ROCK- ROSE TRIBE. 75 



trary to the sepals, soon falling off ; stamens numerous , 

 ovary single, one- or many-celled ; style and stigma 

 simple ; capsule 3- 5- or rarely 10-valved ; seeds numer- 

 ous. Mostly shrubby, but sometimes herbaceous, plants, 

 often with viscid branches ; leaves entire ; flowers white, 

 yellow, or red, lasting a very short time. The plants of 

 this order are almost confined to the south of Europe 

 and north of Africa ; the only species which possesses 

 any remarkable properties is Cistus Creticus, which 

 affords the balsam called Gum Ladanum. 



1. HELIANTHEMUM (Eock-Rose). Sepals 5, the two 

 outer either smaller or wanting ; petals 5 \ stamens 

 numerous ; capsule 3-valved. (Name from the Greek, 

 helios, the sun, and anthos, a flower, because the flowers 

 expand in the morning.) 



1. HELIANTHEMUM (Rock-Rose). 



1. H. vulgar e (Common Rock-Eose). Stem shrubby, 

 prostrate ; leaves with fringed stipules, oblong, green 

 above, hoary beneath ; ealyx of 5 leaves, the two outer 

 very small, fringed. A beautiful little branching shrub, 

 with clusters of large bright yellow flowers, frequent in 

 hilly pastures on a chalky or gravelly soil, where its 

 flowers only expand during sunshine ; the stamens, if 

 lightly touched, spread out, and lie down on the petals. 

 Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



* There are three other British species of Helidnthe- 

 mum, which are all of local occurrence, and rare : H. 

 canum (Hoary Eock-Eose) grows on Alpine rocks, in 

 Wales and the north of England ; the leaves are desti- 

 tute of stipules, and very hoary beneath, the flowers are 

 yellow. H. guttatum (Spotted Eock-Eose) is a herba- 

 ceous species and an annual ; the flowers are yellow, with 

 a blood-red spot at the base of each petal. H. polifolium 

 (White Eock-Eose), a small shrubby species with white 

 flowers, grows on Brent Downs in Somersetshire, and on 

 several parts of the sea-coast of Devonshire. 



