COMMON CISTUS: or, ROCK ROSE. 



Helianthemimi vidgare. 



Class PoLTANDRiA. Order Monogtnia. Nat. Ord. CiSTACEiE. 

 Rock-Rose Tribe. 



This is truly a flower of the sun, for its deli- 

 cate petals are always closed when clouds 

 obscure the noon-day sky, or when evening 

 and its twilight and deepening shadow warns 

 blossoms and leaves to close before the coming 

 dews. Large clumps of Rock Roses may be 

 seen adorning our barren lands ; and the dry 

 chalky cliff, or open dreary down, or hilly 

 pasture where the soil is of chalk or gravel, 

 often shows a gleam of beauty from their 

 numerous golden flowers. The crumpled 

 petals are very fragile, looking as if a rough 

 wind would scatter them ; and indeed all the 

 Cistus tribe are remarkably ephemeral, even 

 among the flowers of the field, which have 

 from oldest times been symbols of quick 

 decay. Such is the irritability of the stamens 

 of the flower, that if touched ever so gently, 

 they lie down upon the petals. Calder Camp- 

 bell has some pleasing lines upon it : — 



" Midst Alpine clefts, or in rare grassy spots 



Of mountain-ridges, where the wild bee dwells, 

 The Rock Rose with her yellow blossoms dots 

 Its dark and hoary leaves : a thousand spells 



