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CISTUS acutifolius. 

 Acute-leaved Rock-Rose. 



C. acutifolius, foliis cordato-ovatis acutis basi trinerviis reticulato- 

 venosis utrinque pubescentibus, ramis virgatis difFusis subprostra- 

 tis, pedunculis tomentosis subtrifloris, sepalis cordatis acutis niti- 

 dis subpilosis ciliatis, petalis obcordatis basi imbricatis. 



Cistus salvifolius /3 humijusus. DC. prodr. 1. p. 265 ? 



Stem shrubby, branched, spreading : branches long 

 and slender, scarcely strong enough to support their 

 own weight, when young clothed with a short tomen- 

 tum, and stellate bunches of hairs, more or less of a 

 purple tinge, older ones becoming rough, by the little 

 tubercles on which the bunches of hairs have been 

 seated. Leaves ovate, acute, sometimes cordate and 

 sometimes rounded at the base, spreading flat when 

 full grown, afterwards becoming undulate and the 

 sides folded inwards, slightly rugose, 3-nerved at the 

 base, reticulately veined, clothed on both sides and the 

 margins with numerous tufts of short hairs, upper side 

 of a darkish green, paler underneath : young leaves of 

 a hoary appearance, and undulate. Petioles short, di- 

 lated at the base, channelled on the upper side, and 

 convex below, hairy. Peduncles axillary, generally 

 3-flowered, rough, clothed with a short tomentum and 

 numerous little tufts of hairs. Bractes ovate, acute, 

 opposite, besides some small ones at the base of the 

 pedicles that are deciduous. Pedicles cylindrical, nod- 

 ding before the flowers expansion, afterwards erect, 

 tomentosely hairy. Calyx of 5 sepals, more or less 

 purple, glossy, a little hairy and fringed, acute, .outer 

 ones broadly cordate, inner ones ovate. Petals 5, ob- 

 cordate, white, yellow at the bottom, imbricate at the 

 base, the points distinct. Stamens numerous, spread- 



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