ON THE ROSE. 281 



THE MOSS ~ROSE.~M?iscom. 



" The rose that hails the morning, 

 Arrayed in all its sweets, 

 Its mossy couch adorning, 

 The sun enamour'd meets." 



This elegant rose is generally supposed to be the offspring of 

 the Provence rose, whilst others think it belongs to the family of 

 Centifoha or hundred leaved rose. It appears to be quite un- 

 known to the ancients, as they have left no description of a flower 

 that resembles it, and it is too singularly beautiful to have escaped 

 Winy s notice, had it been in existence, By Furber's catalogue 

 it appears that it was cultivated herein 1724 ; but Miller first saw 

 it m Dr. Boerhaave's garden in Leyden in 1727. The learned 

 Doctor not only corresponded with many botanical persons in this 

 country, but visited England, and became a member of the Eoyal 

 Society of London. It is therefore most likely that on its first 

 appearance in this country, a plant would be forwarded to Ley- 

 den, for the inspection of a person that all Europe was then re- 

 garding as the star of the age. 



Although the moss rose appears to be a plant of so short an 

 existence, its birth place is not satisfactorily known ; but from 

 all the accounts we can collect of its register", it appears to be a 

 fortuitous child of England, as we have numerous accoimts of its 

 having been exported, but none of its importation into this island, 

 nor has it been discovered elsewhere, except in a state of cultiva- 

 tion. Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, of Hammersmith have, a few 

 years since produced a perfectly single moss rose, which they pro- 

 nounce to be only a variety of the common Provins rose. We 

 must therefore conclude that the moss-like pubescence of the 

 calyx and young branches, is owing to some accidental circum- 

 stance which this climate produces, as we are told that this variety 

 loses its mossiness, almost immediately when planted in Italy, and 

 we have not yet heard of this rose having been in any instance 

 raised from seed, for the single moss rose was reduced to that 

 state from the double variety (either accidentally or intentionally) 

 by a peculiar mode of cultivation. The single variety of the moss 

 rose, as well as the double white moss rose, still continue scarce, 

 and bring high prices to the nurserymen near London. 



The moss rose is made the emblem of voluptuous love and 



Vol. VI. No. 70. HH 



