ROCK ROSE 9 



The Enylisli n;unes are Ash of Jerusalem, Dyer's Rocket, Dyer's 

 Weed, Dyer's Yellow-weed, (ioud. Green-weed, Italian Rocket, Weld, 

 Woad, Wolds or Woulds, Woold, Yellow Rocket, Yellows. It is called 

 Base Rocket because its leaves are like a rocket, and from being used 

 as a base in dyeing wool. It was used as a yellow and green dye to 

 colour wool and cotton. Dutch pink is also manufactured from it. 

 The d)'c has also been ajjplied to silk, antl lor [)apei", mohair, and linen. 

 Blue cloth is clipped in it to dye it a green colour. When the plant is 

 in flower it is plucked up, and used in the fresh and the dried state. 



When wild it is biennial, the root and radical leaves being developed 

 the first year. The cultivated plant grown from seeds in the spring is 

 annual. 



KssF.NTi.\L Specific Cil\r.-\cters: — 



40. Reseda Lufeo/a, L. — Stem tall, erect, leaves shining, undivided, 

 lanceolate, flowers yellow, in a terminal spike, petals unequal, exceed- 

 ing the 4 sepals, capsule flattened. 



Rock Rose (Helianthemum Chamcecistus, Mill.) 



This plant is not found fossil in any deposits. It is found in Arctic 

 Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. In Great Britain it is 

 absent from S. .Somerset, Middlesex, Radnor, Merioneth, Cheshire, 

 Mid Lanes, Isle of Man, Renfrew, Peebles, Selkirk, Linlithgow, N. 

 Aberdeen, Westerness, and in Clyde Isles, E. Ross, and E. .Suther- 

 land. It is rare in West of Scotland, and in Cornwall. It ascends to 

 a height of 2000 ft. 



The Rock Rose, while especially a plant of the chalk downs, is 

 found elsewhere on hilly ground where a certain amount of lime occurs 

 on more stony substrata. It is accompanied by Dog Violet {I'io/a 

 ericetoi'uiu). Heath Milkwort {Polygala depressa). and other [jlants, 

 such as Horse .Shoe \'etch, Anthyllis I'li/iieraria, &c. 



1 his little plant is trailing, shrubby, with many prostrate stems, 

 smooth below, and hairy above, adapted to growing on and amongst 

 rocks. The leaves are linear-oblong, or acute, shortly stalked, with 

 rolled-back margins, and deep-green, above rough to the touch, hoary 

 below, and with 4 hairy lance -shaped stipules or leaflike organs. 

 Some species of Rock Rose have no stipules, having broad-based 

 leaves which serve to protect the buds. In //. o;ullaliii)! tlie upper 

 leaves bear stipules, aiul are narrow at the base, whilst the lower bear 

 no stipules and have broad bases. 



I he flowers are large, golden-yellow, oi)ening in the sunshine, in 



