1526 



RHODOMYKTL^S 



KHCEO 



RHODOMYRTUS (iireek. ,■'•■•«■-),) ijrtle : fnnu the rose- 

 colored rts. of some specie^s and the mj'rtle-like foliage). 

 Myrtavt'if. Five .s|K-<jies of teiuU^r trees or shrubs, one 

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

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

 This is a handsome evergreen slirub growing G ft. <.>i' 

 more high and covered with Inroad, gh:'ssy Ivs. of great 

 beauty. The pink, H-petaled lis. are borne through sev- 

 eral weeks in greatest abundance, and are larger than 

 those of the peach. Thej'' resemble small single roses. 

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



is )2 1 )0. 



France) from early June till August. A striking fea 

 ture of the plant is its terminal, jtanicled inflorescence. 

 These i)anic]es are often a foot high, 10 inches wide at 

 the base ;ui(l contuin at one time as many as 20 full- 

 l.)lown ti(.twers and 100 buds. It is a native of Teneriffe, 

 and has lu-en introduced into southern California in 1901. 



Rhodorhiza is a i;roup of about 7 species, all from the 

 Canary Islands, whicii Bentliam and Hot)ker regard as 

 a section of the genus Convolvuhis. The Rhodorhizas 

 differ from typical Convolvulus in having the capsule 

 by abortion usually 1-seeded, and rupturing irregularly 

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

 prostrate or climbing herbs or erect subslirubs, some- 

 times si)inescent: Ivs. entire, dentate, undulate or lobed : 

 l)r<ia(Uy or narrowly bell-slia])ed ; limb 5-angled 

 or 5-lohed: ovar)' 2-loculed, 4-ovuled. 



fl6rida, Webb, (jierhaps more properly Convdivulns 

 f/oridiis, Linn.). Erect subshrub; Ivs. persistent, alter- 

 nate lanceolate, stalked, entire: tis. lon<j:-p(:^duncled, 

 tunnel shuped, white, sometimes jtinkisli white. R.H. 



W. M. 



2U2. Rhododendron arboreum (X 



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

 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 Jlyrtle 

 is recomuiended as a fruit-plant for Florida by the Aiiieri- 

 can Ponudogical Society and it is beins trieil in S. Calif, 

 In the South it is generally known as 31 ii it us ti>metito:ui . 

 The distinction between Rhc.domyrtua and Mvrtus rests 

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

 2-3-loculed, with nniny ovules in .■a'ch ; lilioib. mvrtus has 

 1-3 locules with spurious partitions, nuikiui;- the ovary 

 appear 2-G-loculcd, or it is ilivided into numerous 

 1-ovuled, superposed locules. Myrtles have feather- 

 veined foliage; the Downy Mvrtle lias 3-nerved Ivs. The 

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

 the four other species of Ehodomyrtus are Australian 

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

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

 petals ri. r.arely 4; stamens numerous, free ; berry glo- 

 bose or ovoid, with few or many seeds. 



tomentdsa, Wight {3ri'jr/iis hnucninsa , Ait.). DmvNv 

 JIyrtle. Branches downy abc.ve: lvs. rlli|itic or ob,,- 

 vate, short-stalked, hoarv 1h-Iow : peduncdes sluii-ter 

 than the lvs., ]-:;-fld.: berry 3-celled : seeds com- 

 pressed, forming 2 rows in eacji cell. B.M. 2."i(l. 



E. N. Ke^sonek and W. J[. 



EH0D6EA. S,.e.l!„/,w Vuiia,],',iKis. 



EHODOEHlZA ((-(reek, r.,.sc ,■,.„/,■ the root and woo.l 

 furnish the fragrant ]iowder known as lurix de ruxe). 

 Convolmdctcew. H. florida is a tender subshrub, 6-9 ft! 

 high, which bear.s white fls. something like a morning- 

 glorj'. The blossoms are about an inch acc.ss and last 

 only a day, but a -ii .-s-iion is nountaineil [in soutlic rn 



EHODOTHAMNUS (Greek, rho,h,„, rose, and thaiii- 

 } s shiub; small shrub, with rose -colored flowers). 

 l^iicctcere. Dwarf evergreen shrub, with alternate, 

 small entire lvs. ami rather large jiink fls., usually soli- 

 t irv it the ends of the branchlets. Charming little al- 

 I.me shinb, hardy north, but soiucwhat diilicult 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 Kahnia, but 

 anthers not in pouches; lvs. alternate: 

 sepals .0, half as long as corolla: corolla 

 rotate, deeply .T-lobed; stamens 111, slightly 

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

 seeded dehiscent capsule. 



Chamsecistus, Reichb. {Ehododindron 

 Ch'/unr cixf US, 'Linxi. Adodnidro}! Cham- 

 'pcUIkx, O. Kuntze). Diflusely branched 

 ■^hrub, to 1 ft.: h-s. cuneate-oblong, acute, 

 ^etosely ciliate, K-K in hmg: fis. on slen- 

 der, glandular-hirsute pedicels, solitary, 

 rarely 2 or 3 at the end of the branchlets, 

 light purplish pink, to 1 in. across. Mav. 

 ^ Alps of Eastern En. B.M. 4KS. L.B.C. 

 F.b. 19:19G- Alfred Rehdee. 



1.K1491. 



EHODOTfPOS (Greek, rhodori, rose, and, tiipox, type; 

 alluding to the resemblance of the flowers to those of a 

 single rose. 1. I^oscicece. Ornamental deciduous shrub, 

 with opiiosite serrate lvs. and large white fls. solitary 

 at the end of branchlets, followed tiy black and shining 

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

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

 witli 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, liy seeds 

 and Ijy greenwood cuttings under glass early in sum- 

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

 lied to Kerria: lvs. stipulate, <ipposite: fls. solitarv, 

 short-pedicelled; sepals large, half as long .as jietals. 

 outside with 4 small alternate br:icts; petals 4. orbicu- 

 lar: st:(nieiis nunienMis: carpels usuallv 4. developing 

 into black, dry, one-seeded dru])es, snrvcniniled by the 

 large persistent calyx. 



kerrioides, Sieli. & Zucc. I\luch-branclied shrub, usu- 

 ally :i-i; ft. high I in .l.-i)ian ]."> ft.): lvs. ovate to ovate- 

 iildong, acuminate, sharply and doubly serrate, silky- 

 ]mbes<'ent beneath when voung, IV2-3 in. long: fls. pure 

 white, 1'., in. across. Ma'v, .luni'. S. Z. I :H9. "" B.M. SSO.^i. 

 (it. ];3:,-.lir>. R.H. IISIIH, p.' 4311. (in. G, p. 229; 34, p. 159; 



43, p. ]3«. 



AtjFked Rehdek. 



EHCEO (name unexplained). Coiiiiiuli iiAntr. One 

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

 Hance, known also as Tradrxrn iitia disr,,lni\ Ij'Her., 

 T. spittlKiri'ii . Swartz, and Eiihrmrrtini liicolar, Moench. 

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

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



