospermia. Nat. Ord. Acanthacecu. 



Herbaceous plants with pretty tube-shaped 

 blue flowers. Some of the species require a hot- 

 house, and others a green-house; but they 

 should all be grown in light, rich soil. They 

 are propagated by cuttings. They are natives 

 of South America and the East Indies. Intro- 

 duced in 1830. 



Rumex. Dock, Sorrel. From rumo, to suck; in 

 allusion to the practice among the Romans of 

 sucking the leaves to allay thirst. Linn. Hexan- 

 dria-Trigynia. Nat. Ord. Polygonacece. 



Most of the species are common weeds. The 

 leaves of E. crispus are often used as a pot-herb, 

 or "greens." R. acetosella is a small-growing 

 species, well known for its acidity, and popu- 

 larly called Son-el. It is justly regarded as a 

 nuisance. 



Running Blackberry. See Evhus. 



Running Cedar. See Lycopodium dendroidium. 



Ruscus. Formerly Bruscits. Butcher's Broom. 



From bruscus, derived from the Celtic beus, box, 



andfcefen, holly; Box Holly or Butcher's Broom. 



Linn. Hexandria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Lttfacece. 



Very curious evergreen shrubs, most of which 



SAC 



bear their flowers and fruit on their leaves. All 

 the species prefer shady situations under the 

 drip of trees, where but few other plants will 

 grow ; and they are all readily increased by suck- 

 ers from their roots, which they throw up in 

 abundance. One of the kinds is sometimes 

 called the Alexandrian Laurel. 



Rush. See Juncus. 



Russelia. Named in honor of Dr. Alexander Rus- 

 sel, author of a Natural History of Aleppo. Linn. 

 Didynamia-Atigiospermia. Nat. Ord. ticrophulari- 

 acece. 



A genus of small shrubs and herbaceous 

 plants from Mexico and the Antilles. R. Juncea 

 is a very pretty species, with bright scarlet flow- 

 ers, produced in axillary corymbs. It is a plant 

 of slender habit, and well adapted for basket 

 work. Propagated by cuttings. First intro- 

 duced in 1812. 



Ruta. Rue. From the Greek rate, from ruo, to 

 flow; probably some reputed medicinal qualities 

 of the plant. Linn. Octandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Rutacea;. 



R. graveolens is a well-known glaucous-leaved 

 plant, having a very unpleasant smell and a bit- 

 ter taste. The leaves are nearly blue, and from 

 their peculiar color sometimes produce a good 

 effect in a shrubbery. The flowers are yellow- 

 ish. 



Ruta-Baga. See Brassica. 



Rye. See Secale. 



Rye Grass. See Lolium. 



s. 



Sabal. Derivation of name unknown ; supposed 

 to be the South American name of one of the 

 species. Linn. Hexandna-Trigynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Palmaceee. 



This interesting genus of Palms has three 

 species common to the marshy districts of the 

 southern coast, from North Carolina to Florida, 

 which are popularly known as the Palmetto, the 

 inblem on the seal of South Carolina. The 

 most conspicuous of the species is S. Palmetto, 

 indigenous to North Carolina and southward. 

 It attains a height of fifty feet, with a diame- 

 ter of twelve to fifteen inches. The timber is 

 said to be valuable in ship-building, being in- 

 destructible in salt water, and not liable to the 

 attack of the ship-worm. The leaves are from 

 five to six feet long, and are used in the manu- 

 facture of hats, (Palm leaf,) baskets, and mats, 

 and various other purposes of domestic econ- 

 omy. This species is also called Cabbage Palm, 

 the young, unexpanded leaves constituting one 

 of the most delicious vegetables of the table. 

 The Saw Palmetto is S. sfrmlatn, nnd the Dwarf 

 Palmetto is 8. Adansonil The Blue Palmetto 

 belongs to the genus Chamaerops, C. hystri.r, 

 also common on the southern coast. 

 Sabbatia. Named in honor of L. Sdbbati, a cele- 

 brated Italian botanist. Linn. Pentandria-Mono- 

 gynid. Nat. Ord. GentianacefK. 



A genus of native hardy annuals and bien- 

 nials, some of which, though rather coarse-grow- 

 ing, are quite ornamental plants, suitable for the 

 border. The flowers are purple, rose, white, red, 

 and yellow. S, campestris, a native of Texas, 



with rose and yellow flowers, is a desirable bor- 

 der plant. S. angularis is held in high esteem 

 as a tonic medicine. Being biennials, they are 

 more apt to be lost than either annuals or peren- 

 nials. Propagated by seeds. 



Saccharum. Sugar Cane. From soukar, its Ara- 

 bic name. Linn. Triandria-Digynia. Nat. Ord. 

 Qra/minaoKB. 



A genus of strong growing, reed-like grasses, 

 indigenous to South America and the East and 

 West Indies. The most important species is 

 Saccharum officinarum, a native of India, the 

 Sugar Cane of commerce. We have but little 

 knowledge of the Sugar Cane previous to the 

 thirteenth century. Humboldt tells us it was 

 cultivated in China in the remotest times, and 

 that, under the name of honey, it was known to 

 the Greeks and Romans, though they never cul- 

 tivated it as an article of luxury. It is supposed 

 that Theophrastus alludes to it when he says 

 that, besides being produced from bees, honey, 

 or sweet juice, it is also the product of canes. 

 The Sugar Cane, however, seems to have been 

 early cultivated in China and India, and from 

 the latter region it was introduced into Europe. 

 Before the discovery of the West Indies in 14i)2, 

 or of the East Indies in 1-197, sugar was manu- 

 factured from the Sugar Cane in considerable 

 quantities in the islands of Sicily, Crete, Rhodes, 

 and Cyprus. Soon after the discoveries of Co- 

 lumbus, plantations were established in the 

 West Indies and Brazil, and in the Southern 

 States immediately after their settlement. The 

 plant was first cultivated on the banks of the 



