By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



regular margins, the inner ones being rather crumpled ; the 

 stamina and stiles are not destroyed by the doubleness of 

 the flower, but they are somewhat concealed amongst the 

 petals, giving, by means of their colour, a shade of pink to 

 the centre of each blossom. The scent of the flowers is most 

 agreeable, being exactly like that of the sweetest violet. 



The branches are free from aculei ; they require support, 

 and when trained against a wall, extend forty feet and more. 

 The surculi, or root shoots, are of extraordinary vigour, grow- 

 ing, in the season, from twelve to fifteen feet in length. The 

 leaves are numerous, of a shining dark green, consisting 

 generally of five (sometimes three) leaflets, which are broadly- 

 lanceolate, simply serrated, and smooth; they remain on 

 the plant till the middle of January, and, in mild winters, 

 till March, so that it has almost the character of an ever- 

 green, besides which, it grows all the winter, except in frosty 

 weather. In March the flower-buds shew themselves, and 

 at that time, the whole plant is in a vigorous and rapidly 

 growing state. The flowers expand in April, coming out 

 in succession, through the month of May, and in late seasons 

 continue to be produced to the middle of June. 



As figures and accounts of the Rosa Banksiae have been 

 given both in the Botanical Magazine and Botanical Register, 

 as well as in Redoute"s splendid work on Roses, now pub- 

 lishing at Paris, I shall refer,* for more detailed descriptions 

 of it, to those works. 



The first imported plant was sent by Mr. Kerr from 

 China, to the Royal Gardens at Kew, in 1807; and on the 



* Botanical Magazine, 1954. Botanical Register, 397- Redoute's Roses, 

 vol. 2. page 43. 



