346 CISTUS 



at the apex ; I to if ins. long, J to in. wide ; upper surface dull green, 

 roughish, net-veined beneath, the chief veins pinnately arranged ; at first 

 stellately downy above, covered beneath with a thin greyish wool. Flowers 

 two to four on a stalk, white except for a blotch of yellow at the base of 

 each petal ; i^ to 2 ins. across. Sepals five, hairy, ovate, with a heart-shaped 

 base and a slender, pointed apex. 



A hybrid between monspeliensis and salvifolius, found wild in various parts 

 of S. Europe and in Algiers. It is a useful plant although not among the 

 hardiest. Intermediate between its parents, it has the same type of foliage 

 as C. monspeliensis, but broader, whilst its flowers are larger and more like 

 those of C. salvifolius. The stickiness of the young stems, seen in monspeliensis, 

 is missing. 



C. HIRSUTUS, Lamarck. 



(Sweet's Cistineae, t. 19.) 



A small, much-branched shrub, the shoots densely covered with down 

 amidst which are numerous white outstanding hairs. Leaves stalkless, 

 ovate-oblong, blunt at the apex, three-nerved and rounded at the base ; 

 i to 2^ ins. long, J to f in. wide ; very hairy, the hairs on the upper surface 

 and at the margins long, whitish, simple ; those beneath short, starry. 

 Flowers i\ ins. diameter, white, with a yellow stain near the base of each 

 petal ; produced in a terminal cymose cluster. Sepals five, outer ones 

 heart-shaped, f in. long, with a broad base \ in. wide, and a tapered point ; 

 inner ones ovate, smaller, all shaggy with white hairs. 



Native of Spain, Portugal, and France ; introduced about the middle of 

 the seventeenth century. An almost hardy species, only injured in excep- 

 tionally severe winters. With C. salvifolius and C. populifolius it forms 

 the group " Ledonia," characterised by large, heart-shaped outer sepals. 

 It is distinguished from the other two by its stalkless leaves. 



C. LADANIFERUS, Linnaus. 



(Sweet's Cistineae, tt. I and 84.) 



An evergreen shrub, 3 to 5 ft. high, of erect, thin habit ; branches very 

 clammy with a shining resin. Leaves three-nerved, glutinous, linear-lanceolate, 

 \\ to 4 ins. long, \ to f in. wide ; tapering gradually to both ends, scarcely 

 stalked, the bases of each pair clasping the stem ; dark green and smooth 

 above, covered beneath with a close grey felt. Flowers solitary at the end of 

 slender side twigs, protected in the bud state by large bracts, white, with a fine 

 blood-red blotch at the base of each petal, 3 to 4 ins. across, the petals crimped 

 at the margin. Sepals three, large, concave, covered with yellowish scales. 

 Seed-vessel ten-valved. 



Native of S. Europe and N. Africa ; introduced in 1629. Near London this 

 rock rose withstands frosts up to 20, but is certainly not so hardy as C. cyprius, 

 nor so vigorous and bushy a plant. It is a beautiful species, especially 

 the common crimson-blotched form, and has larger flowers than any other 

 species we can cultivate out-of-doors. It differs from C. laurifolius in its 

 narrow leaves, in the absence of hairs on the stem and flower-stalks, in the 

 scaly sepals, and in the solitary flowers. (See also C. cyprius.) There is a 

 pure white, unspotted form of the species known as var. ALBIFLORUS (or 

 immaculatus). 



C. LAURIFOLIUS, Linnczus. 



(Sweet's Cistineae, t. 52.) 



An evergreen shrub, 6 to 8 ft. high, with stiff, erect, open branches, hairy 

 and glutinous when young ; bark peeling. Leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 



