CISTACE^. 107 



A small Order, spread cliiefly over' soutliem and western Europe and 

 northern Africa, with a few American species. It corresponds with the 

 old Liiinean genus Clstus, which is now limited to the large-flowered species 

 with 5 valves to the capsule. They are none of them British, but include 

 the well-known Ghnn-Cistiises of our gardens. 



I. ROCKCIST. HELIANTHEMUM. 



Low or difilise undershrubs or herbs, with the flowers smaller than in 

 the true Cistuses, and the capsule opening in 3 valves only. The leaves in 

 the British species are all opposite, and the two outer sepals very seldom 

 wanting. 



The geographical range is the same as that of the family. 



Erect annual 1 . Spotted B. 



JJiffuse, much branched undershrubs. 



No stipules to the leaves (flowers small) 2. S-oary S. 



A pair of stipules at the base of each leaf. 



Leaves green above, nearly flat. Flowers usually yellow .... 3. Common R, 

 Leaves whitish on both sides, the edges rolled back. Flowers always 



white 4. White B. 



1. Spotted Rockcist. nelianthemmu guttataiu, MUl. 



{Cistus, Eug. Bot. t. 544.) 



An erect, hairy annual, often branched at the base, from a few inches to 

 near a foot high. Leaves narrow-oblong or lanceolate, or the lower ones 

 obovate and very obtuse ; the upper cues more pointed, and often accom- 

 panied by stipules, which are wanting to the lower ones. Racemes loose, 

 with small flowers on slender pedicels. Petals very fugacious, yellow, either 

 with or without a dark spot at their base, varying also in size, and in their 

 edges entire or jagged. 



In pastures, fields, and waste places, very common in western and southern 

 Europe, extending northward through France to the Channel Islands, and 

 southern Ireland, and reappearing on the Holyhead mountain in Anglesea. 

 Fl. summer. The Anglesea specimens are rather stunted, with the leaves 

 broader than usual, and have been pubhshed as a species under the name 

 of JST. Breweri. 



2. Hoary Rockcist. Helianthemum canum, Dun. 

 {Cistus marifolius, Eng. Bot. t. 396.) 



A much smaller and more compact uudershrub than the common R. 

 The leaves much smaller, seldom 6 lines long, white underneath, or some- 

 times on both sides, and all without stipules. Eaceraes numerous and 

 short, with small bracts at the base of the pedicels. Flowers yellow, very 

 much smaller than in the common R. 



In rocky, hilly districts, in central, western, and south-western Europe, 

 from southern Sweden to Spain. Rather rare in Britain, on limestone 

 rocks in western and north-western England. Fl. summer. 



3. Common Rockcist. Heliantheumm vulgare, Gaertn. 

 {Cistus Selianihemum, Eng. Bot. t. 1321. C. tomentosus, Eng. Bot. 



t. 2208. Rock-rose.) 

 A low, difiuse undershrub, with a short, much branched, woody stem, and 

 annual procumbent or ascending flowering branches, from a few inches to 



