CISTUS 



CIST US 



777 



large 5-10-lobed stigma: caps, many-seeded, splitting 

 into 5 valves. About 20 species in the Medit. region 

 and many natural and garden hybrids. Monograph 

 by Grosser in Engler, Pflanzenreich, hft. 14, pp. 10-32 

 (1903) and an illustrated monograph by R. Sweet, 

 Cistinese (1825-30) quoted below as S.C. 



The cistuses are ornamental free-flowering shrubs, 

 usually only a few feet high, with very showy purple 

 or white flowers similar to a small single rose, appear- 

 ing in early summer. They are hardy only in warmer 

 temperate regions, but many of them will stand 10 

 of frost without injury, and C. laurifolius and C. villosus 

 var. tauricus even more. They thrive best in a well- 

 drained light soil, mostly preferring limestone soil, 

 and in a sunny position; the dwarf er species are well 

 adapted for rockeries with southern aspect. They do 

 not bear transplanting well, and should be grown in 

 pots until planted out. Some species yield ladanum, 

 a resin used in perfumery. Propagated by seeds sown in 

 spring in pans or boxes and the young seedlings shaded; 

 increased also by layers and cuttings in spring or late 

 summer, inserted in sandy peat under glass. In the 

 Old World, the cistuses are important garden plants, 

 but they are little known in America. 



albidus, 5. 

 cordifolius, 11. 

 creticus, 1. 

 crispus, 4. 

 Cupanianus, 11. 

 cyprius, 8. 

 heterophyllus, 2. 



INDEX. 



incanus, 1. 

 ladaniferus, 7. 

 laurifolius, 9. 

 maculatus, 7. 

 parviflorus, 6. 

 populifolius, 11. 



purpureus, 3. 

 rotundifolius, 1. 

 salvifolius, 10. 

 tauricus, 1. 

 undulatus, 1. 

 villosus, 1. 



A. Color of fls. purple or red. 



B. Fls. 1^/2-2 in. wide; petals imbricate. 



c. Lvs. penninerved, 3-nerved only at the base. 



D. Petals without a dark blotch at the base. 



1. villdsus, Linn. (C. incanus, Linn.). Erect shrub, 

 3-4 ft., villous or tomentose: Ivs. penninerved, round- 

 ish-ovate or oblong, narrowed into a very short petiole, 

 rugose above and grayish green, tomentose or villous 

 beneath, 1-2 in. long: fls. 1-3, long-peduncled, reddish 

 purple, 2 in. wide; petals light pink or yellowish at the 

 base. May, June. Medit. region. B.M.43. S.C. 35. Gn. 

 27, p. 571. A very variable species. Var. creticus, 

 Boiss. Lvs. smaller, more spatulate at the base, very 

 rugose, undulate at the margin: fls. purple. S. E. Eu., 

 Asia Minor. Sibthorp, Fl. Grseca 5:495. S.C. 112. Gn. 

 27, p. 571; 33, p. 490. 



Var. rotundifdlius, Loud. Dwarfer, with more round- 

 ish Ivs. S.C. 75. Garden form. Var. tauricus, Grosser 

 (C. tauricus, Presl). Lvs. obovate-spatulate, the 

 upper ones lanceolate, scarcely undulate: pedicels 

 twice as long as sepals. Asia Minor. Var. undulatus, 

 Dunal. Lvs. linear-oblong, acute, undulate: fls. soli- 

 tary. S.C. 63. Garden form. 



2. heterophyllus, Desf. Erect, to 2 ft.: Ivs. short- 

 petioled, elliptic- or oval-lanceolate, green on both 

 sides and slightly hairy, j/-l in. long: fls. 1-3, 2 in. 

 wide; petals red, yellow at the base. N. Afr. S.C. 6. 

 More tender. 



DD. Petals with a dark blotch at the base. 



3. purpureus, Lam. (C. ladaniferus x C. villdsus). 

 Shrub to 4 ft., somewhat glutinous: Ivs. nearly sessile, 

 lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute, rugose above, 

 slightly undulate and revolute at the margin, 1-2 in. 

 long: fls. usually 3, lilac-purple, 3 in. across, the petals 

 yellow at the base and with a maroon blotch. Of gar- 

 den origin. Gn. 31:326; 45, p. 33; 53, p. 134. B.R. 

