496 ORD. XXVUEl. Senticose: ROSA, CENTIFOLIA, 
Class Icosandria. Ord. Polygynia. Lin. Gen. Plant. 631. 
Ess. Gen. Ch. Petala 5. Cal. urceolatus, 5-fidus, carnosus, collo | 
coarctatus. Sem. plurima, hispida, calycis interior! affixa. 
“Sp. Ch. R. Zerminibus ovatis pedunculisque hispidis, caule bein 
sad Geaih: petiolis inermibus. 
THIS species of Rose-bush commonly rises about five or six feet 
in height, and is numerously beset with short spines: the leaves 
afe pinnated, consisting of two or three pair of pinne, with an 
odd one at the end; each pinna, or leafit, is oval, or rather egg- 
shaped, broad, serrated, pointed, veined, hairy, and closely at- 
tached to the common footstalk, which is rough, but without 
spines: the peduncles are covered with short bristly hairs: the 
flowers are large, commonly of a pale red colour, and the parts of 
inflorescence, which in their simple and natural state are similar to 
those described of R. canina, by the effects of cultivation, are 
forced into numerous stir. and are therefore to be considered 
as monstrosities. 
Most of the Roses, decnasth much cultivated in our gardens,* aré 
far from being distinctly characterized. Those denominated 
varieties. are extremely numerous, and often permanently uniform; 
and the specific differences, as hitherto pointed out, are in many 
respects so inadequate to the purpose of satisfactory discrimination, 
that it becomes a difficult matter to say, which are species, and 
which are varieties only. The London College, following Gerard 
and Parkinson, has still retained the name Rosa damascena; but 
the damask rose is another species, widely different from the 
centifolia, as appears from the descriptions given of it by Du Roi 
and Miller. 
The petals are directed for medicinal use: they are of a pale 
red colour, and of a very fragrant odour; which to most people 
* This species was cultivated by Gerard; but neste have not been able to 
determine its native country, 
