1526 



RHODOMYRTUS 



RHODOMYRTUS (Greek, rose-myrtle; from the rose- 

 colored fls. of some species and the myrtle-like foliage). 

 Myrtacece. Five species of tender trees or shrubs, one 

 of which is a promising fruit-plant known in the South 

 as Downy Myrtle, and in India as the Hill Gooseberry. 

 This is a handsome evergreen shrub growing 6 ft. or 

 more high and covered with broad, glossy Ivs. of great 

 beauty. The pink, 5-petaled fls. are borne through sev- 

 eral weeks in greatest abundance, and are larger than 

 those of the peach. They resemble small single roses. 

 The fruits are as big as cherries and taste like rasp- 



2112. Rhododendron arboreum (X %). No. 6. (See page 1522.) 



berries. The color of the berries is dark purple and the 

 flesh is sweet and aromatic. The fruits are produced in 

 quantity and ripen for weeks, beginning in late summer. 

 They are eaten raw or made into jam. The Downy Myrtle 

 is recommended as a fruit-plant for Florida by the Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society and it is being tried in S. Calif. 

 In the South it is generally known as Myrtus tomentosa. 

 The distinction between Rhodomyrtus and Myrtus rests 

 in the number of locules of the ovary. Myrtus is normally 

 2-3-loculed, with many ovules in each; Rhodomyrtus has 

 1-3 locules with spurious partitions, making the ovary 

 appear 2-6-loculed, or it is divided into numerous 

 1-ovuled, superposed locules. Myrtles have feather- 

 veined foliage; the Downy Myrtle has 3-nerved Ivs. The 

 Downy Myrtle is a native of India, Malaya and China; 

 the four other species of Rhodomyrtus are Australian 

 and not in cult. Other generic characters: Lvs. oppo- 

 site, 5- or 3-nerved: fls. axillary; calyx-lobes persistent; 

 petals 5. rarely 4; stamens numerous, free; berry glo- 

 bose or ovoid, with few or many seeds. 



tomentosa, Wight (Myrtus tomentosa, Ait.). DOWNY 

 MYRTLE. Branches downy above: Ivs. elliptic or obo- 

 vate, short - stalked, hoary below : peduncles shorter 

 than the Ivs., 1-3-fld. : berry 3-celled : seeds com- 

 pressed, forming 2 rows in each cell. B.M. 250. 



E. N. REASONER and W. M. 



RHODOBA. See Azalea Canadensis. 



RHODORHlZA (Greek, rose root; the root and wood 

 furnish the fragrant powder known as bois de rose). 

 Convolvulacece. M. florida is a tender subshrub, 6-9 ft. 

 high, which bears white fls. something like a morning- 

 glory. The blossoms are about an inch across and last 

 only a day, but a succession is maintained (in southern 



RHCEO 



France) from early June till August. A striking fea 

 ture of the plant is its terminal, panicled inflorescence. 

 These panicles are often a foot high, 10 inches wide at 

 the base and contain at one time as many as 20 full- 

 blown flowers and 100 buds. It is a native of Teneriffe, 

 and has been introduced into southern California in 1901. 



Rhodorhiza is a group of about 7 species, all from the 

 Canary Islands, which Bentham and Hooker regard as 

 a section of the genus Convolvulus. The Rhodorhizas 

 differ from typical Convolvulus in having the capsule 

 by abortion usually 1-seeded, and rupturing irregularly 

 at the base instead of dehiscing by 4 valves. They are 

 prostrate or climbing herbs or erect subshrubs, some- 

 times spinescent : Ivs. entire, dentate, undulate or lobed : 

 corolla broadly or narrowly bell-shaped; limb 5-angled 

 or 5-lobed: ovary 2-loculed, 4-ovuled. 



florida, Webb, (perhaps more properly Convdlvithis 

 fldridus, Linn.). Erect subshrub: Ivs. persistent, alter- 

 nate, lanceolate, stalked, entire: fls. long-peduncled, 

 funnel-shaped, white, sometimes pinkish white. R.H 

 1892:156. w M 



RHODOTHAMNTTS (Greek, rhodon, rose, and tham- 

 itos, shrub; small shrub, with rose - colored flowers). 

 Ericaceae. Dwarf evergreen shrub, with alternate, 

 small, entire Ivs. and rather large pink fls., usually soli- 

 tary at the ends of the branchlets. Charming little al- 

 pine shrub, hardy north, but somewhat difficult to culti- 

 vate. It thrives best in peaty, porous soil 

 of constant, moderate moisture in a partly 

 shaded situation, and is best suited for 

 rockeries. Prop, by seeds or layers, also 

 by cuttings of ripened wood under glass. 

 Monotypic genus, allied to Kalmia, but 

 anthers not in pouches: Ivs. alternate- 

 sepals 5, half as long as corolla: corolla 

 rotate, deeply 5-lobed; stamens 10, slightly 

 longer than corolla: fr. a 5-celled, many- 

 seeded dehiscent capsule. 



Chamaecistus, Reichb. (Rhododendron 

 Chanupcistus, Linn. Adodlndron Chatn- 

 ceeistus, O. Kuntze). Diffusely branched 

 shrub, to 1 ft.: Ivs. cuneate-oblong, acute, 

 setosely ciliate, %-% in long: fls. on slen- 

 der, glandular-hirsute pedicels, solitary, 

 rarely 2 or 3 at the end of the branchlets, 

 light purplish pink, to 1 in. across. May 

 Alps of Eastern Eu. B.M. 488. L.B.C 

 15:1491. F.S. 19:1962 ALFRED REHDER. 



RHODOT$TOS (Greek, rlwdon, rose, and, typos, type; 

 alluding to the resemblance of the flowers to those of a 

 single rose.). Hosacece. Ornamental deciduous shrub, 

 with opposite serrate Ivs. and large white fls. solitary 

 at the end of branchlets, followed by black and shining 

 berry-like drupes persistent during the winter. A hand- 

 some and distinct shrub, hardy as far north as Mass., 

 with bright green foliage, conspicuous by its white fls. 

 in spring and by its shining black fr. in autumn and 

 winter. It thrives well in any good soil. Prop, by seeds 

 and by greenwood cuttings under glass early in sum- 

 mer, also by hardwood cuttings. Monotypic genus, al- 

 lied to Kerria: Ivs. stipulate, opposite: fls. solitary, 

 short-pedicelled ; sepals large, half as long as petals, 

 outside with 4 small alternate bracts ; petals 4, orbicu- 

 lar; stamens numerous; carpels usually 4, developing 

 into black, dry, one-seeded drupes, surrounded by the 

 large persistent calyx. 



kerrioides, Sieb. & Zucc. Much-branched shrub, usu- 

 ally 3-6 ft. high (in Japan 15 ft.) : Ivs. ovate to ovate- 

 oblong, acuminate, sharply and doubly serrate, silky- 

 pubescent beneath when young, 1K-3 in. long: fls. pure 

 white, 1^ in. across. May, June. S.Z.1:99. B.M. 5805. 

 Gt. 15:505. R.H. 1866, p. 430. Gn. 6, p. 229; 34, p. 159; 

 43, p. 138. ALFRED REHDER. 



RHCEO (name unexplained). Comwelintlcecp. One 

 species, from Mexico and the West Indies, R. discolor, 

 Hance, known also as Tradescantia discolor, L'Her , 

 T. spathacea, Swartz, and l&phetnerum bicolor, Moench. 

 B.M. 1192. From Tradescantia the genus is distin- 

 guished by having 1 ovule (rather than 2) in each locule 



