985 



K\)t €rra£urj? of 38atani?. 



[ritc 



quantity of the oil used in this country is 

 imported from India. Castor-oil is very 

 largely used as a gentle and efficient pur- 

 gative : its nauseous taste is, however, a 

 great objection to its use. This may par- 

 tially be overcome by mixing it with 



Ricinus communis (fruit and seed). 



orange-wine, gin, or peppermint-water, or 

 by making it into an emulsion with the 

 yolk of an egg or mucilage. The leaves are 

 used for various purposes, for which their 

 size and coolness render them serviceable, 

 and topically as an application in rheuma- 

 tism. [M. T. M.] 



RICOTIA. A genus of Cruciferce, con- 

 sisting of annuals from the Levant, with 

 pinnatifid leaves, and purplish flowers hav- 

 ing the outer calyx-segments bulging at 

 the base. The pod is oblong or linear-ob- 

 long. One of the species resembles Lu- 

 naria in the pod and flower, but another is 

 more like Cardamine. [J. T. S.] 



RIEBLE. Galium Aparine. 



RIEDLEA. Onoclea. 



RIELLA. A most curious genus of Bic- 

 ciacecB, with an erect stem and flat mem- 

 branous frond twining round it in a spiral. 

 The male and female fruit are on different 

 plants, the former occupying the edge of 

 the frond, and the latter axillary with a 

 perianth and globose sporangium, in which 

 peculiarity it departs from the distinc- 

 tive characters of the order. Biella was 

 named after a distinguished soldier and 

 botanist, DurieudeMaisonneuve,by whom 

 it was first discovered perfecting its fruit, 

 like Subularia, beneath the surface of the 

 water. The frond is attached to the stem 

 exactly in the same manner as the network 

 of the curious seaweed Dictyurus, a near 

 relative of Polysiphonia. [M. J. B.] 



RIESENBACHIA. A genus of Onagra- 

 cece, in which the calyx is of four narrow 

 lanceolate divisions, the posterior one 

 longer than the others. There is no corol- 

 la, and but a single stamen, which is op- 

 posite the anterior lobe of the calyx. The 

 only species is a Mexican shrub, with 

 lanceolate serrated leaves. [G. D.] 



RIGIDELLA. A genus of Iridacece, 

 consisting of Mexican herbs, with equi- 

 tant plaited leaves and fasciculate termi- 

 nal flowers. The perianth is three-parted, 



the segments imbricated at the base, con- 

 stricted below the middle, with a concave 

 revolute limb; stamens three, the filaments 

 united in a long exserted tube, and the 

 anthers linear erect ; ovary three-celled, 

 with many ovules, and three biparted 

 stigmas with an appendage at the back; 

 capsule papery. They are very pretty 

 plants, especially B. flammed, which has 

 flame-coloured flowers marked at the base 

 of the reflexed limb with dark-purple 

 stripes. [T. M.] 



RIMA. The cleft-like ostiolum of certain 

 fun gals. 



RIMOSE. Marked by chinks or cracks 

 on the surface. 



RIMF. Dacrydium cupressinum. 



RINDERA. A genus of Boraginacece, 

 native of South-eastern Russia and Sibe- 

 ria. The plants are herbs, with the leaves 

 lanceolate oblong or ovate, and the in- 

 florescence racemosely paniculate. The 

 calyx is five-parted; the corolla tubular, 

 with five narrow lobes to the limb, and 

 j the throat without scales ; the anthers are 

 I nearly sessile in the throat of the corolla ; 

 ! and the nuts four, depressed, with a broad- 

 winged margin, adhering to the style by 

 an internal angle at the base. [J. T. S.] 



RINGED. Surrounded by elevated or 

 depressed circular lines or bands, as the 

 roots or stems of some plants, the cupule 

 of several oaks, &c. 



RINGENT. The same as Personate. 



RINGWORM-SHRUB. Cassia dlata. 



RIOCREUXIA torulosa is a South 

 African twiner, the only known repre- 

 sentative of a genus of Asclepiadacece. 

 It has cordate leaves, and terminal or 

 axillary umbels of flowers. The calyx is 

 small, and divided into five lobes ; the 

 corolla is ventricose at the base and five- 

 lobed. the lobes joined together at their 

 tips ; the fruit is long slender and twisted. 

 Its nearest ally is Ceropegia. [B. S.] 



RIPARIOUS. Growing by water. 

 i RIPIDIUM. Schizcea. 



RIPOGONUM. This name, compounded 

 of two Greek words signifying ' osier-like' 

 or ' flexile twig,' is applied to a genus of 

 SmilacecB, the species of which are climb- 

 ing plants, natives of Australia and New 

 Zealand. The stem is spiny, the leaves cor- 

 j date, destitute of tendrils, and the flow- 

 I ers disposed in axillary clusters. The flow- 

 ers differ chiefly from those of Smilax in 

 the segments of the perianth being equal, 

 and in the filaments of the stamens be- 

 ing awl-shaped. Two species are in culti- 

 vation as greenhouse climbers. [M. T. M.] 



| RISHTA, RITAH. Indian names for 

 FSap'hidns emarginatus ; also of an Indian 

 ' medicinal oil obtained from the Soapnut, 

 i the seed of Acacia concinna. 



| RITCHIEA. A genus of tropical African 

 climbing shrubs of the Capparidacece, 



