446 ROSA 



that a collection of ninety varieties was got together in the gardens of Dalkeith 

 Palace early in the nineteenth century. A. consideration of these is outside 

 the province of this work, but several natural varieties remain to be noticed. 



Var. ALTAICA(R. altaica, Willdenoiv ; R. grandiflora, LindUy).^. shrub 

 up to 6 ft. high, chiefly distinguished from spinosissima by its large size, and 

 the absence or comparative scarcity of bristles among the prickles of the 

 stems. The flowers are 3 ins. across, creamy white, and the leaflets up to 

 i in. long. A group of this rose when in full bloom at the end of May makes 

 a very beautiful picture. Native of Siberia. 



Var. FULGENS. Flowers bright rose-coloured, habit like the type. 



Var. LUTEA. A vigorous bush a yard high, increasing rapidly by root- 

 suckers. Leaflets broadly oval, the largest i in. long, by f in. wide, downy 

 beneath. Flowers bright buttercup-yellow, 2 ins. across. This variety has 

 much of the beauty of the Persian yellow rose, but is more amenable to 

 cultivation thrives as well, indeed, as the ordinary Scotch rose. 



Var. MACRACANTHA. This variety has been found near Gap, in the Alpine 

 region of S.E. France. It is very remarkable for its spines, which are flat, 

 rigid, f in. long, \ in. wide at the base. 



Var. MYRIACANTHA (R. myriacantha, De Candolle). A very distinct 

 variety (probably a good species) with the habit and flowers of ordinary 

 spinosissima, but with longer and more numerous spines. The best 

 distinction, however, is furnished by the numerous glands on the leaves 

 beneath, on the leaf-stalks, stipules, flower-stalks, and sepals, and by the 

 double toothing of the leaflets. Native of S. France. 



R. TOMENTOSA, Smith. 



A vigorous shrub 6 to 8 ft., or even more high, with arching branches, 

 closely allied to R. mollis (q.v.\ Besides its more robust habit, it differs also 

 in its leaves being much less soft to the touch; by its longer flower-stalks, 

 and its wider more distinctly pinnately lobed sepals. The flower is about the 

 same as in mollis, being about 2 ins. across, and produced either singly, or 

 in clusters up to four; petals rosy-red (rarely white). Fruit bright red, oval 

 or rather top-shaped, slightly bristly, crowned at first with the reflexed sepals, 

 which fall away by the time it is ripe. 



Native of Britain, and spreading across Europe to the Caucasus. It has a 

 considerable resemblance to the common dog rose, and may be grown in the 

 wilder parts of the garden where it can take care of itself. It produces very 

 pleasing effects when laden with bright red fruits in autumn. (See R. pomi- 

 fera.) 



R. VIRGINIANA, Miller. 



(R. lucida, Ehrhart.) 



A shrub 3 to 6 ft. high, forming a dense mass of erect stems, armed 

 usually at the base of the leaves with straight or slightly hooked spines, and 

 with scattered bristly prickles on the young sucker stems. Leaves glossy 

 green above, 3 to 5 ins. long, composed of usually seven, sometimes nine 

 leaflets, which are ovate or narrowly oval, i to 2 ins. long ; rather coarsely 

 toothed except towards the base ; quite smooth above, often the same below, 

 but occasionally downy on the midrib as well as on the common stalk. 

 Flowers in clusters of often three, sometimes solitary ; each 2 to 2^ ins. 

 across, pink ; stalk and calyx-tube smooth or glandular ; sepals i in. long, 

 with long, slender points, glandular and downy. Fruit orange-shaped, \ in. 

 wide, red, crowned at first with spreading sepals which fall away when the 

 fruit is ripe. 



