according to Brewster, form simple straight 

 lines ; but the rest are grouped into oval 

 forms, connected together like the pearls 

 of a necklace by a chain of particles form- 

 ing a sort of curvilinear quadrangle, these 

 rows of oval combinations being arranged 

 in pairs. In the straw and chaff of wheat, 

 &c, which is also good when burnt for 

 polishing, he noticed analogous pheno- 

 mena, but the particles were arranged in a 

 different manner, and displayed figures of 

 singular beauty. [M. J. B.] 



RUSH. Juncus. — , BALD. Psilocarya. 

 -, BOG. Schcenus. —, BULL. Scinms 

 lacustris. — ,CLUB. Scirpus. —.DUTCH. 

 Equisetum hyemale. — , FLOWERING. 

 Butomus umbellatus. — , HARESTAIL. 

 Eriophorum vaginatum. — , HORNED. Ce- 

 ratoscltcenus. — , MOSS. Juncus squarrosus. 

 — , NUT. Scleria. —.PAPER. Papyrus anti- 

 quorum. — , SCOURING. Equisetum hye- 

 male. — , SPIKE. Eleocharis. —, TWIG. 

 Ciadium. —, WOOD. Luzula. 



RUSOT. A watery medicinal extract 

 prepared in India from the sliced roots 

 stem and branches of -Berberis Lycium, 

 and B. aristata. 



RUSSELIA. A genus of Scrophulariacece, 

 containing several herbs or shrubs, natives 

 of Mexico and the Antilles. They have 

 angular branches, with entire opposite ter- 

 nate or whorled leaves, and scarlet flowers 

 in axillary corymbs. The calyx is five- 

 parted; the tube of the corolla dilated 

 upwards, and the limb two-lipped ; the four 

 stamens are included, the anthers com- 

 posed of two divaricate cells ; the style is 

 simple ; the stigma obtuse ; and the globu- 

 lar capsule has an attenuated beak, is two- 

 celled, each of the cells containing several 

 small seeds. [W. C] 



RUSSIAN MATS. An article of com- 

 merce manufactured from the inner bark 

 of Tilia. 



RUSSULA. A genus of gill-bearing Fungi 

 distinguished principally from Lactarius 

 by the absence of milk. The species are 

 numerous, but so variable in form and 

 colour— which exhibits the brightest scar- 

 let, pink, white, yellow, livid, &c, in one 

 and the same species— that they are often 

 very difficult to distinguish, though when 

 once ascertained they are easy of recogni- 

 tion, even under considerable disguise. 

 The gills are either white or of an apricot- 

 yellow, according to the colour of the 

 spores. Most of them are more or less de- 

 pressed in age. The gills are mostly brittle 

 and entire, with a peculiar character of 

 their own, which, without inquiry as to the 

 nature of the fluid they contain, at once 

 indicates the genus. Some are extremely 

 acrid, while others are mild and esculent. 

 They are much esteemed on the Continent, 

 though seldom used in England. Mrs. Hus- 

 sey, however, was a great advocate for 

 them, and speaks of one species as giving 

 a daily and welcome supply to an invalid 

 who could neither relish nor digest any 

 other food. [M. J. B.] 



RUST. The common name of Tricho- 

 basis Rubigo vera, a parasitic fungus of the 

 natural order Puccini&i, which, with one 

 or two other closely allied species con- 

 founded with it by the farmer, preys upon 

 the leaves, glumes, stalks, &c. of cereals. 

 They have been supposed to be mere con- 

 ditions of Pucclnia graminis, but this is 

 not fully borne out by closer inquiry. Rust 

 does not appear to be injurious to corn so 

 long as it is confined to the flaggy leaves, 

 as it seldom grows except when they are 

 over-luxuriant, but it is a formidable ad- 

 versary when it attacks the chaff or seed ; 

 and the more so because it is impossible 

 to suggest any remedy. Every protospore 

 is shed long before the grain is reaped, and 

 therefore steeping the seed is useless. The 

 application of any dressing to the soil is 

 almost like breaking a butterfly upon a 

 wheel. White wheat is more subject to 

 have the chaff affected than red ; indeed, 

 some varieties are scarcely ever entirely 

 free from the parasite. [M. J. B.] 



RUSTY. The same as Ferruginous. 



RUTABAGA. The Swedish Turnip, Bras- 

 sica campestris rutabaga. 



RUTACE^E (Rutw, Diosmece, Fraxinellew, 

 Rueworts). A large order of polypetalous 

 dicotyledons, consisting of trees, shrubs, 

 or rarely herbs, always more or less marked 

 with glandular dots, especially on the fo- 

 liage, and often strongly scented. The 

 leaves are frequently opposite, simple or 

 more generally compound, entire or rarely 

 toothed, without stipules. The flowers are 

 usually hermaphrodite and regular, some- 

 times showy and often sweet-scented ; the 

 sepals and petals are five each.with thesame 

 or double the number of stamens inserted 

 on a hypogynous or somewhat perigynous 

 disk ; and the ovary has four or five cells, 

 with two or rarely one ascending ovule in 

 each. The fruit is a capsule or berry, rarely 

 a drupe ; and the seeds, whether with or 

 without albumen, have always a large em- 

 bryo. All the above characters are, how- 

 ever, liable to exceptions, and there is 

 little beyond the glandular dots of the 

 foliage to separate the order on the one 

 hand from Simarubacece, and on the other 

 from Burseracece. In its geographical 

 range, the order extends over the tropical, 

 subtropical, and temperate regions of the 

 whole globe; it is, however, scarce in tro- 

 pical Africa, and disappears entirely in 

 cold climates and at great elevations. 



Taken in its most extended sense, the 

 order is now divided into seven tribes, 

 several of which, and not always those 

 which are most distinct in character, are 

 often considered as separate orders. They 

 are— Cuspariece : natives of tropical Ame- 

 rica, comprising nine genera of which the 

 most important are Almeidea, Galipea, Tir 

 corea, and Monnieria. Rutece : dispersed 

 chiefly over the temperate regions of the 

 Northern Hemisphere, with six genera, 

 including Ruta, Peganum, and Dictamnus. 

 Diosmece : eleven genera all South Afri- 

 can, chiefly Biosma and small genera sepa- 



