York and Lancaster Roses 



which he gives no description, but Clusius doubt- 

 fully gave the name to the older form, and Miller 

 adopted his name for the later one ; Rosa Mundi 

 was also Ray's name for the older form ; and 

 Rosa versicolor was also Parkinson's name for the 

 same rose. The name now generally accepted is 

 Rosa Mundi, and as it is so figured in the Botanical 

 Magazine, it is better that that name should be 

 given to the more modern, reserving the name 

 of R. versicolor for the older one. By whatever 

 botanical name it may be called, its popular name 

 will always be York and Lancaster, and it well 

 deserves the name, its bold mixture of bright red 

 and pure white making it very conspicuous and 

 attractive. A few years ago it was very scarce, 

 and could only be found in a few old-fashioned 

 gardens, having been pushed aside by the hybrid 

 perpetuals ; but now that a love for the old- 

 fashioned flowers has revived, it has been again 

 brought forward, and promises to be as popular 

 as ever. It has an untidy habit, but it is very 

 hardy, and increases freely by suckers, which are 

 apt sometimes to come up a long distance from 

 the parent plant, but it is not easy to strike from 

 cuttings, and I am told that it is very difficult to 

 increase by budding. In some years it produces 

 abundance of hips and seed. I have never sown 

 any, for I have been credibly informed that not 

 more than one in a hundred will come true. Of 

 the history and literary association of this rose I 

 have nothing more to say ; but in the history 

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