WILD ROSES 55 



are sometimes grown. The Banksia Roses are well 

 known, and are natives of China, but being tender they 

 are best grown against a south wall. The original 

 species, Rosa Banksia Alba, has white flowers, but there 

 is a yellow variety. 



A beautiful little Rose is the Corsican Rosa Seraphini, 

 which is of comparatively recent introduction into 

 England. It is a trailing plant, reaching a height of 9 

 or 10 inches. In June a single bright pink Rose is borne 

 at the end of almost every little shoot. The stems 

 are reddish, and the leaflets give an almost fern-like 

 appearance to the plant. Another dwarf Rose suitable 

 for rock gardens and similar situations is Rosa Albina 

 Pyrenaica. This grows to a height of about 2 feet and 

 bears crimson single flowers. Another small growing 

 Rose is Rosa Nitida. This is a very vigorous species, 

 and its root stems travel underground, quickly spreading 

 in all directions. Its flowers are bright pink. The 

 leaves are a shining dark green in Summer, changing to 

 purple in the Autumn, and its stems are covered with 

 red spines. It is almost equally beautiful in Winter and 

 Summer. Rosa Sericea bears beautiful white flowers 

 composed of four petals arranged in the form of a 

 Maltese cross. The leaves are of a beautiful green, 

 each being composed of numerous small leaflets covered 

 on the back with fine down. It usually flowers early, 

 often by the middle of May. Rosa Altaica bears very 

 large single white flowers faintly tinged with yellow. 

 In the Autumn the flowers are succeeded by black hips. 

 Rosa Hispida, an allied species, is very similar, but the 

 flowers are yellower in colour. Rosa Zanthina is another 

 relation of these two, with flowers of an even deeper 

 yellow. Rosa Moyesii bears large yellow flowers, and 

 Rosa Andersonii bears large Roses of a bright rosy pink 

 colour. A Rose worth growing for its foliage as well 

 as for its flowers is Rosa Rubrifolia, which has red stems 



