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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



Hybrids of the Macartney Rose. — From the Macartney Rose 

 {Rosa bracteata) two garden varieties have been obtained, of which one is 

 known by the name of ' Maria Leonida,' and the other as R. alba odorata. 

 But nothing more has come of them, as they are sterile hybrids. (Fig. 142.) 



Rosa bracteata, Wendl., shares with R. involucrata, Roxb., and R. 

 Lyellii, Lindl., a section of the Indian Roses, to which it has given its 

 name. It has the following synonyms : — R. Macartnea, Dumon de 

 Conrset, and R. lucida, Lawr., not Ehrh. It has a variety called 

 scabricaulis, which might probably constitute a small species of its 

 own. Authors are not agreed as to the name of the introducer of the 

 bracted Rose. Some attribute it to Lord Macartney, Ambassador to 

 China, others to George Staunton. Cels had it in his garden in 1795. 

 It has been figured by Ventenat, Roessig, Redoute, Wendland, and Miss 

 Lawrence. 



The Rose ' Maria Leonida ' is supposed to be a hybrid between the 

 single Macartney Rose and the Musk Rose — I imagine one with double 

 flowers. If this origin is the true one, I expect it was the Musk Rose that 

 supplied the pollen. I found this opinion upon what one knows about 

 hybrids of the first generation between distinct species, that it is the 

 seed-bearing plant which gives the principal characteristics of growth 

 and habit. ' Maria Leonida ' has preserved, in effect, almost all the 

 botanical peculiarities of Rosa bracteata. Admitting as proved this 

 origin of 4 Maria Leonida,' a sterile hybrid, as so often happens when 

 two distinct species are crossed, Rose-breeders may perhaps be able, 

 by careful choice of pollen, to obtain, other remarkable varieties, or 

 some fertile plants which by mongrel breeding would give us some new 

 varieties. 



Hybrids of Banksian Roses. — A long time ago I received from 

 Monsieur Michelange Console some seed of the two double varieties, 

 white and yellow, of this remarkable species. Having sown them, I 

 obtained the identical plants pure and simple. No variation whatever 

 occurred. Nevertheless it is probable that, since the double Banksian 

 Rose produces seed, one could obtain crosses from it. Moreover, it has 

 been suggested that a cross has already been made between it and Rosa 

 Icevigata, and that it produced Rosa Fortuniana, Lindley. This is an 

 encouragement for those of our fellow-workers on the Mediterranean 

 shores, where the Banksian Roses abound, to make experiments in this 

 direction, either in using the pollen of them, or using them as the seed- 

 bearing plants. Fig. 143 shows the single wild form of Rosa Banksice. 



Noisette Roses. — We know that the Noisettes are of hybrid origin, 

 and that their ancestors are supposed to have belonged to the Musk 

 Roses (Rosa moschata) and the Indian Roses (R. indica). The descend- 

 ants of these Roses, either from ordinary seeds or after fresh crossing, 

 have given us the hybrid Noisettes, and very probably most of the bush 

 Roses, which florists, for want of a better name, have classed amongst 

 the Tea Roses. It seems as if the source from whence the Noisettes 

 were obtained might be nearly exhausted. Perhaps we might infuse it 

 with fresh vigour, by beginning new crosses either with different forms 

 of Rosa moschata or with other species of the same class, such as 

 R. Brunonii, abyssinica, Leschcnaultiana, Sec. It might be possible also 



