RICINUS 



filaments much branched cich with very many anthers 

 rudiment of pistil none the lower Hs longer pedicelled' 

 pistillate; sepals very deciduous st^ les ! plumose cap' 

 sule 3-loculed, 3 seeded, exploslvel^ stparating into 2 

 valved coccsb when ripe seeds ovoul with a large ca 



ROBINIA 



1537 



2132. Ricmus communis. 



ad fleshy, oily albumen; coty- 





runcle, crustaceous testa 

 ledons broad. 



A great many forms ai 

 been distinguished as species by some, hut most botan- 

 ists follow Miiller (DeCandoUe's Prn.Ir.Mim- vn| ]-i 



part 2:1061, 18G6), in referring thci.i :^!! :',■-., ,f 



the one species, ^. comniHiiis, Linn,. , i,,]. 



lowing, listed as species in the Anr : , .„ iv 



doubtless be placed: S. AMc&nus, !:•■, ',.-,,., r.uil- 

 bodg^nsis, emruleus, Gibaoni, giganthtx. maci-oc',irpus, 

 macrophylhis, Obermanni, Philippininsis, sanguineus', 

 speciabilis, tricolor, Zamibarhisis. See Vilmo'rin, Blu- 

 mengartnerei, p. 903 (1896). 



commiims, Liiin. Castor Bean. Castor Oil Plant. 

 FalmaChki-ii. Ii.-.. ji:;1-3. Half-hardy annual, 3-15 

 n. high III thr ,-,.mn,l Inited States, 30-10 

 tt.inthe tni|,irs. n,,. lar-t- handsome leaves 

 (b m.-2J= tt. I aii.l M. „,s l,iiL-l,t L-r.-en to dark 

 red: capsuL-s ,.i-irkly ,„■ s,n,„.tl,. July to 

 frost. Prol,a>,ly ,„■■.-„, ally fp,n> Africa or In- 

 dia,nowsrait.rt,l wi,l, ly ai„l naiuralized in 

 all tropical lands. B.M. 2L'(iX- Cultivated in 

 most tropical and temperate countries from 

 the earliest times, for the oil of the seeds 

 (castor oil, Ohum Bicini) used in medicine 

 and m the arts, and in some places as a food- 

 dressing oil. The seeds contain a poisonous 

 principle. Also much used as a decorative 

 plant singly or in bed centers, giving a rich 

 tropical effect. Of rapid growth in any rich 

 soil. The seeds may be planted in May 4here 



stems nearly black. Var. Gibsoni, Hort. Dwarf, 5 ft 

 Ivs. bronzy purplish. Var. lividus, Jacq. (A", sanguin- 

 eus. Hort. if. Ohermanui, Hort.) Slender; stem and 

 fruit blood-red, 8 ft. R.H. 7:182,183. Var. Borbonifinsis, 

 Hort Fifteen feet, Ivs. large, shining, green or reddish. 

 Var. Zanzibar^nsis, Hort. A recent introduction of large 

 size with enormous various colored Ivs. and very laree 

 flat seeds. A.G. 16:383. I.H. 41:100. 



J. B. S. Norton. 



RIGIDfiLLA (Latin, somewhat rigid; referring to the 

 pedicels, which after the petals fall become erect and 

 stiff). Indicem. A genus of 3 species of Mexican half- 

 hardy bulbous plants allied to the weM-ko..nn Tit-ridiRs 

 and distinguished by the inner piiianili ^, m,,,ii^- 

 these are inconspicuous in Rigidella, K. , . ;[' 



ovate and erect, while in Tigridiathev a-, i ,. i, ,,,|,1 

 shaped and spreading. Lvs. broad, iilh iii \\it\, , i m 

 neled petiole; fls. fugitive, bright red, pedict-Uf,!; peri- 

 anth-tube none; segments very unequal, outer oblong, 

 connivent in a cup in the lower third, then sprea<ling or 

 reflexed; inner very small, erect, ovate, with a narrow- 

 claw. Baker's Irideae, Baker, p. 70. 



immacuiata, Herb. Stem 2-3 ft. long, forked: lower 

 lvs. lJ^-2 in. long including petiole: fls. bright crim- 

 son, not marked with black. B.R. 27:68. P.S. 5:502: 

 21:2215 (fls. brick-red). F.W.Barclay. 



KIViNA (A. Q. Rivinus, professor of botany, etc., 

 at Liepzig, 1691-1725). PhyiolaccAcea. A genus of 2 or 

 3 species of shrubs with herbaceous branches bearing 

 usually axillary racemes of small flowers, followed by 

 red berries the size of peas. Lvs. ovate, ovate-lanceo- 

 late or cordate-ovate: perianth-segments 4, small, equal; 

 stamens 4-8; style short; stigma capitate. The species 

 are natives of tropical America. The following makes 

 a good pot-plant for a warm greenhouse, and it is also 

 useful for growing as a summer annual in the open. 



Mmilis, Linn. Rouge Plant. Fig. 2134. Stem with 

 spreading branches, %-2 ft. high: lvs. 1-3 in. long: 

 racemes slender, pendulous, many-fld., as long as the 

 ivs.: fls. white, 1-13^ lines long: calyx pale rose: fr. 

 1-lJ^ lines long; S. Florida. B.M. 1781. V. 5:75. 

 S.H. 2:111. Gn. 22, p. 68 ( 



EOAN or KOWAN. Sorhus Ai 



Iwvis). 



F. W. Barclay. 



KOBlNIA (in honor of the two early French botanists 

 Robin). Leguminosa;. Trees or shrubs, with odd-pin- 

 nate leaves and often spines for stipules: Ifts. stipel- 

 l.ite: fls. in drooping axillary racemes : fr. a 2-valved 

 pod or legume, with several bean-like seeds. A genus 

 of plants of much merit for ornamental planting, and 

 in one case for its enduring timber. All are of rapid 

 growth when young, reaching effective stages in a short 

 time. The facility with which they increase, both by 

 seed and by suckers, is sometimes a disadvantage. Va- 

 rieties are propagated by cuttings or by grafting The 



splanted. 



they are to grow, or sown singly 

 early spring .^n.l afterwards' t"i 

 Ihe species varies greatly in size „..,. ,„ ,„c 

 form and size of the capsule, the form, size 

 and color of the seeds and color and glau- 

 cosity of the stem and leaves. The follow- 

 ing are some of the principal varieties: Var. 

 tambodgfinsis, Hort. Lvs. dark colored; 







2133 Clu np . 



