62 ROSA DAMASCENA. 
39. ROSA damascena. 
R. armis inzequalibus majoribus falcatis, sepalis reflexis, 
fructu elon 
R. damascena Mill. dict. n.15. Du Roi harbk. 2. 364. 
Willd. sp. 2. 1072. dit. kew. ed. alt. 3. 263. 
Smith! in Rees inl. Redout. ros. 1. 137. t. 53. 
R. belgica Mill. dict. n. 17. Du Roi harbk. 2. 364. 
La Rose pale Regn. bot. c. fig. 
R. calendarum Munch. hausv. ex Bork. holz. 330. 
Réssig. ros. tt. 8.33. Gmel. bad. als. 2. 430 
R. bifera Potr. enc. 6.276. Pers. syn. 2. 48. Rideout. 
ros. 1. 107. #.38.—121. ¢. 45. 
Hab. in Syria? (wv. v. c.) 
R. damascena may be distinguished from R. centi- 
folia by the greater size of its prickles, the almost uni- 
versally green colour of its wood, elongated fruit, nu- 
merous flowers, and especially by its long sepals being 
reflexed during the time of flowering. In the last re- 
spect it agrees with R. alba. The bloom is exceedingly 
fragrant. R. bifera of some continental botanists is 
the Quatre saisons Rose of the French nurseries; and 
perhaps, from the long succession of its flowers, the 
most esteemed of all the varieties. Immense numbers 
in pots are sold weekly in the flower markets in Paris. 
I perceive no character to distinguish it, even as a va- 
riety, from the more common state of ddmascena, un- 
less its smaller size be sufficient. 
The native country of this is still not known with 
certainty, Sir James Smith has conjectured that it 
may be the Rose introduced from Syria by a Comte de 
Brie on his return from the crusades. But the most 
satisfactory aceount of it has been given by Nicholas 
Monardi, in his dissertation on the Roses of Persia, &c. 
