192 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



EOS 



ingly fragrant. From this the Striped Provence 

 is said to have been a sport. Its flowers are 

 white, striped with deep rose. It is by no 

 means constant, as some of the flowers will be 

 wholly pink, others pure white, the two being 

 frequently met on the same branch. The Moss 

 Rose, (R. centit'oUa muMMa,)the history of which 

 is unknown, nas by common consent been con- 

 sidered an accidental sport from the Provence 

 Rose. This theory is strengthened by the 

 fact that plants produced by the seed of the 

 Moss Rose do not always show moss, probably 

 not more than one in three doing so; those that 

 do not, possess all the characteristics of the 

 Cabbage or Provence Rose. The earliest his- 

 tory we have of it is, that it was sent to England 

 from Holland in 1596, since which time many 

 new kinds have been produced from seed, and 

 from sports of the original. The Crested Moss 

 (R. cristata) is a sport accidentally found grow- 

 ing out of an old wall at Friburg, in Switzer- 

 land. This class, like the Provence, requires 

 the highest cultivation: a deep, strong, rich 

 loam is required for the perfection of these more 

 than any other class of Roses. The French (R. 

 Gallica) is indigenous to the hedges of France 

 and Italy. It is credited with being the R. Mil- 

 lesiana of Pliny, and is among the earliest culti- 

 vated garden Roses. This section contains a 

 large number of our variegated varieties, all 

 having their parentage in R. Gallica versicolor. 

 This family is very extensive, and unsurpassed 

 for perfection of form or richness of color. They 

 are compact, erect-growing plants, producing 

 large, open, flat flowers, borne on stiff, erect 

 flower-stalks, thus forming a marked contrast 

 to the Cabbage Rose. Of this there are proba- 

 bly two hundred varieties. They are exten- 

 sively grown in the neighborhood of Paris for 

 the purpose of making the Attar of Roses. The 

 Hybrid Provence Roses (R. centifolia hybrida) 

 are hybrids between the French and Provence 

 Roses. Nearly all the varieties are remarkable 

 for their large, well-formed, and very fragrant 

 flowers. They are mostly vigorous growers, re- 

 quiring but little care in cultivation. The Hy- 

 brid China Rose, (R. Indica hybrida.) This sec- 

 tion owes its origin to the Bourbon, China, and 

 Tea-scented Noisette, crossed with the French, 

 Provence, and other summer Roses, and also to 

 the latter crossed with the former. The varie- 

 ties first obtained from this crossing arose from 

 accident, the effect of which was a systematic 

 effort that resulted in producing some magnifi- 

 cent Roses. Mr. Rivers, a celebrated rosarian, 

 in speaking of these hybrids, remarks: " They 

 give a long continuance of bloom, but never put 

 forth secondary or autumnal flowers. This is a 

 most peculiarly distinguishing trait, and an in- 

 teresting fact. Impregnate a Bourbon, China, 

 or Noisette Rose, all abundant bloomers, with 

 the farina of a French or Provence Rose, and 

 you entirely take away the tendency of autumnal 

 blooming in their offspring." The plants of this 

 section are of very vigorous habit, and the flow- 

 ers combine all the properties desired in the 

 Hose, viz., size, form, fullness, and exquisite col- 

 i; in g- The Hybrid Bourbon, (R. Eorboniana hy- 

 brula.) This class owes its origin to the Bour- 

 bon Rose, which is itself a hybrid. There is 

 some uncertainty about the crossing; it is sup- 

 posed to have been R. Indica and R. Damascene 

 -They are a very beautiful class of Roses, large 

 i ra J ther flat> with rich > ^civet-like petals, 

 much darker inside than on the outside of the 



ROS 



flower. They flower moderately well in autumn. 

 The White Rose, ( Rosa alba.) The original spe- 

 cies is a native of the central part of Europe, 

 and was introduced into Great Britain in 1597. 

 The flowers are small; the e.lors are white, 

 blush, flesh, and pink. They are readily dis- 

 tinguished from all other Roses by the glaucous 

 appearance of the foliage, which appears as if 

 covered with a grayish, impalpable powder, and 

 by the shoots being almost spineless. They are 

 perfectly hardy, and of easy cultivation. A type 

 of this class is finely represented by the well- 

 known variety Madame Plantier. The Damask 

 Rose, (R. Damascena.) The original species is a 

 native of Syria, and was introduced into Europe 

 in 1573. It is now, as formerly, largely culti- 

 vated in the gardens of Damascus for the pur- 

 pose of making Rose-water, Attar of Roses, etc. 

 Nearly all the Perpetual Roses, now so much 

 sought after, owe their origin to the older mem- 

 bers of this family, which may readily be dis- 

 tinguished from other Roses by their rough, 

 spiny shoots, and leather-like leaves. They are 

 all of robust habit, and have large, well-formed 

 flowers. The Sweet Brier (R. rubiginosa) is in- 

 digenous to many parts of Great Britain, in its 

 native or single state ; it has become naturalized 

 in many parts of the United States. Not content 

 with the delightful fragrance of the foliage, art 

 has added several varieties with double bright 

 rose-colored and crimson flowers. The best of 

 them is Celestial Sweet Brier, with flowers very 

 double and fragrant. The Austrian Brier (R. 

 lutea) is a native of the north of Italy. Its stems 

 are spiny, and of a reddish-brown color; it has 

 a straggling habit of growth, leaves quite small, 

 and flowers of copper and yellow color. From 

 this species has sprung the Persian Yellow, 

 which is said to have originated in Persia, hence 

 its name; also the Harrison Rose, a variety that 

 originated in this country. These two are as 

 yet the best hardy Yellow Roses that have been 

 produced. The Double Yellow Rose, (R. sul- 

 phurea.) This Rose is very beautiful in warm 

 climates ; but the flowers are produced with so 

 much difficulty that it is rarely met. The origin 

 of this Rose is unknown. It is rarely seen in 

 collections. The Boursault Rose, (R. Alp'ma.) 

 The Alpine or Mountain Rose of the south of 

 France and the Alps is the type from which this 

 very distinct family of Roses sprung. It was 

 originated by M. Boursault, of Paris, in whose 

 honor it was named. They are remarkable for 

 the abundance of flowers they produce. They 

 are perfectly hardy, and well adapted for cover- 

 ing walls or trellises. The Banksian Rose, (R. 

 Bunksiami.) This Rose, a native of China, was 

 introduced in 1807, and was named in compli- 

 ment to Lady Banks. There are several varie- 

 ties, producing immense clusters of white, yel- 

 low, or rose-colored flowers. The plant is a 

 rapid climber, beautiful in foliage and graceful 

 in habit. As it is an annual flowering species, 

 and too tender to stand the severity of our win- 

 ters, even if protected, it does not meet with 

 favor among our Rose-growers. The Many-flow- 

 ered Rose, (R. multifiora.) The original of this 

 was introduced in 1804 from Japan by the cele- 

 brated botanist, Thunberg. Growers in France 

 and Italy have since then originated several va- 

 rieties, of which R. GreciHeiis a fair representa- 

 tive. They are annual bloomers, but too tender 

 to live out without protection north of Virginia. 

 The Prairie Rose, (R. rubiftora.) This family is 

 American, the type being the single-flowering 



