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Rubus odoratus, Linné.*
North America. A kind of Raspberry. A handsome
species on account of its large purple flowers. Berry edible.
Culture would doubtless enhance the value of tbe fruits of
many of these Rubi. Hybridising might be tried.
Rubus rosifolius, Smith.
Tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and Asia, also
throughout tbe littoral forests of East-Australia. This shrub
bears in woody regions an abundance of fruits of large size,
and these early and long in the season.
Rubus rugosus, Smith.
Soutb-Asia. The fruit, wliicb ripens here all the year round,
is nearly twice the size of the ordinary Blackberry.
Rubus strigosus, Michaux.
North America. Closely allied to tbe European Raspberry.
Its fruits large, also of excellent taste. I t would lead too
far to enumerate otber kinds of Rubus, although about a
hundred genuine species occur, which render the genus one of
very wide dispersion over the globe.
Rubus trivialis, Michaux.*
Southern States of North America. Another shrubby
species with good edible fruits, wbicb are large and black.
Tbe plant will thrive in dry sandy soil. Like many other
species rich in tannic acid,
Rumex Acetosa, Linné.
The Kitchen Sorrel. Europe, Middle and North Asia to
Japan, also in the frigid zone of North America. A perennial
herb. The tender varieties, particularly tbe Spanish
one, serve as pleasant acidnons vegetables, but must be used
in moderation, as their acidity like that of the species of
Oxalis (Wood-sorrel) depends on binoxylate of potash. The
South African R, luxurians (L.) serves likewise as culinary
Sorrel.
Rumex Patientia, Linné.
Middle and South Europe, Middle Asia. Biennial. The
young leaves furnish a palatable Sorrel, like Spinage, In cold
climes it pushes forth its leaves before tbe frost is hardly
gone, and thus comes in as one of the first vegetables of the
season.
Rumex scutatus, Linné,
Tbe French Sorrel. Middle and South Europe, North
Africa, Orient. Also perennial, and superior to the foregoing
as a culinary plant. They all are of use against scurvy
and most easily reared.
An annual herb
Rumex vesicarius, Linné.
South Europe, Middle Asia, North Africa,
of similar utility as the two former ones.
Ruscus aculeatus, Linné.
Middle and South Europe, North Africa, South-West Asia.
This odd plant is the only shrubby species of tbe genus. I t
serves for forming garden-hedges. The young shoots of this
and others are edible.
Ruta graveolens, Linné.
The Rue. Mediterranean countries and the Orient. The
foliage of this acrid and odorous shrub, simply dried, constitutes
tbe Rue-herb of medicine. The allied R, silvestris
(Mül.) is still more powerful in its effect. These plants and
others of the genus contain a peculiar volatile oil and a
glycosid (Rutin).
Sabal Adansoni, Gnernsent.
Dwarf Palmetto. South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. A
stemless Fan-Palm, with the two following and Cbamaerops
Hystrix attaining the most northerly positions of any
American Palms. According to Count de Saporta it resists
a temperature as low as 17° E. This Palm does well in
marshy places.
Sabal Palmetto, Roemer and Schultes.*
Extends from Florida to North Carolina. Tbe stem attains
a height of forty feet. This noble Palm ought to grow on
our sandy coast-tracts, as in such it delights to live.
Sabal serrulata, Roemer and Schultes.
South Carolina, Geox'gia and Florida. Tbe stem grows to
eight feet h ig h ; particularly well-adapted for sea-coasts.
The leaves can be used for cabbage-tree hats and other
purposes, for which palm-leaves are sought. The fibrous
spongy parts of the stem serve as brushes.
Sabal umhraculifera, Martius.
West India. Attains, according to Grisebach, a height of
eighty feet. Though naturally a tropical Savannah-Palm, it
has proved even hardier than the Orange. Another equally
tall Antillan-Palm is S. glaucescens (Loddiges).
Sabbatia angularis, Pursh.
North-East America. This biennial pretty herb is landed as
a substitute for Gentian by American physicians, and might
with other congeners be grown in medicinal gardens, though
its natm-alisation would not be desirable, as stock avoid the
bitter gentianaceons plants.
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