Ruyschia
(named in honour of Fred. Ruysch, Professor of Botany at Amsterdam; he died in 1731). SYN. Souroubea. ORD. Ternstromiaceae. A genus comprising about eight species of stove, epiphytal or climbing shrubs, rarely arborescent, natives of tropical America. Flowers in terminal, often elongated racemes, supported by sessile, trilobed bracts at the tips of the pedicels; sepals five, closely imbricated; petals five, imbricated, connate at base; stamens five; bracteoles two, sepaloid. Leaves entire, coriaceous. R. clusiaefolia, the only species introduced, is an interesting under-shrub. It will thrive in a compost of vegetable mould and loam. Ripened cuttings will root freely if inserted in sand, under a bell glass, in heat. R. clusiaefolia (Clusia-leaved). fl. purple; bracts scarlet, dotted with red, obovate, acute, thick, deflexed, concavo-convex; racemes terminal, many-flowered, about 1ft. long; peduncles short. June. l. alternate, obovate, thick, shining, about 4in. long. h. 4ft. Guiana and the Carib bee Islands, 1823.