instead of spirally twisted hairs on the 

 receptacle, free in place of monadelphous 

 stamens, and no central tubular florets : 

 see Barxadesia. [A. A. B.] 



RHODALSTNE. A genus of Caryophyl- 

 lacece, proposed for Alsine procumbent, 

 which differs from the other species of the 

 genus in having the cotyledons accumbent 

 not incumbent. It is a small glandular 

 plant inhabiting the Mediterranean region; 

 and has oblong leaves, and small flowers 

 with entire rose-coloured petals, ten sta- 

 mens in two rows, three styles, and com- 

 pressed kidney-shaped seeds. [J. T. S.] 



RHODANTHE. A beautiful genus of Com- 

 positce, found in Western Australia. The 

 only species is R. Manglesii, of which there 

 are several varieties differing from each 

 other mainly in the size and colour of their 

 flower-heads, which have the dry character 

 of what are commonly called ' everlasting 

 flowers.' It is an annual plant, rising from 

 a foot to a foot and a half high, with an 

 erect branching stem, oblong blunt entire 

 stem-clasping leaves of a glaucous green 

 colour 3 and flower-heads on slender sta'ks 

 arranged in a corymbose manner. The 

 flower-heads have a top-shaped involucre 

 of numerous dry scales, which are small 

 and silvery at the base, but gradually in- 

 crease upwards in size and depth of tint 

 till they become radiate and of a colour 

 varying from pale rose to deep purple. 

 Each head contains numerous florets, all 

 similar and borne upon a naked receptacle, 

 the florets themselves having a five-cut 

 tubular corolla, and a pappus of distinct 

 feathery bristles in a single row. The 

 achenes are woolly and beakless. By some 

 the plants called atrosanguinea and tnacu- 

 lata are regarded as distinct. [A. S.] 



RHODEA cor ROHDEA) japonica. A 

 curious Japanese monocotyledon formerly 

 described as an Orontium, of which it has 

 somewhat the appearance, but from which 

 it is widely different in structure. It con- 

 stitutes a genus of Liliacece of the tribe 

 Asp idi strece, remarkable for the flowers and 

 afterwards the baccate fruits being densely 

 aggregated in a compact oblong spike, re- 

 sembling the spadix of several Aroidece. 



RHODES-WOOD. TheCandlewood of the 

 West Indies, Amyris balsamifera. 



RHODIOLA. A succulent herbaceous 

 perennial, which by some authors is sepa- 

 rated from Sedum on account of its bearing 

 fertile and barren flowers on distinct plants. 

 R. rosea, the Rose-root, may be considered 

 as a species of Sedum with plane leaves 

 and a thick root, having the habit of ,S. 

 TelepMum. It grows on wet rocks on the 

 high mountains of Scotland and the North 

 of England and Ireland, as well as on sea- 

 cliffs. The stems are unbrancbed, about a 

 foot high, the leaves broad thick fleshy and 

 glaucous, and the flowers yellow, crowded 

 at the summit of the stem. The root, when 

 bruised and even when dried, yields a scent 

 like that of a rose. The Rose-root is the 

 badge of the clan Gunn. [C. A. J.] 



RHODO. In Greek compounds = red. 



RHODOCALYCE. (Fr.) Rhodochiton. 



RHODOCHITON. A genus of Scrophu- 

 htriacece, founded on R. volubile, a climber 

 from Mexico, which differs little from 

 Lophospermum, except that the calyx is 

 less divided and the corolla is not so open, 

 and has the two lips cut into nearly equal 

 segments. [W. O] 



RHODOCHLAMTS. A genus of Labiatce, 

 the leading characters of which are:— Calyx 

 inflated, the upper lip entire, the lower 

 bifid ; tube of the corolla inflated about 

 the middle, its upper lip short and entire, 

 the lower tricrenate ; filaments of the lower 

 pair of stamens dilated and partly joined. 

 R. speciosa is a Mexican shrub with red 

 flowers, hoary and glandulose above. The 

 name is from the Greek words signifying 

 'red' and 'a covering,' in allusion to the 

 appearance of the corolla. [G. D.] 



RHODOCOMA. A genus proposed by 

 Nees for a species of Eestiacece from the 

 Cape Colony, but which is probably not 

 sufficiently distinct from Elegia. 



RHODODENDRON. The generic name 

 of a group of showy plants belonging to 

 the Ericacece. In their flowers the corolla 

 is funnel-shaped, sometimes slightly irre- 

 gular, flve-lobed ; and the stamens are ten 

 in number, rarely fewer, and usually de- 

 clined. 



The species are shrubs or low trees, with 

 entire alternate leaves, and showy clusters 

 of flowers. The name is from the Greek, 

 and literally means ' rose-tree.' The plants 

 of this genus have been long favourably 

 known to cultivators, combining, as most 

 of them do, beauty profuseness and fra- 

 grance of flower with handsome foliage. 

 Some also have the additional recommenda- 

 tion of bearing a succession of flowers for 

 a considerable time: R. Maddeni, for ex- 

 ample, flowering for eight or more weeks. 

 The flowers of R. Edgeworthi attain a dia- 

 meter of five inches, are white with a shade 

 of delicate pink, and so fragrant that a few 

 are sufficient to scent a large room. The 

 snow-white flowers of R. Grifltthianwn 

 present a beautiful contrast with the large 

 leaves, six to twelve inches long, which are 

 bright-green with a pale-yellow edge. 



In the size attained by the species there 

 is a wide contrast. The small and humble 

 R. lapponicum is a prostrate shrub, with 

 branches a few inches long ; while R. Rol- 

 lissonii of Ceylon attains a height of thirty 

 feet, and a girth of four feet ; and R. 

 Falconeri is sometimes fifty feet high, with 

 leaves nineteen inches long. 



The genus is widely diffused : R. lapipo- 

 nicum occurs in the Arctic Zone, R. maxi- 

 mum and R. cataivbiense are plentiful in 

 some parts of North America. The genus 

 has also representatives in Europe and in 

 China, but in India we find the greatest 

 number. Dr. J. D. Hooker observed forty- 

 three species in Sikkim, most of which 

 were new: and in Bhutan they also abound. 

 R. lapponicum is one of the brightest 



