15G Rosacee— Rosa. 
south of the equator, in fact few pass the 25th degree of North 
latitude. The actual southern limits of the genus are in the 
Indian peninsula, Abyssinia, and Mexico. All are hardy in 
the South of Europe, and the tenderest require but slight pro- 
tection even in England. The specific forms, or those forms 
considered as such, in this very homogeneous and distinct genus 
are, on the contrary, so closely allied and so variable in them- 
selves that their determination has ever been the Gordian knot 
of botanists. In spite of the greatest efforts and researches, the 
limits of specific groups and the characters upon which they 
should rest are still matters of discussion. Hence follow great 
confusion and uncertainty with regard to the number and dis- 
tribution of the species. Butthis confusion is as nothing com- 
pared with that caused by horticulturists, whose innumerable 
crossings and re-crossings of species and varieties have resulted 
in the almost total obliteration of the original forms, so that 
it is now utterly impossible in this chaos of varieties to recog- 
nise their specific types. A glance at the catalogues of our 
principal Rose growers is sufficient to discover that the groups 
ito which they divide their species and varieties are for the 
greater part purely arbitrary aggrevations. 
In no other genus are there so many hybrids as in this. 
Every year our nurserymen offer new sorts, and at the present 
time one might easily enumerate a thousand varieties said to 
be of hybrid origin, of which, however, we have in few cases 
positive proof. 
As we have previously remarked, the greatest uncertainty 
still exists respecting the limits of the botanical species of 
this genus. What is considered by one monographer as a good 
species is reduced to a simple variety by another. In the 
following enumeration, therefure, we can only set forth 
opinions, but with due care to range ourselves with those 
which appear most probable. For our guide we believe we 
cannot do better than take Lindley’s monograph, which ap- 
peared upwards of fifty years ago, but subsequent publications 
have added very little to it. 
Dr. Lindley divided Roses into eleven tolerably natural 
tribes, though in some cases the differences are very slight. 
They are as follow :— 
I. Rosz Frroces, or Spiny Roses.—Bushes from 3 to 6 feet 
high, branches densely armed with prickles ; leaves deciduous, 
