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HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



RON 



region, and South and West Africa. They 

 require the protection of a frame, and are 

 increased by offsets. 



Rondele'tia. In honor of William Rondelet, 

 M. D., a famous natural historian of Mont- 

 pellier. Nat. Ord. RubiacecB. 



Beautiful hot-house plants, with white, yel- 

 low, or reddish flowers, natives of the East and 

 West Indies. R. odorata (syn. R. speciosa), 

 the most common species, has terminal 

 corymbs of scarlet flowers greatly resembling 

 those of Ixora coccinea. The flowers are pro- 

 duced in great abundance. One of the best 

 known in our collections is R, amczna, bearing 

 beautiful pink flowers freely. They are propa- 

 gated by cuttings, and were first introduced 

 in 1752. 



Roof-Foil. A name suggested by Ruakin for 

 the Houso-leek, Semjyervivum teciorum. 



Root Cuttings. See "Propagation by Root 

 Cuttings." 



Rosa. Rose. From the Celtic rhod, red, the 

 prevailing color of the flowers. Nat. Oi'<l. 

 Rosacea,. 



We flnd mention of the Rose in the earliest 

 writings, both sacred and profane. So invaria- 

 bly have the writers seemingly been intoxi- 

 cated with its beauty that they have entirely 

 forgotten or ignored its early history and cul- 

 ture, leaving us in profound ignorance as to 

 the origin of some of our most highly-prized 

 species or varieties. It was undoubtedly very 

 generally esteemed, and used for ornamen- 

 tation on both public and private occasions. 

 As an instance, it may be mentioned that the 

 Romans put it to a very significant use at 

 some of their private feasts or dinners. A 

 Rose was placed over the principal door, and 

 he who passed under it silently bound him- 

 self not to reveal anything that was said or 

 done within ; hence arose the saying, sub-rosa, 

 under the Rose ; and even now to tell a friend 

 anything sub-rosa, implies that he shall not 

 reveal it. The limit of this work will allow 

 but a brief history and description of the 

 various classes. The species, numbering up- 

 wards of one hundred, are found disseminated 

 throughout America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

 Australia, so prolific in rare and beautiful 

 flowers, has not as yet contributed a single 

 species, while Siberia, Iceland, Greenland, and 

 Kamtschatka are fairly i-epresented. China, 

 Persia, and India have furnished some of the 

 finest species. From all this material, culti- 

 vators have created varieties almost innumer- 

 able. Fi'om R. spinosissima, the type of those 

 indigenous to Great Britain, nearly three hun- 

 dred varieties have sprung, which are known 

 as Scotch Roses, though these are not as 

 much valued as many other classes. The 

 Cabbage or Provence Rose {R. centifolia) is one 

 of the best known and oldest of the family. It 

 is a native of Eastern Caucasus, and is sup- 

 posed to be the hundred-leaved Rose of Pliny. 

 It was introduced into the British Gardens in 

 1596. More than a hundred fine hybrid varie- 

 ties had been produced by the French 

 and English gardeners between this and R. 

 Gallica, which are known under the general 

 name of Provence Roses. They are all very 

 beautiful and fragrant, and all distinguished 

 by their close, cabbage-like form, the curving 

 inward of their petals, and their slender foot- 

 stalks, which give a peculiarly graceful and 



ROS 



drooping appearance to the fully developed 

 flowers. The Unique Provence is claimed to 

 be of English origin, having been observed 

 for the first time in 1777, growing in a cottage 

 garden. It was probably one of those acci- 

 dental variations of flowers commonly 

 termed "sports," which sometimes take place 

 in plants, one branch, shoot, or sucker pro- 

 ducing striped or variegated flowers, while the 

 original remains self-colored. The Unique 

 Provence is pure white, of full size, globular 

 form, and exceedingly fragrant. From this 

 the Striped Provence is said to have been a 

 sport. Its flowers are white, striped with 

 deep rose. It is by no means constant, as 

 some of the flowers will be wholly pink, others 

 pure white, the two being frequently met with 

 on the same branch. The Moss Rose {R. 

 centifolia muscosa), the history of which is un- 

 known, has by common consent been con- 

 sidered an accidental sport from the Provence 

 Rose. This theory is strengthened by the 

 fact that plants produced by the seed of the 

 Moss Rose do not always show moss, probably 

 not more than one in three doing so ; those 

 that do not, possess all the characteristics of 

 the Cabbage or Provence Rose. The earliest 

 history we have of it is, that it was sent to 

 England from Holland in 1596, since which 

 time many new kinds have been produced 

 from seed and from sports of the original. 

 The Crested Moss {R. cristata) is a sport 

 accidentally found growing out of an old wall 

 at Friburg, in Switzerland. This class, like 

 the Provence, requires the highest cultivation ; 

 a deep, strong, rich loam is required for the 

 perfection of these more than any other class 

 of Roses. The French {R. Gallica) is indige- 

 nous to the hedges of France and Italy. It is 

 credited with being the R. Millesiana of Pliny, 

 and is among the earliest cultivated garden 

 Roses. This section contains a large number 

 of our variegated varieties, all having their 

 parentage in R. Gallica versicolor. This family 

 is very extensive, and unsurpassed for per- 

 fection of form or richness of color. They are 

 compact, erect-growing plants, producing 

 large, open, flat flowers, borne on stiff, erect 

 flower-stalks, thus forming a marked contrast 

 to the Cabbage Rose. Of this there are prob- 

 ably two hundred varieties. They are exten- 

 sively grown in the neighborhood of Paris for 

 the purpose of making the Attar of Roses. 

 The Hybrid Provence Roses {R. centifolia 

 hybrida) are hybrids between the French and 

 Provence Rose. Nearly all the varieties are 

 remarkable for their large, well-formed and 

 verj^ fragrant flowers. They are mostly vigo- 

 rous growers, requiring but little care in 

 cultivation. The Hybrid China Rose {R. 

 Indica hybrida) owes its origin to the Bour- 

 bon, China, and Tea-scented Noisette, crossed 

 with the French, Provence, and other sum- 

 mer Roses, and also to the latter crossed 

 with the former. The varieties first obtained 

 from this crossing arose from accident, the 

 effect of which was a systematic effort that 

 resulted in producing some magnificent 

 Roses. Mr. Rivers, a celebrated rosarian, in 

 speaking of these hybrids, remarks: "They 

 give a long continuance of bloom, but never 

 put forth secondary or autumnal flowers. 

 This is a most peculiarly distinguished trait, 

 and an interesting fact. Impregnate a Bour- 

 bon, China, or Noisette Rose, all abundant 



