VIII. CISTA CEJE : HELIA NTHEMUM. 



61 



Origi- 

 Flowers 

 ripe in 



93. H. (v.) Ayssopifolium. 



Spec. Char., $c. Stem suffruticose, ascending. Branches hairy-tomentose. 

 Lower leaves oval , upper ones oblong-lanceolate, green on both surfaces, 

 flat, hairy. Calyxes hairy. Petals imbricate. (Don's Mill.) A sub- 

 evergreen suffruticose undershrub, with the branches ascending 

 nated in gardens. Height 1 ft. to 1-| ft. Cultivated in 1827. 

 variable from satfron to red ; May to" August. Capsule brown 

 September. Varying considerably by culture. 



Varieties. 



!U H. h. 1 crocdtum (Swt. Cist., t. 92.) has 



flowers saffron-coloured, with more or less 



of a ferrugineous tint, and may represent 



the species. 

 a~ H. h. 2 cupreum (Swt. Cist., t. 58.) has 



flowers of a reddish copper-colour. 

 !U H. h. 3 multiplex (Swt. Cist., t. 72. ; and our 

 Jig. 93.) has double flowers, of a reddish 



copper-colour. 



All the three forms of this variety are splendid 

 plants ; they are hardy, of luxuriant growth, flower- 

 ing freely, and of the easiest culture, either in pots 

 or on banks of light sandy soil, covered with flints 

 or stones. The flowers of the copper-coloured va- 

 riety, and also the leaves, are larger than those of the two other kinds. The 

 double-flowered variety appears to be of a more upright habit of growth, 

 and not quite so robust as the others. 



j* 10. H. SCABRO V SUM Pers. The rough Helianthemum, or Sun Rose. 



Identification. Pers. Ench., 2. p. 76. ; Brot. Fl. Lus., 2. p. 265. ; 



Don's Mill., i. p. 302. 



Synonyme. Cistus scabrosus Ait. Hort. Kew. 2. p. 236. 

 Engravings. Swt. Cist., t. 81. ; and our fig. 94. 



Spec. Char., $c. Erectish. Branches pilosely to- 



mentose, scabrous, canescent. Leaves sessile, 



tapering to the base, oblong-ovate, acutish, 



roughish, 3-nerved, with waved revolute margins ; 



upper surface green, under surface clothed with 



grey tomentum. Peduncles terminal, 1 2-flow- 



ered, shorter than the leaves. Calyx 3-sepaled, 



hairy. Petals distinct. (Don's Mill.) A sub-ever- 

 green erect undershrub. Portugal. Height 2 ft. 



to 3 ft. Introduced in 1775. Flowers rich yellow ; 



June to August. Capsule brown ; ripe in Sept. 



Differs from most other species of Helianthemum, 

 in growing erect. It forms a very handsome little bush, 

 but it requires a sheltered situation, and a dry soil. 



Many other Kinds of Helianthemums described in Sweet's Cistmece are, perhaps, 

 as hardy as those we have selected ; but it would be of little use giving them here, 

 the greater part having been lost during the winter of 1837-8. In the first 

 edition of this Arboretum 99 species are described, besides varieties. Sup- 

 posing a cultivator about to form a collection of Cistaceae, we should attach 

 much less importance to his being able to procure all the sorts of Cfstus and 

 Helianthemum described in Sweet's Cistinefs, than to his obtaining all the sorts 

 easily procurable, whatever names they might pass under, and cross-fecunda- 

 ting them so as to produce new forms. There can be no doubt whatever that 

 the sorts of both the genera C'istus and Helianthemum might, by cross-fe- 

 cundation, be increased ad infinitum ; and, considering their very great beauty 

 as border and rookwork shrubs, we think they merit the attention of culti- 

 vators at least as much as many florist's flowers. 



94. H. scabrosum. 



