THE BOOK OF ROSES. 45 



downy, cottonous, prickly, thorny, viscous, 

 glandulous, &c. The colour may vary from 

 very tender green, approaching white, to very 

 dark; yellowish, reddish, purplish : they may 

 be variegated, clouded, spotted, freckled. In 

 point of substance we find them thick, thin, 

 transparent, opaque, firm, soft, stiff, brittle, 

 tough, &c. They are said to be deciduous 

 when they fall every year at the commence- 

 ment of winter ; frail when they fall earlier; and 

 permanent when they remain on the tree till the 

 formation of new leaves, as in some species of 

 oak. Under the general name of leaf, we com- 

 prehend leaflets, petioles, and stipules. 



STEM. The stem of the rose-tree must be 

 understood to comprehend its branches, twigs, 

 and flower-branches. The bole or stem, pro- 

 perly so called, is the portion that rises di- 

 rectly from the roots. It is called straight or 

 erect, when growing vertically ; inclined, when 

 diverging from the perpendicular; creeping, 

 when roots spring from its branches ; trailing, 

 when it grows in curves ; and zig-zag when it 

 grows with angular or geniculated branches. 

 It is called naked, when devoid of thorns or other 

 arms ; smooth, when naked and shining ; his- 

 pid, when bearing bristly prickles ; armed, when 

 bearing thorns ; pubescent, when hairy. The 

 suckers are either straight, curved, or flexible, 

 and partake of the nature of the stem; the 



