ROSA DEVONIKNSIS. 



195 



The Ayrshire Queen is, perhaps, an exception, as it departs from the 

 character of a true Ayrshire; the seed that produced this Rose having 

 been impregnated by some dark variety of Rosa Gallica, which must 

 account for a deviation in appearance from the other members of this 

 interesting family. 



Boursoult Roses. (Rosa Alpina.') The distinguishing features 

 of this beautiful class are peculiarly striking, having long reddish 

 flexible shoots, thinly set with leaves, and nearly thornless, some of 

 the varieties are entirely so ; Gracilis is an exception (being a hybrid) ; 

 its shoots are covered with foimidable thorns. 



Banksian Roses. (Rosa Banksia.) This pretty and highly 

 interesting little division is so perfectly distinct, universally known, 

 and justly admired, that it is scarcely necessary to describe it. Most 

 of the shoots are very fine and twiggy, of a beautiful delicate light 

 green, and thickly covered with small leaves ; the flowers are small, 

 but are produced in rather large clusters. Bauksia rosea is a slight 

 deviation from the true Banksia ; it appears to bear an affinity to 

 some of the Boursoult Roses of humbler growth. Banksian Roses 

 flower best when covering a wall, being too tender to be planted 

 against pillars or trellis work. 



Rosa multiflora. As the name implies, the Roses of this divi- 

 sion produce their flowers in the greatest abundance, and in very 

 large clusters ; the shoots are very vigorous, strong, and thickly set 

 with thorns ; the leaves are large and have a very peculiar appearance. 

 Elegans is, perhaps, an exception (being a hybrid) ; the leaves are 

 smaller, and more destitute of thorns. Some of the Roses of this 

 division are rather tender, and the luxuriant shoots are sometimes 

 much injured by the severity of the winter. Russelliana, however, 

 is perfectly hardy. 



Hybrid climbing Roses. This class is one of the most difficult 

 to describe. The origin of some of the varieties not having been 

 properly ascertained, or their affinity discovered as belonging to any 

 one class in particular, it is therefore almost impossible to lay down 

 a criterion by which this section can be distinguished. They appear 

 to be chiefly hybrids, emanating from various other classes, the varie- 

 ties differing widely in character and habit from each other, for in- 

 stance, Wells's White, or Madame D'Arblay, is a hybrid climbing 

 Rose, of extraordinary growth, often making shoots from ten to fif- 



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