R H A 



It H A 



country of the Grifons, and to the cantons of Uri, Glaris, 

 &c. as far as the " Brigantinuslacus," or lake of Conftance : 

 it extended alfo over the Tyrol. This country was called 

 Weftern lllyricum, and was divided into Rha=tia Prima or 

 Propria, and Secunda, extending towards Swabia, Bavaria, 

 and Auftria. This diftrict was lubjected to the Romans by 

 Drufus, under the reign of Augulhis. Soon afterwards 

 Vindelicia took up arms in their favour, and Tiberius was 

 fent againft them, and reduced their country, fo that the pof- 

 feflions of the Romans extended as far as the Danube. The 

 whole of this extenfive territory had borne the name of 

 Rhretia ; but under Dioclefian it was divided, as we have 

 faid, into Rha:tia Prima and Secunda, the latter of which 

 divisions was Vindelicia. Rhcetia, Noricum, and fome 

 other territories, became a Roman province, and be- 

 longed to the kingdom of the Oitrogoths in Italy ; but 

 upon the declenfion of it, they fell under the dominion of 

 the Franks, about which time the name of Bavarians firit 

 became celebrated in hiftory. The principal rivers of Rha:- 

 tia were the Rhenus or Rhine, the Athefis or Adige, the 

 Oenus or Inn, the Ticinus or Tofin, and Addua. The moll 

 confiderable places were Curia or Coira, at a fmall dillance 

 eaft of the Rhenus, and Tridentum or Trent, on the Athefis. 

 Ptolemy, in his geography of Rhsetia, reckons upon the 

 Danube the following towns, wise. Bragodurum, Dracuina, 

 Viana, and Phasniana ; and towards the fource of the Rhine, 

 Tagahum, Brigantium, Ebodunum, Drufomagus, and Ec- 

 todurum. 



RHAGADES, 'PayaJsf, in Surgery, a Greek term ufed 

 for the chaps or clefts in the lips, hands, anus, and other 

 foft parts of the body. 



Rhagades are a fort of fifTures, and little chapped ulcers 

 of the oedematous kir.d ; formed of a ftiarp faline humoar, 

 and occafioning a great contraction and ftraightening of the 

 part, which is by this means fhrivelled up like a wet parch- 

 ment, when held to the fire. 



They are chiefly found on the fundament, the neck of 

 the womb, the praputium, lips, &c. fometimes even in the 

 mouth ; in which cafe the patient is not able to fpeak, chew, 

 or the like. 



They are fometimes moid, and of a cancerous nature, 

 eating deep, and difficult of cure ; but they are more com- 

 monly of a lefs malignant tendency, being often in the anus 

 the confequence of a diarrhoea, dyfentery, or the like. 



RHAGADIOLUS, in Botany, fee' Lapsana ; under 

 the fourth fpecies of which its etymology is given. 



RHAGAURA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Afia, 

 in Aria, between Siphara and Zamuchana. Ptolemy. 



RHAGE, a word ufed by medical writers for a fifl'ure 

 or chap in any part. The flones of grapes are alfo by fome 

 called rhages ; and by others the fame word is made to ex- 

 prefs the extremities of the fingers or toes. 



RHAGE A, in Ancient Geography, a town of Afia, in 

 Parthia, near Appha, according to Ptolemy. 



RHAGES, a town of Macedonia, on the banks of the 

 river Peneus, about ten miles from Lariffa, according to 

 Livy. 



RHAGIA, a town of Afia, in Babylonia, towards 

 Arabia Felix, between Jamba and Chiriphe, according to 

 Ptolemy. 



RHAGIANA, a town of Gedrofia, near the " Portus 

 Mulierum ;" fo called in the tranflation of Ptolemy ; but 

 in the text of Ptolemy it is called " Rapava." 



RH AGODIA, in Botany, from fa|, a berry, becaufe its 

 little pulpy fruit affords a principal mark of diftinction be- 

 tween this genus and feveral others, to which it is nearly re- 

 lated Brown Prodr. Nov. Holl. v. I. 408. Ait. Hort. 



