R H A 
41. Rhamnus Zizyphus, shining leaved buckthorn, or 
common jujube.-—Sometimes both prickles are straight, 
sometimes the shorter one is recurved. Calyx stellate, with 
the segments on the upper surface plaited through the middle. 
Petals hollowed like a snail’s shell, upright, but after flower¬ 
ing recurved. Styles two or three. Drupe berried, superior, 
ovate-oblong, subumbilicate or obtuse at both ends, smooth, 
scarlet: pulp granular, sweet: shell or stone bony, ovate, 
acuminate at each end, wrinkled with little excavations, 
having at the base a transverse, prominent, compressed, acu¬ 
minate callus, like an incomplete suture; two-celled, valve¬ 
less, In each cell is one seed, of a rounded-ovate shape, 
flatted a little, plano-convex, rufescent, and at the umbilicus 
blackish; fastened to the bottom of the cell. 
According to Loureiro, it is a middled-sized tree, with 
twisted branches spreading a little; and very many long 
straight subsolitary prickles. Leaves oblong-ovate, serrate, 
three-nerved, smooth on both sides. Flowers greenish-white, 
on axillary short peduncles, commonly single. Calyx co¬ 
roll ine, wheel-shape/1, five-cleft. Stamens five, defended by 
as many scales. Stigmas two, sessile. Drupe middle-sized, 
ovate-oblong, brownish-yellow, fleshy; inclosing an oblong 
two-celled nut. 
Native of the south of Europe, China, Cochinchina, and 
Japan. The fruit is sold in the market at Canton during the 
autumn. In Italy and Spain It is served up at the table in 
desserts during the winter season, as a dry sweetmeat. Mr. 
Ray observed plenty of the fresh fruit exposed to sale at 
Venice. He saw abundance of the shrubs wild in Calabria. 
The jujube is said to have been first introduced into Italy 
from Syria, by Sextus Pampinius, in the time of Augustus: 
but we suppose we are to understand this of the variety im- 
roved by cultivation ; as in the introduction of the Cherry 
y Lucullus. It was cultivated here in 1640, as appears 
from Parkinson. 
42. Rhamnus spina Christi, or Syrian Christ’s-thorn.— 
This sends up several shrubby stalks, dividing into slender 
branches, armed with straight spines, (prickles) set by pairs 
at each joint. Leaves small, ovate, veined, alternate, upon 
very short foot-stalks. Flowers small, yellow, axillary. 
Fruit round, about the size of the sloe. 
Desfontaines describes it as an upright tree. Leaves al¬ 
ternate, perennial, blunt, notched about the edge, three- 
nerved, on short petioles: the younger ones pubescent un¬ 
derneath. Prickles short; one straight, the other recurved. 
Drupe oblong, the size of a wild plum, on a short pedicel, 
inclosing a roundish nucleus or stone. The fruit is eatable 
and pleasant. 
Propagation and culture .-—■]. The purging buckthorn 
shrub is so common in the hedges of many parts of England, 
that it is seldom cultivated in gardens. 
2. 7. Lay down the young branches in autumn, or plant 
cuttings in the spring, before the buds begin to swell. 
16. Sow the seeds upon a hotbed in the spring, and when 
the plants are fit to remove, put them separately in small pots, 
filled with light sandy earth: plunge them into the tan-pit, 
and shade them till they have taken root; then treat them 
in the same manner as other tender exotic plants. In the 
autumn, place them in she bark stove, and during the winter 
water them, but with great caution; for too much moisture at 
that season will destroy'them. 
21. Sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe. Keep the plants 
dean till autumn, and then plant them in a nursery, in rows 
two feet asunder, and at one foot distance in the rows. Here 
let them remain two years, and then plant them where they 
are to remdin. This shrub may also be increased by layers 
or cuttings; but the seedling plants are best. 
31. The alaternus is easily propagated by laying the 
branches down. They should not remain in the nursery 
longer than a year or two. They may be transplanted 
either in the autumn or the spring, but in dry land the 
autumn planting is best, whereas in moist ground the spring 
is to be preferred. 
RHAMNUS, among the ancients, a borough of Attica, 
belonging to the Ajantide tribe, 60 stadia from Marathon, 
Vol. XXII. No. 1483. 
R H A 45 
in a northerly- direction from the iEgean sea, in a place 
where the land formed a small peninsula or Chersonesus. 
