ROSEBAV WILLOW IIEHIJ. 213 



Gerard describes this plant as long back as 1596, 

 calling it a " goodly and stately plant, having 

 leaves like the greatest willow, or ozier. The 

 branches come out of the ground in great number, 

 growing to the height of sixe foote, garnished with 

 brauc flowers of greate beautie, consisting of fower 

 leaues a-peece, of an orient purple colour." He 

 adds, ** it groweth in Yorkshire, in a place called 

 the Hooke, neere vnto a close called the Cow- 

 pasture, from whence I had these plants, which 

 do grow in my garden very goodly to behold, for 

 the decking vp of houses and gardens;" but he 

 does not mention its having been found in any other 

 part of this island. 



As it is upon jNIr. Miller's authority principally 

 that later botanical writers have considered this 

 plant to be indigenous to England, we shall notice 

 what he has said upon the subject, which we 

 think rather contradicts the idea than supports it. 

 In his first edition of '* The Gardener's and Flo- 

 rist's Dictionary," which was published in 1724, lie 

 writes of this plant under the title of the French 

 Willow only, and does not insinuate that it grew 

 naturally in this country ; but observes, " If these 

 plants be set in wilderness works, they will soon 

 overspread the ground, but if they are designed to 

 adorn parterres, the roots must be confined in pots." 

 In his sixth edition (1162) he observes, This 



