252 HORTICULTURIST'S RULE-BOOK. 



Rampion. Less than 2000 years ; temperate and southern 

 Europe. 



Rape. Over 4000 years; Europe, western Siberia (?). 



Raspberry. The European raspberry (represented by the 

 Antwerp and Fontenay), less than 2000 years ; Europe 

 and Asia. Our common red and black raspberries are 

 natives, and have come into cultivation within the last 40 

 years. 



Rice. Over 4000 years ; India, southern China. 



Rye. Over 2000 years; eastern temperate Europe (?), south- 

 east of Europe, Algeria. 



Salsify. Less than 2000 years (?) ; southeastern Europe, 

 Algeria. 



Scorzonera. Less than 2000 years ; south western" Europe. 



Sea-kale. Less than 2000 years ; western temperate Europe. 



Shaddock. Over 2000 years ; Pacific Islands. 



Shallot. Less than 2000 years ; unknown, wild. 



Sorghum. Over 4000 years ; tropical Africa (?). 



Spinach. Less than 2000 years ; Persia (?). 



Strawberry. Less than 300 years ; Chile. 



Sunflower. Very ancient ; United States. 



Sweet Potato. Very ancient ; tropical America. 



Tobacco. Ancient ; South America. 



Tomato. Over 500 years ; Peru. 



Turnip. Over 4000 years ; Europe, western Siberia (?) 



Watermelon. Over 4000 years ; tropical Africa. 



Wheat. Over 4000 years ; region of the Euphrates. 



6. Statistics of the Vegetable Kingdom. 



There are 200 natural families or orders of flowering plants, 

 about 7600 genera, and over 100,000 species are known and 

 described. The flowerless plants are much more numerous 

 than the flowering plants, both in individuals and species. 

 Ferns, mosses, mushrooms, and many smaller or even micro- 

 scopic fungi, lichens, and seaweeds are flowerless plants. 



The Ranunculacese or Crowfoot family includes over 1200 