The houses were on the sea-coast; and upon an eminence . 
was the temple of Nemesis, in which was a fine statue of the 
goddess, made by Phidias, of marble, which the Persians 
had brought from Paros for the purpose of forming a 
trophy, and which had been found in their camp after the 
battle of Marathon; the pedestal was adorned with four 
basso relievos, representing different subjects of Grecian 
history. Leda is also exhibited presenting Helena to her 
mother Nemesis. See Nemesis. 
RHAMNUSIA, in Mythology, an appellation given to 
Nemesis, on account of her celebrated statue at Rhamnus, 
in Attica, which has been generally ascribed to Phidias. 
Pliny, however, gives the honour of it to Ageraeritus, a 
scholar of' Phidias, who, as he says, had designed it for a 
Venus; but seeing one preferred to it, which was executed 
by Alcamenes, another scholar of the same master, sold his 
to the Rhamnusians, on condition that they would only take 
it for a statue of Nemesis, whence she gained tlie name of 
Rhamnusia. See Nemesis and Rhamnus. 
RHANTER1UM, [so named by Desfontaines, from 
a brush; the down of the seed having a similar 
form,] in botany, a genus of the class tetrandria, order didy- 
namia. Generic Character.—-Common Calyx imbricated, 
nearly cylindrical; scales lax, recurved. Corolla com¬ 
pound, radiated; florets of the disk numerous, equal, 
funnel-shaped, five-cleft, erect, all perfect; those of the 
radius few, ligulate, three-toothed recurved, female. Sta¬ 
mina : in the perfect florets five, awl-shaped, short: 
anthers simple, united into a five-toothed cylinder. Pistil: 
germen in all the florets inversely conical, furrowed; style 
thread-shaped, the length of the stamens; stigmas two, 
club-shaped. Pericarp none, except the permanent calyx. 
Seeds of all the florets the shape of the germen; those of 
the disk crowned with from four to six bristles, thickened 
and feathery at the top; those of the radius naked. Recep¬ 
tacle flat, chaffy; scales. acute, hollowed on one side. 
—Essential Character.— Receptacle chaffy. Seed-down 
of about five bristles, feathery at the top. Calyx cylindrical, 
imbricated. Seeds of the radius naked. 
1. Rhanterium suaveolens.—Found by Desfontaines on 
the sandy sea-coast, near Sfax, in the kingdom of Tunis. 
Root perennial. Stem erect, much branched, round, leafy, 
one or two feet high. Branches slender, downy, striated, 
often entangled together. Leaves scattered, sessile, three- 
quarters of an inch long, lanceolate, acute, strongly 
serrated, either smooth or downy; the upper ones smaller, 
linear and entire. Flowers terminal, solitary, resembling 
those of several of the smaller-flowered American Asters, 
except in being entirely yellow. This plant flowers in 
summer. The bruised leaves have a fragrant smell. 
RHAPHANEJ2, in ancient geography, a town of 
Asia, in Syria, placed by Ptolemy between Epiphania and 
Anteradus, 
RHAPHIS, [from pafu;, Gr. a needle, because of the long 
needle-like awn of the female flowers], in botany, a genus of 
the class monoecia, order triandria, natural order gramma. 
Generic Character.—Male flowers two, stalked, in one com. 
mon involucrum. Calyx: glume single-flowered, of two awl- 
shaped, coloured, beardless, nearly equal valves. Corolla; 
glume of two lanceolate, membranous, fringed, beardless 
valves, shorter than the calyx. Stamina: filaments three, short; 
anthers oblong. Female flower solitary, in the same short, 
one leaved, hairy involucrum, sessile, below the male flowers. 
Calyx as in the male, but shorter. Corolla: glume of two 
valves, nearly equal to the calyx; one of them furnished with 
a longish, Very sharp awn. Pistil: germen ovate; styles 
two, short; stigmas feathery. Pericarp none, except the per¬ 
manent glumes. Seed solitary, oblong, compressed. Essen¬ 
tial Character. —Involucrum of one leaf, three flower¬ 
ed. Male, calyx of two valves, coloured. Corolla of two 
fringed valves. Female, calyx like the male. Corolla of 
two valves; one of them awned. Styles two. Seed one, 
oblong. 
N 
3. Rhaphis 
