CISTINE^E. I. CISTUS. II. HELIANTHEMUM. 



301 



39 C. LADANIFERUS (Lin. spec. 737.) leaves almost sessile, 

 connate at the base, linear-lanceolate, 3-nerved, upper surface 

 glabrous, under surface tomentose ; capsule 1 0-celled. Tj . F. 

 Native of Spain and Portugal, on hills. Petals imbricate. 



Var. a, albiflorus (D. C. prod. 1. p. 266.) petals white, yellow 

 at the base. Sweet, cist. t. 84. Ledon. I. Clus. hist. 1. p. 78. 

 icon. 



Far. y, mactdatus (D. C. prod. 1. c.) petals white, each marked 

 near the base with a dark blood-coloured spot. Sweet, cist. t. 1. 

 C. ladaniferus ft, planifolius, Ait. hort. kew. 3. p. 305. 



The Cistus ladaniferus and Ledon produce the gum Ladanum, 

 but not in such quantities as C. Creticus. The resin which is 

 secreted from the leaves and other parts of the shrub is scraped 

 off by means of a kind of rake, called in Candia, Ergatiri, to 

 which numerous leathern thongs are appended instead of teeth. 

 This instrument being drawn backwards and forwards over the 

 plant from time to time collects the resin. Dioscorides says they 

 gather the Ladanum by means of goats, which browzing on the 

 leaves of the shrub, return to the stable with their beards loaded 

 with a fat substance, which the peasants rake off with a kind of 

 comb made on purpose. The chief use of this gum in modern 

 practice is in fumigations, cephalic and stomachic plasters, its 

 fragrant smell having made it a constant ingredient in such pre- 

 parations ; sometimes it is used in torches. It was formerly ex- 

 hibited as a pectoral and astringent in catarrhal affections, dysen- 

 teries, and several other diseases. The best is in dark-coloured 

 masses of the consistence of soft plaister, growing still softer on 

 being handled. The other is in long rolls, coiled up and much 

 harder than the preceding, and not so dark. It should be ob- 

 served that Ladanum gives out its active matter to spirit of wine, 

 which dissolves nearly the whole of the pure Ladanum into gold- 

 coloured liquor, and little or nothing to water, from its being 

 entirely resinous, and consequently not soluble in water. 



Ladanum-bearing Rock-Rose or Gurn-Cistus. Fl. Ju. July. 

 Clt. 1629. Shrub 4 feet. 



* * Stigma capitate, small. Style cylindrical, equalling the 

 stamens in length. 



40 C. CLUSII (Dunal, ined. D. C. prod. 1. p. 266.) erect; 

 leaves somewhat 3-nerved, linear, with revolute margins, under 

 surface canescent; flowers somewhat capitate; calyx 3-5-sepalled, 

 pilose ; sepals ovate, acute ; capsules 5-celled. Tj . F. Native 

 of Spain and Barbary. Sweet, cist. t. 32. Cistus Libanotis, ft, 

 Lam. diet. 2. p. 18. Desf. atl. 1. p. 412, exclusive of the syno- 

 nym. C. undulatus, Link. Ledon. VII. Clus. hist. 1. p. 80. 

 icon. Bracteas pilose, broad-ovate, acuminated, ciliated, ca- 

 ducous, somewhat longer than the peduncles. Petals white. 

 Habit of Helianthemum Libanotis, with the character of Ledonia. 



Clusius's Rock-Rose. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1810. Shrub 2 feet. 



* A species not sufficiently known. 



41 C. CO'RSICUS (Lois, in ann. soc. lin. par. vol. 4.) leaves 

 opposite stalked, ovate, acuminated, rather tomentose, reticu- 

 lated with veins beneath ; peduncles usually 1 -flowered, and are, 

 as well as the calyx villous ; branches and leaves rough from 

 starry small hairs. Tj . H. Native of Corsica. Perhaps a spe- 

 cies of Helidnthemum. 



Corsican Rock-Rose. Shrub. 



Cult. The species of the genus Cislus or Rock-Rose deserve 

 to be cultivated in every garden for the beauty of their flowers 

 and leaves. The greater part of those marked frame shrubs 

 will survive a severe winter if planted against a south wall so as 

 to be covered with mats in severe frosts ; but notwithstanding, 

 we would recommend a plant of each of these tenderer sorts to 

 be kept in the green-house during winter, and to be planted out 



in the spring. They may be either increased by seeds or layers, 

 or by ripened cuttings, taken off in July or August, which if 

 planted thinly under a hand-glass will root readily. 