 5:408. S.C. 17. G.C. III. 48:118-19. One of the 

 most beautiful rock roses. 



cc. Lvs. 3-nerved to the apex. 



4. crispus, Linn. Compact shrub, to 2 ft., villous: Ivs. 

 sessile, linear-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, undulate, 



rugose above, villous beneath: fls. 3-4, nearly sessile, 

 1^-2 in. wide, deep rose-colored. June-Aug. S.W. 

 Eu. S.C. 22. Gn. 34:252. 



5. albidus, Linn. Shrub to 4 ft., the young parts 

 white- tomentose: Ivs. sessile, elliptic or ovate-oblong, 

 revolute at the margin, reticulate beneath, whitish 

 tomentose, K~2 in. long: fls. 3-6, lilac or rosy, 2% in 

 across; style longer than stamens. S.W. Eu. N. Afr. 

 S.C. 31. G.C. III. 45:117. G.M. 51:783. 



BB. Fls. 1 in. wide; petals not imbricate. 



6. parviflorus, Lam. Much-branched shrub, 1-2 ft.; 

 tomentose: Ivs. 3-nerved, elliptic-ovate, undulate, 

 rugose above, reticulate beneath, twisted, 1 in. long: 

 fls. 3-5; petals pale rose, yellow at the base. June. 

 Greece, Crete. S.C. 14. 



AA. Color of fls. white: Ivs. 8-nerved. 

 B. Sepals 3. 



c. Lvs. nearly sessile: plant very glutinous: fls. usually 

 solitary. 



7. ladaniferus, Linn. Shrub, to 4 ft., glutinous: 

 Ivs. lanceolate, glabrous and viscid above, whitish 

 tomentose beneath, I^T^ m - long: fls. usually solitary, 

 long-peduncled, 3-3}^ in. wide; petals yellow at the 

 base. June. S. W. Eu. S.C. 84. F.S.R. 2, p. 44. G. 

 22:213. Gn. 58, p. 171; 66, p. 257. F. 1874, p. 160. 

 Var. maculatus, Sweet. Petals with a dark brownish 

 crimson spot above the base. Gn. 30:30; 33, p. 490. 

 S.C. 1. G. 26:598. Grosser 23. Probably the most 

 beautiful of all cistuses. 



cc. Lvs. distinctly petioled: fls. several. 



8. cyprius, Lam. (C. ladaniferus x C. laurifolius). 

 Erect shrub, to 6 ft., somewhat glutinous: Ivs. oblong- 

 lanceolate, gla- 

 brous above, vil- 

 lous- tomentose 



beneath: fls. 5-7, 

 nearly 3 in. wide; 

 petals blotched 

 purple at the base. 

 June. Garden 

 origin. S.C. 39. 

 Gn. 76, p. 438. 

 B.M. 112 (as C. 

 ladaniferus) . 



9. laurifdlius, 

 Linn. Fig. 969. 

 Shrub to 6 ft.: Ivs. 

 petioled, ovate or 

 ovate - lanceolate, 

 glabrous above, 

 whitish or brown- 

 ish tomentose be- 

 neath, 1-2^ in. 

 long: fls. 3-8, 2-3 

 in. wide; petals 

 with yellow 

 blotch. June- 

 Aug. S. W. Eu. 

 Gn. 53, p. 131; 64, 

 p. 234. G.M. 34: 

 95. S.C. 52. The 

 hardiest species. 



BB. Sepals 5. 



10. salvifdlius, 

 Linn. Shrub, to 2 



ft., sometimes procumbent: Ivs. petioled, oval to ovate- 

 oblong, rigid, very rugose above, tomentose on both 

 sides, j^-1% in. long; bracts deciduous: fls. solitary or 

 several, white, \Y^ in. across. S. Eu., N. Afr., Orient. 

 S.C. 54. Gn. 76, p. 352. G. 30:593. A very variable 

 species. 



969. Cistus laurifolius. (XK) 



