CHAr. XI. 



CISTA^CEJE. Cl'STUS. 



31? 



in the present chapter, though we are convinced that most of the species 

 described are mere varieties, some of them of the most fugitive kind. Our own 

 opinion is, that all the different alleged species of the genera Cistus, Helianthe- 

 mum, and Huds6ni« are, properly, only races or varieties of three or four ab- 

 original foi'ms. The Cistacese have no medical properties ; but the resinous 

 balsamic substance called ladanum or labdanum is produced from C. creticus, 

 C. ladaniferus, C. Zaurifolius, and one or two other species. (See Mag. Nat. 

 Hist, vol. ii. p. 408.) Some of the species which inhabit Turkey and Greece are 

 liable, in those countries, to be injured by the growth of the hypocistis on their 

 roots. The hypocistis is the Cytinus Hypocistis L., Gynandria Octandria L., 

 ^ristolochieae Juss., and Cytlnese R. Br. It is nearly alHed to iV^epenthes and 

 Jristolochia; and is a succulent parasite of a rich red colour, bearing a distant 

 resemblance in size and form to the Orobanche. It has been known from the 

 days of Theophrastus, but, as far as we know, has never been seen in a living 

 state in Britain. It is figured in Du Ham., i. t. 68. ,• and in Gerard's Ha^bal, 

 p. 1275. The use of the Cistaces in gardens is for ornamenting rockwork, or 

 for keeping in pits during the winter, and planting out in flower-borders 

 in spring ; as, from the tenderness of the finer species, they are unfit for a 

 permanent place in a shrubbery or arboretum. Most of the larger-growing 

 kinds require some protection during winter ; but they will all grow freely in 

 any soil that is dry ; and they are readily propagated by seeds, which, in fine 

 seasons, they produce in abundance, or by cuttings ; the plants, in both cases, 

 flowering the second year. In the London nurseries the plants are generally 

 kept in pots ; and the price of the commoner sorts is from \s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a 

 plant ; at BoUwyller, where they are mostly green-house plants, it is 1 franc 

 50 cents ; and in New York, ?. 



The hardy ligneous species are included in three genera j which are thus 

 contradistinguished by De CandoUe and G. Don : — 



Ci'sTUS. Calyx of 5 sepals, 2 outer ones unequal or absent. Capsule 

 covered by the calyx, 10 — 5-celled, from having a dissepiment in the middle 

 of each valve. 



Helia'nthemum. Calyx of 3 equal sepals, or of 5 unequal sepals. Capsule 

 triquetrous, 1-celled, 3-valved, with a narrow dissepiment, or a placen- 

 tarious nerve in the middle of each valve. 



HuDSo'^N/^. Calyx of 5 equal sepals. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved, 1 — 3-seeded. 



Genus I. 



CTSTUS L. The 



CrsTus, or Rock Rose. 

 Monogynia. 



Lin. Si/st. Polyandria 



Derivation. From the Greek word kiste, a box or capsule, or the Anglo-Saxon, cist, a hoUovsr 

 vessel ; on account of the shape of its capsules. In Martyn's Miller, the name is said to be derived 

 from that of the youth Cistus, whose story is to be found in Cassianus Bassus. Others derive it 

 from kis, a worm or weevil. 



Identification. Tourn., Lin., Dec, G. Don. 



Synonyims. Holly Rose Gerard ; Gum Cistus ; Ciste, Fr. ; Cisten Rose, Ger. 



Gen. Char. Calyx of 5 sepals ; sepals disposed in a double series ; 3 outer 

 ones unequal, sometimes wanting. Retals 5, equal, somewhat cuneated, 

 caducous. Stamens numerous, usually exserted from the glandular disk. 

 Style filiform. Stigma capitate. Capsule covered by the calyx, 5- or 

 10-valved, with a seminiferous partition in the middle of each valve, 

 therefore 5- or 10-celled. iSeerfs ovate, angular. -E??26/-_2/o filiform, spiral. — 

 Elegant, erect shrubs or subshrubs, with opposite, exstipulate, entire or 

 somewhat toothed leaves, and axillary, I- or many-flowered peduncles. 

 Flowers large, beautiful, resembling a single rose, red or white. (Don^s 

 Mill., i. p. 298.) 