II. HELIA'NTHEMUM (from n\ws, helios, the sun, and 

 avOQ, anthos, a flower ; because the flowers open with the rising 

 of the sun in the morning, and the petals fall off with the setting of 

 the sun in the evening. The flowers of Helianthemum, as well 

 as Cistus, only last for a few hoars while the sun shines ; but if 

 the weather is dull, and the sun does not make its appearance, the 

 flowers do not open, but will remain unexpanded. Should this 

 continue for several days together, they will decay in the bud.) 

 Town. inst. 248. t. 128. Gaert. fr. 1. p. 371. t. 76. D. C. 

 fl. fr. 4. p. 815. prod. 1. p. 266. Cisti species, Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, Monogynia. Calyx of 3 equal sepals ; 

 but when 5, they are disposed in a double series, the two outer 

 sepals are usually smaller than the inner ones, very rarely larger. 

 Petals 5, usually regularly denticulated at the top. Stigma 

 capitate. Style sometimes almost wanting, sometimes straight, 

 sometimes oblique, and sometimes bent at the base. Ovary tri- 

 quetrous. Capsule 3-valved ; valves with a narrow dissepiment, 

 or a seminiferous nerve in the middle of each. Seeds angular, 

 smooth. Albumen mealy. Embryo uncinately-inflexed, as in. H. 

 vulgiire, Gaert. 1. p. 371. t. 76. f. 1 1. Erect or trailing herbs, sub- 

 shrubs, or shrubs. Leaves opposite and alternate, with or with- 

 out stipulas, 3-nerved, or feather-nerved. Pedicels usually fur- 

 nished with bracteas at the base, sometimes opposite the brae- 

 teas, or opposite the leaves, sometimes solitary, sometimes 

 umbellate, and sometimes racemose ; racemes secund, sometimes 

 corymbose, sometimes paniculate ; and before the flowers ex- 

 pand the racemes at the top are bent or twisted backwards, and 

 become gradually erect as the flowers expand. Flowers yellow, 

 red, or white. 



This genus is divided into three particular series, viz. 



I. Style straight, erect, almost wanting, or shorter than the 

 stamens. Stigma capitate. Sect. I. II. and III., Hallmium, 

 Lecheoides, and Tuberaria, belong to this. 



II. Style straight, erect, equal with or longer than the stamens. 

 Sect. IV. and V., Macularia, and Brachypetalum, belong to this. 



III. Style bent at the base. Sect. VI. VII. VIII. and IX., 

 Eriocdrpum, Fumana, Pseudocistus, and Euhelidnt/temum, be- 

 long to this. 



SECT. I. HALI'MIUM (aXijuoe, halimos, marine; habitation of 

 plants by the sea-side). D. C. prod. 1. p. 267. Calyx usually of 

 3 equal sepals, rarely of 5 unequal sepals, but when this is the 

 case the two outer ones are small. Petals rarely white, visually 

 yellow, wedge-shaped, truncate, and usually marked at the base 

 with a dark-bloody or intense yellow spot. Style straight, short, 

 or almost wanting. Stigma capitate, somewhat 3-lobed. Seeds 

 few, blackish, minutely muricated, somewhat angular. Erect 

 shrubs. Leaves opposite, 3-nerved, without stipulas, pilose or 

 tomentose. Peduncles 1-3-flowered, axillary, solitary, or um- 

 bellate, rarely panicled. 



* Style short, straight. 



1 H. LIBANOTIS (Willd. enum. 570.) erect, smoothish, branch- 

 ed ; leaves sessile, linear, with revolute margins, upper surface 

 brownish-green, under surface somewhat canescent ; bracteas 

 oblong-linear, shorter than the peduncles ; peduncles solitary, 

 1 -flowered ; calyx of 3 sepals, smooth, shining, ovate-acumi- 

 nate. T; . F. Native of Portugal and Mauritania. Cistus 

 Libanotis, Lin. spec. 739. Brot. fl. lus. 2. p. 261.; but not of 

 Lam. nor Desf. H. rosmarinifolium, Lag. in litt. but not of 



