92 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



CISTUS. 



CISTE.E. POLYANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Called also gum cistus, and rock rose. French, le ciste. Italian, 

 cisto, cistio. 



THE Cistus is a very extensive genus, and all the species 

 are valuable ornaments to a garden. Their flowers, al- 

 though of short duration, are succeeded almost every day 

 by fresh ones, for more than two months, and are generally 

 about the size of a rose. They are of different colours, 

 and the plants retain their leaves all the year. 



Some few require a stove ; it will be sufficient to specify 

 the most beautiful kinds which may be preserved without 

 one. 



The Poplar-leaved Cistus, a native of Portugal : flowers 

 white, tinged with purple at the edges; bloom in June and 

 July. 



The Bay-leaved Cistus, a native of Spain : flowers white ; 

 blow in June and July. 



The Spanish Gum Cistus : white flowers, with spots of 

 purple at the base ; in blossom from June to August. 

 The whole plant exudes a sweet glutinous substance in 

 warm weather, which has a strong balsamic scent, and 

 perfumes the air to a great distance. 



The Montpelier Gum Cistus, a native of Narbonne and 

 Valencia: white flowers, open from June to August. 

 This species exudes a gum, like the last. There is a va- 

 riety of it, with lemon-coloured flowers. 



The Hoary Rock Rose, or Rose Cistus, le ciste ordinaire 

 of the French : a native of Spain and Narbonne ; purple 

 flowers. 



The Cretan Cistus : a native of the Levant ; flowers red 

 purple, blowing in June and July. This is frequently 



