Chap. XL 



FLOWERS. 



405 



have originated by bud-variation. 88 The common double moss-rose 

 was imported into England from Italy about the year 173 3. 39 Its 

 origin is unknown, but from analogy it probably arose from the 

 Provence rose (//. centifolia) by bud-variation ; for the branches of 

 the common moss-rose have several times been known to produce 

 Provence roses, wholly or partially destitute of moss : I have seen 

 one such instance, and several others have been recorded. 40 

 Mr. Eivers also informs me that he raised two or three roses of 

 the Provence class from seed of the old single moss-rose; 41 and this 

 latter kind was produced in 1807 by bud-variation from the com- 

 mon moss-rose. The white moss-rose was also produced in 1788 

 by an offset from the common red moss-rose : it was at first pale 

 blush-coloured, but became white by continued budding. On 

 cutting down the shoots which had produced this white moss-rose, 

 two weak shoots were thrown up, and buds from these yielded the 

 beautiful striped moss-rose. The common moss-rose has yielded 

 by bud-variation, besides the old single red moss-rose, the old 

 scarlet semi-double moss-rose, and the sage-leaf moss-rose, which 

 " has a delicate shell-like form, and is of a beautiful blush colour; 

 it is now (1852) nearly extinct." 42 A white moss-rose has been 

 seen to bear a flower half white and half pink. 43 Although several 

 moss-roses have thus certainly arisen by bud- variation, t'he greater 

 number probably owe their origin to seed of moss-roses. For 

 Mr. Eivers informs me that his seedlings from the old single moss- 

 rose almost always produced moss-roses ; and the old single moss-rose 

 was, as we have seen, the product by bud- variation of the double 

 moss-rose originally imported from Italy. That the original moss- 

 rose was the product of bud-variation is probable, from the facts 

 above given and from the de Meaux moss-rose (also a variety of 

 R. centifolia) 44 having ajmeared as a sporting branch on the 

 common rose de Meaux. Prof. Caspary has carefully described 45 

 the case of a six-year-old white moss-rose, which sent up several 

 suckers, one of which was thorny, and produced red flowers, 

 destitute of moss, exactly like those of the Provence rose (11. centi- 

 folia) : another shoot bore both kinds of flowers, and in addition 

 longitudinally striped flowers. As this white moss-rose had been 

 grafted on the Provence rose, Prof. Caspary attributes the above 



38 T. Rivers, 'Roe Amateur's 

 Guide,' 1837, p. 4. 



39 Mr. Shailer, quoted In ' Gar- 

 dener's Chron.,' 1848, p. 759. 



40 ' Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. iv. 

 1822, p. 137 ; ' Gard. Chron.,' 1842, 

 p. 422. 



41 See also Lou'on's 'Arboretum,' 

 vol. ii. p. 780. 



42 All these statements on the 

 origin of the several varieties of the 

 moss-rose are given on the authority 



of Mr. Shailer, who, together with 

 nis father, was com erne i in tneir 

 original propagation. See ' Gard. 

 Chron.,' 1852, p. 759. 



43 ' Gard. Chron..' 1845, p. 564. 



44 ' Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. ii. p. 

 242. 



45 ' S hrifton der Phys. Oekon. 

 Gesell. zu Kutiigsberg,' Feb. 3, 1865, 

 s. 4. Sea also Dr. Caspary's paper 

 in ' Transactions of the Hort. Congress 

 of Amsterdam,' 1865. 