10 



Kew. v. 5. 440. — Clafs and order, Polygamia Monoecia, 

 Brown ; but we fhould rather fay Pentandria Digynia, 

 though fome of the flowers are defective as to the ftamens 

 or the piftil. Nat. Old. Holeracex, Linn. Alriplices, Jufl. 

 Chenopodea, Decandolle and Brown. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, concave, 

 permanent, in five deep ovate fegments. Cor. none. Stam. 

 Filaments five, awl-fhaped, oppofite to the fegments of the 

 calyx, and about as long ; anthers roundifh, two-lobed. 

 Pijl. Germen orbicular, deprefled ; ftylestwo, divaricated, 

 fhort ; ftigmas fimple. Peric. Berry orbicular, depreffed, 

 encompaffed underneath by the calyx. Seed folitary, the 

 fhape of the berry, " furnifhed with albumen, and a double 

 coat." Brown. 



Obf. Labillardiere and Brown defcribe fome flowers as 

 wanting the ftamens, others the piftil, though the reft have 

 both. In this polygamous character, but efpecially in the 

 nature of the fruit, which is a true bacca, this genus differs 

 from Chenopodium, as well as from Kochia, and other 

 neighbouring genera, of Mr. Brown ; fee thofe articles. 

 The ftamens are fometims fewer than five. Brown. 



Eft. Ch. Calyx inferior, in five deep fegments. Corolla 

 none. Berry deprefled, encompaffed with the permanent 

 calyx. Seed folitary, orbicular, deprefled. Some male or 

 female flowers are intcrfperfed. 



The fpecies, all natives of New Holland, are generally 

 fhrubby, rarely herbaceous. Leaves almoft always alter- 

 nate, fimple, often clothed with mealy powder. Flowers 

 either fpiked or conglomerated, deftitute of braBeas. 



1 . R. Bi/lardierl. ( Chenopodium baccatum ; LabilL 

 Nov. Holl. v. 1. 71. t. 96.) — Shrubby, erect, without 

 thorns. Leaves entire, linear-oblong or lanceolate, flat ; 

 powdery beneath. Spikes branched. Native of New 

 South Wales, as well as of the fouthern coaft of New Hol- 

 land. Stem fhrubby, branched, five feet or more in height, 

 with round, leafy branches, ftriated when dry. Leaves 

 ftalked, fpreading, an inch and a half, or two inches, long, 

 and one-third of an inch broad, fharpifh ; tapering at the 

 bafe. Flowers fmall, greenifh, in terminal, much com- 

 pounded, or panicled, fpikes. Berries red, about the fize 

 of muftard-feed. 



2. R. crajfifolia. — Shrubby, erect, without thorns. Leaves 

 entire, oval, or linear-oblong, flefhy, convex and powdery 

 beneath. Spikes branched. — Gathered by Mr. Brown, on 

 the fouth coaft of New Holland. 



3. R. lini/o/ia. — Somewhat fhrubby, decumbent. Leaves 

 entire, linear-lanceolate, flat, ftamens one or two. Found 

 by the fame botanift, in the tropical part of New Holland. 



4. R. hajlata. Ait. n. 1. — Somewhat fhrubby, erect. 

 Branches diffufc. Leaves nearly oppofite, haftate, fome- 

 what rhomboid, entire, very fmooth. Spikes terminal, 

 leaflefs. — Native of New South Wales, from whence it was 

 fent to Kew by Mr. Peter Good, in 1803. This is a hardy 

 fhrub, flowering with us in June and July, and appears to 

 be the only fpecies of the genus before us, that has, as vet, 

 been cultivated in England. 



5. R. parabolica. — Shrubby, erect, without fpines. Leaves 

 triangular, obtufe, powdery. Spike branched. — Obferved 

 by Mr. Brown, on the fouth coaft of New Holland, but 

 without fruit. 



6. R.fpinefcens.— Shrubby, erect; the young branches 

 becoming fpines. Leaves partly oppofite, haltate, fome- 

 what rhomboid, entire ; powdery and hoary on both fides. 

 Spikes fimple From the fouth coaft. 



7. R. nutans. — Herbaceous, proftrate. Branches afcend- 

 ing when in fruit, drooping at the extremity. Leaves op- 

 pofite, lanceolate-haftate, acute. — Gathered by Mr. Brown, 



