DIV. VI. CENTIFOLLA. 61 
those of Cyrene or Mount Pangzeus are to be referred 
it is now too late to inquire. I may be allowed, how- 
ever, to conjecture that they may all have descended 
from a common stock, and, by long-continued cultiva- 
tion, have been brought to assume those appearances 
on which botanists rely for their differential characters. 
The Attar which is so important an article of com- 
merce is either obtained from them indiscriminately, as 
in the manufactory at Florence conducted by a convent 
of friars, or from some particular kind, as in India. 
From specimens in Mr. Lambert’s herbarium brought 
from Ghizapore by Colonel Hardwicke it appears that 
R. damascena is there exclusively used for obtaining 
the essential oil. The Persians also make use of a 
sort, which Kempfer calls R. shirazensis, from its 
growing about Schiraz, in preference to others; this 
may be, asI shall have occasion to explain shortly, 
either R. damascena or centifolia. It is, however, well 
known that Attar from different countries is of various 
degrees of goodness ; that from Turkey being usually 
the best. I am therefore disposed to think that R. 
moschata may be sometimes used either alone or mixed 
with other kinds; especially at Mogadore, where, I am 
informed by Dr. Shuter, considerable quantities are 
procured, but of inferior quality. 
To the three or four following species nearly all the 
innumerable varieties of the gardens are referable. As 
it does not enter into my plan to notice any except 
such as are botanically remarkable, I gladly relinquish 
the task of describing the garden varieties to my frien 
Mr. Sabine, from whom an ample account may soon be 
expected. In the mean time, it will be sufficient to 
point out the distinguishing characters of the species 
without entering into a particular description of each. 
nature of their glands, the size of their flowers, and their dissi- 
milar habit, prevent their being confounded. 
