Rosacece Rosa. 151 



fruits downy when young, but becoming glabrous towards 

 maturity. This group contains only two species, R. ferox and 

 R. Kamtchdtica. The former, a native of the Caucasus, has 

 tomentose branches so densely bristling with sharp thorns that 

 it has acquired the name of Hedgehog Rose. The leaves 

 consist of 5 to 9 dentate leaflets, glabrous above ; the flowers 

 are large and solitary, of a beautiful rosy purple, appearing 

 early, but only slightly scented. No double variety of this 

 species has hitherto been reported. 



The Kamtschatka Rose, R. Kamtschdtica, is confined to the 

 eastern extremity of Asia, and differs but slightly from the 

 preceding, being almost equally spiny, but with the peculiarity 

 that the spines are deciduous. The solitary flowers are of a 

 deep red colour. No double variety is known of this species. 

 These two species are well adapted for planting in masses in 

 shrubberies, and also for hedges. 



II. ROS^E BRACTEAT^E, or Bracteate Roses. Dense bushes 

 from 3 to 6 feet high, readily distinguished from all other 

 Roses by their floral leaves or bracts, and their shaggy ovaries 

 and fruits. Only two species are known, both from Central and 

 Eastern Asia, and differing so slightly that they may easily be 

 confounded one with the other. 



R. palustris, the Marsh Rose of Nepal and China, has white 

 solitary flowers supported by a bracteiform involucre of three 

 or four leaves. 



R. bracteata, Macartney Rose, a charming little bush, from 

 India and Southern China, with roundish-obovate persistent 

 shining leaves and solitary white flowers, surrounded by 8-10 

 pectinate silky bracts. The beautiful semi-double pure white 

 Macartney Rose is said to have originated from seed of this 

 species. Two other old but commendable varieties are like- 

 wise referred to this species, namely : alba odorata, with large 

 full white flowers yellowish in the centre ; and Maria Leonida, 

 a climbing variety with white flowers, which probably belongs 

 to another species. 



The Small-leaved Rose, R. micropkylla, which resembles the 

 Macartney in more than one respect, naturally finds its place 

 here. It is a small compact bush of a beautiful verdure with 

 slender flexible branches armed with spines near the insertion 

 of the petioles. The leaves consist of 5-9 very small oval or 

 roundish perfectly glabrous and shining finely toothed leaf- 



