RIT'BITS, a genus of plants of the natural order rosacece,subarderpotentillece, distinguished by a 5-lobed calyx without bracts, and the fruit formed by an aggregation of small drupes adhering to each other upon a long 107'218. The fruit is eatable in all, or almost all, the species, which are very numerous, and natives chiefly of the colder parts of the northern hemisphere. although some are natives of warm climates, and are be seen in our hothouses. Some of them are herbs with perennial roots, some are shrubs with suhligueous—often only biennial—stems, and they have digitate, pinnate, or lobed leaves. They cause great difficulty to botanists, the varieties being- extremely numerous, and the specific distinctions very uncertain. The raspberry (q.v.) and bramble (q.v.) are well known fruits. The clondberr3,' (q.v.) also belongs to this genus. Besides these and the species most nearly resembling them and which hake been described along with them, notice may be taken of B. spectabdis, a shrubby species, with leaves of three leaflets and fine large dark purple fragrant flowers, produced singly on long a native of the banks of the Columbia river. The fruit is about the size of a raspberry,
(kirk yellow, acid, and somewhat astringent, making excellent sazatitis, some times called the stone bramble, is a perennial herbaceous plant, with amender stem, leaves of three leaflets, small greenish-yellow flowers, and pleasant fruit of very few rather large drupes. It is a trative of stony places, in mountainous parts of Britain.—R. arcbicue is a small herbaceous plant with creeping roots, slender stems 2 to 6 in. high, each with three or four leaves, which have three leaflets; the flowers large and of deep rose color, and a purplish red fruit of exquisite flavor. This interesting plarA is a very doubtful native 'of the highlands of Scotland, but is very abundant in Norway and Sweden, Siberia, and other arctic countries. In Siberia it is known by a name signifying prince berry. A. syrup, a jelly, and a wine are made of it. The fruit is highly esteemed; but although the plant grows very well in ohr gardens, it seldom bears fruit.