REMARKS ON THE INDIGENOUS ROSES OF AMEKU'A. 15] 



and Bonpland. The town of San Pedro is situated in 19 J of latitude ; 

 in direct refutation of those botanists who pretend that Roses are not 

 to be found under 20°. But the Montezuma is not the only Mexican 

 Rose. History attests that Roses were abundant in the province, at 

 the Spanish conquest ; witness the apostrophe of the Emperor Guati- 

 mozin to his favourite minister, when extended on beds of burning coal, 

 intended by the conquerors to torture them into the discovery of their 

 hidden treasures. 



" But though the species already cited are the only ones we are at 

 present authorized to attribute to America, it is probable that more will 

 be discovered ; the greatest variety of Roses being assigned by botanists 

 to such countries as have been most minutely herborized. The insuffi- 

 ciency of our researches, is probably the only cause that so large a por- 

 tion of the American continent is held to be unproductive of Roses. 

 It seems unlikely, indeed, that France should possess twenty-four 

 species of native Roses, and the whole continent of North and South 

 America, only fourteen ; nor is it to be credited that the Rose-tree 

 ceases to flourish within the 2CT of latitude, when we remember that 

 we are indebted to Mr. Salt for the discovery of a strongly charac- 

 terized species of Abyssinia, at 10 of latitude. 



" It is a curious fact, that all the Roses of America, with the excep- 

 tion of the Montezuma and stricta, might be classed under the^ame 

 species as the European cinnamon Rose. 



" Asia has to boast a greater variety of species of the rose than the 

 rest of the earth united ; thirty-nine, that admit of accurate definition, 

 having been already established. Of these the vast empire of China, 

 where both agriculture and horticulture are arts in high estimation, has 

 a claim to fifteen. 



" First, the Rosa semperflorens, the leaves of which have sometimes 

 three leaflets, sometimes only one ; whose flowers are scentless, of a 

 pale dull pink, producing a pleasing effect when half-blown. The 

 Rosa sinensis, confounded by some botanists with the preceding, but 

 blowing at all seasons, of a far more brilliant colour. The Rosa Law- 

 ranceana is a beautiful little shrub,, from three to five inches in height, 

 but, unlike most dwarfs, whether of the vegetable or animal creation, 

 perfect in symmetry and proportion. The Rosa multiflora attains, on 

 the contrary, a growth of fifteen or sixteen feet; having small, double, 

 pale-pink blossoms, united on a single stem, so as to form beautiful 

 bouquets on the tree. The Rosa Banksiae extends its flexile branches 

 over rocks and hillocks, bearing a profusion of small, very double, 

 yellowish white flowers, remarkable for their violet-scented fragrance. 

 The Rosa microphylla is a favourite garden-shrub of the Chinese, 

 under the name of Haitong-hong ; having small, double, pale-pink 

 flowers, and a foliage of peculiar delicacy. 



" Cochin China, situated between the tenth and twentieth degrees 

 of latitude, possesses all the roses of China, and in addition, several 

 indigenous species; among others the Rosa alba, found also in Pied- 

 mont, in France, and various other parts of Europe, and the Rosa 

 ■pinosissima, bearing flesh-coloured Mowers. Japan, between the 

 80 and 40 of latitude, has all the roses of* China; besides a peculiar 



