Rondeletia
(named in memory of William Rondelet, 1507-1566, a scientific physician, whose attention was chiefly devoted to fishes and algae). SYNS. Arachnimorpha, Lightfootia (of Schreber), and Willdenovia. Including Rogiera. ORD. Rubiaceae A genus comprising about sixty species of stove evergreen shrubs and (rarely) trees, with terete branchlets, natives of the West Indies and tropical America, but very rare in Guiana and Peru. Flowers white, yellow,* or red, small, pedicellate, disposed in corymbose or paniculate, axillary or rarely terminal cymes; calyx four or five-lobed, persistent; corolla funnel or salver-shaped, the limb of four or five spreading lobes; stamens four or five. Leaves opposite, rarely ternately whorled, sessile or petiolate, coriaceous or membranous; stipules broad, interpetiolar, deciduous or persistent. Many of the species are very pretty, and well deserving of a position in the stove. The most suitable soil is a compost of loam, peat, and sand. Propagation may be readily effected by cuttings, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, in heat. A selection of the best-known species is given below. R. americana (American). fl. white, slightly odorous; cymes axillary, corymbiform, long-pedunculate, pubescent. August. l. lanceolate-oblong, 2in. long, pointed, acuminate at base, glabrous, hispidulous on the nerves within; stipules hairy within. h. 5ft. West Indies, 1752.
R. amoena (pleasing).* fl. of a beautiful pink colour, golden-bearded at the throat, clustered; lobes of corolla emarginate. June. l. broadly oblong, 2in. to 5in. long, acuminate, nerved. h. 4ft. Guatemala. SYNS. R. versicolor (B. M. 4579), Rogiera amoena (F. d. S. 442; L. & P. F. G. i. 143). R. Backhousii (Backhouse's). fl. rose-coloured, pedicellate, 1/2in. to 3/4in. long, in terminal, erect, loosely many-flowered panicles; corolla tube pubescent, twice or thrice as long as the calyx lobes. Autumn. l. opposite, shortly petioled, 4in. to 9in. long, sub-cute, membranous; petioles and veins beneath red. 1860. A small shrub, of unknown origin; it is probably identical with R. erythronema, of Karsten. (B. M. 6290.) R. cordata (heart-shaped).* fl. pink, four-parted; cymes terminal, corymbose, many-flowered. Summer. l. sub-sessile, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, cordate at base, coriaceous, puberulous beneath and on veins, or at length glabrous; stipules ovate-lanceolate, leafy, reflexed. h. 4ft. Guatemala, 1844. SYN. Rogiera cordata (F. d. S. 754).
R. gratissima (most agreeable).* fl. pinkish, sweet-scented, with a long tube and five lobes, disposed in dense, terminal, corymbi-form cymes, and not unlike those of the Laurestine. l. lanceolate-elliptic. Mexico, 1866. A beautiful, cool stove shrub. (I. H. n. s. 424; F. d. S. 1570-1 and R. G. 490, under name of Rogiera gratissima.) R. hirsuta (hairy). fl. yellow; corolla tube externally hairy; cymes axillary, corymbiform, shaggy-pilose, on peduncles as long as the leaves. July. l. elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 2in. to 5in long, cuspidate, rounded or blunt at the base, hispidulous on both sides with scattered down; stipules shaggy-pilose. h. 4ft. Jamaica, 1820.
R. laurifolia (Laurel-leaved). fl. brownish-yellow, fragrant; corolla sub-rotate; cymes in axillary, hoary-pubescent, racemi-form panicles. July. l. elliptic-oblong, 3in. to 5in. long, pointed, glabrous; stipules subulate-deltoid, villous within. h. 4ft. Jamaica, 1824. R. odorata (odorous).* fl. bright vermilion, fragrant, in terminal, trichotomously compound corymbs; pedicels hairy; corolla salver-shaped, with a narrow tube and a spreading limb. November. l. in opposite and rather remote pairs, ovate, acute or somewhat acuminate, entire, waved, on very short petioles. Stem straggling, with rounded, downy branches. h. 3ft. Cuba (said also to be Mexican), 1836. (B. 53; B. M. 3953; B. R. 1905.) SYN. R. speciosa (L. B. C. 1893; P. M. B. ii. 242, v. 354).
R. o. breviflora (shorter-flowered). fl. vermilion or bright orange-red, with a distinct yellow eye; corolla shorter than in the type; limb nearly 1/2in. in diameter. West Indies. (B. M. 6350.) R. Purdiei(Purdie's).* fl. pale yellow, fragrant, 1/2in. in diameter, crowded into terminal and axillary, rounded corymbs; corolla with a thickened ring at the throat. Summer. l. 3in. to 8in. long, ovate-oblong or almost oblong-lanceolate, but obtuse, narrowed at base into the very short petiole, or suddenly (in the larger lower leaves) terminating in a small, cordate base; midrib red above. h. 4ft. Columbia, 1867. An almost silky-pubescent shrub. (B. M. 5669.) R. racemosa (raceme-flowered). fl. white; cymes in axillary, glabrous, racemiform, peduncled panicles. Summer. l. elliptic-oblong, 3in. long, pointed, glabrous; stipules deltoid, villous within. h. 5ft. Jamaica, 1820. R. speciosa (showy). A synonym of R. odorata.
R. thyrsoidea (thyrse-flowered). fl. rusty-yellowish, externally pubescent; cymes in axillary, hoary-pubescent, pyramidal panicles. July. l. ovate or elliptic, 3in. to 6in. long, pointed, glabrous above, puberulous with scattered, minute down beneath; stipules deltoid-subulate, strigose within. h. 6ft. Jamaica, 1819.
R. versicolor (various-coloured). A synonym of R. amoena.