EOSACEiE. . 19^ 



A well-marked genus, widely diffused over the northern hemisphere, in 

 the new world as well as the old. It comprises a considerable number of 

 true species ; but several of them being of very ancient and universal culti- 

 vation, and having been hybridized and multiplied with all the skill of 

 modern horticulturists, their more or less marked races and varieties are 

 now reckoned by thousands. Even in the wild state endeavours have been 

 made to cliaracterize so large a number of proposed species, that the con- 

 fusion amongst them is almost as great as in the Brambles. The forms in- 

 digenous to Britain appear to be redvicible to five types, which are probably 

 real species. It must, however, be admitted, that the characters separating 

 them are not so decided as could be wished, and that specimens will occa- 

 sionally be found that the most experienced botanist will be at a loss to de- 

 termine, and certainly not the less so if the number of British species be 

 extended, as proposed, to 15 or 20.* 



Prickles mostly straight, or very slightly curved, scarcely dilated at 

 the base. 

 Stem seldom above a foot high when wild. Leaflets 7 or 9, usually 



small, and simply toothed 1. Burnet R. 



Stem 2 feet or more. Leaflets B or 7, usually doubly toothed, 



downy on both sides 2. Downy S. 



Prickles, at least the larger ones, more or less curved, and dilated at 

 the base. 

 Styles slightly protruding from the mouth of the calyi in a dense 

 tuft, but not united. Stem scarcely trailing. 



Calyx -tube globular, more or less prickly or bristly 2. Downy S, 



Calyx-tube ovoid or oblong, without prickles or bristles. 



Leaflets very glandular, doubly toothed 3. Sweetbriar S. 



leaflets without glands, or very few on the edges only, simply 



or rarely doubly toothed 4. Dog R. 



Styles united in a column, protruding from the calyx. Stem very 



trailing 5. Field R. 



The most comjnon exotic Roses in our cottage gardens are the Cabbage 

 and Moss Roses, varieties of the R. centifolia, of uncertain origin (perhaps 

 not distinct from the R. tallica, from central and southern Europe) ; the 

 Ayrshire Rose, a cultivated variety of the south European R. sempervirens ; 

 and the China Roses, varieties of the Asiatic R. indica; but several other 

 species frora Europe, Asia, and North America, are also in general cultiva- 

 tion, and are among the parents of the numerous garden hybrids. 



1. Burnet Rose. Rosa pitnpinellifolia, Linn. 

 (R. spinosissima, Eng. Bet. t. 187. R- involuta, t. 2068 ? and R. rubella, 



t. 2521.) 

 A small, erect, very much branched shrub, usually under a foot high 

 when wild, and seldom above 2 feet in cidtivation, usually armed with nu- 

 merous unequal, mostly straight, rather slender prickles, often more or less 

 intermixed with glandular hairs. Leaflets small, 7 or 9 to each leaf, gla- 

 brous or with a minute glandular down ; the teeth simple, or very rarely 

 again toothed. Flowers rather small, white or pink, soUtary at the end of 

 the short branches ; the floral stipules small. Calyx globular, or shghtly 

 ovoid, and smooth ; the segments lanceolate, and almost always entire. 

 Carpels all sessde, with free styles. Fruit black, or rarely red, globular or 

 nearly so, crowned by the persistent segments of the calyx. 



• See Hooker and Arnott, ' British Flora," 7th edit., pp. 137 to 141 ; and Babington's 

 ' Manual,' 4th edit., pp. 110 to 11.3, where 19 species are described, in both cases from the 

 careful observations of Mr. Borrer (Hook. Brit. Fl., ed. 1 and 2, pp. 223 to 242) . The above 

 numl)er includes, however, the R. Dicksoni and jR. cinnamomea, since admitted not to be 

 British. 



