354 Hybrid PerfeUial Rose Mrs. Charles Wood, 



Librai'y, where I went yesterday and made an extract of the remarks 

 (in French) on the plant, which I enclose for your information. In 

 reading them, you will notice that the authors are very doubtful as to 

 its being a true species. The figure so nearly resembles the Hydran- 

 gea kortensis, as to be hardly distinguishable from it ; and if I might 

 be permitted to advance an opinion on the subject, \ should say they are 

 identically the same. Like that species, the heads of flowers are a 

 mass of ray florets of a blue color, as is often seen in U. hortensis. 



"• The species with double flowers, which you received from James 

 Hogg, is Hydrangea stellata. This is also figured in the same work, 

 and is unmistakable as to its indentity, although it may prove only a 

 variety of some .other species. When James let it out under the name 

 of ' Otaksa,' he no doubt thought, for want of more positive informa- 

 tion on the subject, that it was that species. 



" I regret the error was committed, but console myself with the reflec- 

 tion that you have a more valuble plant. 



" Yours truly, Thos. Hogg." 



[We have examined the plates referred to, in the copy of Siebold's 

 Flora Japonica in the library of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 

 The plate and description of H. stellata., show the petal-like sepals of 

 the barren flowers increased in number from the normal five, to ten or 

 even fifteen, the additional ones being smaller, and alternated with the 

 lower ones, and all of oval pointed form, giving the flower a star- 

 like appearance. The color is pale blue. H. stellata is figured on 

 plate fifty-nine, and Otaksa on plate fifty-two of part first ; the latter 

 cannot be distinguished from H. hortensis. — Ed.] 



HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSE MRS. CHARLES WOOD. 



By Francis Parkman, Jamaica Plain, Mass. 



Among the so-called " Perpetuals," there are but few that have any 

 reasonable pretension to the name. One or two autumnal flowers are 

 the best to be expected from many of them, and some refuse even this 

 unless their flower buds are pinched off' in June. Mrs. Charles Wood 

 is less chary of her favors. In fact, we never knew her to fail in 

 blooming abundantly in August and September, and this without the 

 least curtailing of her June flowering. 



