ROSA. 115 



filling the entire space within the original corolla. What 

 has become of the stamens ? Look again at the semidouble 

 Kose. You find the stamens in a state of transition, as it 

 were ; some perfect, yellow ; some with a slight red expan- 

 sion on one side, others on both sides ; some again half sta- 

 men and half petal, and in all degrees of progress — plainly 

 indicating whither the stamens are going and have gone. 

 From this study, the nature of the double Kose, and the 

 tendency of the stamens become manifest. In the semi- 

 double, a part of the stamens have been transformed to 

 petals, and in the double, all of them. 



The metamorphosis often goes still further. In that curi- 

 ous variety, the Green Rose, the stamens have all reverted 

 first to petals, and then to leaves. In the Damask Rose, we 

 have occasionally seen a leafy branch occupying the place of 

 the stamens and pistils. Similar changes are continually 

 occurring not only in Rose, but in Paeony, Camellia, Bal- 

 samine, Violet, and other plants, and all agree in teaching 

 that the stamen is a leaf modified and adapted to a special 

 purpose. The student will look for further illustration of 

 this interesting doctrine, which was first suggested by Lin- 

 naeus about A. D. 1750. 



The Name Rosa is of Latin origin. The Avild species 

 just described and portrayed is R. Carolhia. 



Classification. — The Strawberry, Apple Tree, and Rose, 

 as we now see, are allied to one another and to the Order of 

 the Rosacea, or Roseworts, by the following characters : 



Stipules present. Stamens oo pcrigynous. 



Flowers reii:ular. Seed auutropous. 



Corolla (|uincuncial. Embryo straitrlit. 



Albumen none. 



The Roseworts, moreover, \vAvm^ i\\e embnjo J-lohed, their floin- 

 ers 4 and 5 parted, their learce net-veined, and their wood, if any, r/mmng 



