318 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



TART III. 



§ i. Efyt/irocistus, Dec. i. p. 264. 



Derivation. From erythros, red, and cistus ; because the flowers of all the species in this section are 

 red or purple. 



Sect. Char. Outer sepals narrowest, and usually smallest; inner ones concave 

 at the base, with scarious margins. Petals rose-coloured, red, or purple, 

 with a yellow spot at the base of each. Capsule 5-ceIled, from having 

 5 seminiferous partitions, one in the middle of each valve. {Dec. Prod., i. 

 p. 264. ; Don^s Mill., i. p. 298.) Low shrubs, evergreen, sub-evergreen, 

 or deciduous, generally with large showy flowers. 



A. Peduncles \-fiowered, axillary or terminal, solitary or umbellate. Style cylin- 

 drical, generally longer than the Stamens, Stigma capitate, 5-furrowed. (Ibid.) 



tt. 1. Ci'sTUS PURPU^EEUS Lam.. The T^uvple-Jloivered Cistus, or Bock Rose. 



Identification. Lam. Diet., 2. p. 14. ; Ker, in Bot. Reg., t. 408. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 264.: Swt. Cist., 



t. 17. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 298. 

 Synonymes. C. creticus Hort. Kew. ; the purple Gum Cistus, the purple Shrubby Cistus j Ciste 



pourpre, Fr. ; purpurrothe Cisten Rose, Ger. 

 Engravings. Bot. Reg., t. 408. ; Swt. Cist., t. 17. ; and our^g-.64. 



Spec. Char., S^-c. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or ^««-«5\ 



acute, and more or less rugose ; reticulately veined, *- ^ . 

 with undulated margins. Petioles short, hairy, con- i- X '^ 



nected at the base, and sheathing the stem. Flowers ^ 

 terminal, from 1 to 6, on short peduncles. Bracteas 

 sessile, leaf-like, pubescent, broad and concave at 

 the base, where they are connected, and terminating 

 in acute points. Pedicels short, and with the calyx 

 hairy ; calyx of 5 sepals. Petals 5 or 6, obovate or 

 wedge-shaped ; very much imbricate, more or less 

 crumpled. Stamens numerous, filaments smooth. 

 Style very short; and stigma large, capitate, 5-lobed, 

 papillose. {Swt. Cist., 17.) A shrub about 3 ft. or 

 4 ft. high, and much branched ; the branches are erect, 

 and clothed with a brownish pubescence. The flowers are very large and 

 handsome, of a bright reddish, purple, with a yellow spot at the base, above 

 which is a large dark velvet mark, surrounded with red, and slightly branched. 

 The petals are imbricate, and much crumpled. It is a native of the Levant ; 

 but when it was introduced into England is uncertain : it seems to have been 

 cultivated by Gerard under the name of Cistus mas angustifolius, " with 

 flowers of a purple colour, in shape like unto a single-flower briar rose, 

 having leaves very like those of sage, wrinkled somewhat like unto a cloth 

 new dried before it be smooth." It is rather tender; but, if planted near or 

 against a wall, requires no other protection. It flowers abundantly in June 

 and July, and is very ornamental. It grows very fast, and is easily propa- 

 gated by cuttings, 



«L 2. Ci'sTus heterophy'llus Desf. The various-leaved Cistus, or Roch 



Rose. 



Identification. Desf. Atl., 1. p. 411. t. 104. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 264.; 



Swt. Cist., t. 6. ; Don's Mill, 1. p. 298. (J5 

 Synoni/mes. The Gum Cistus of Algiers ; Ciste heterophylle, Fr. 

 Ungrdvings. Desf Atl., 1. 1. 104. ; Swt. Cist., t. 6. ; and om fig.65. 



Spec. Char., Leaves ovate-lanceolate ; petioles 

 very short, hairy, and sheathing at the base; 

 margins of the leaves revolute, green on both 

 sides. Peduncles hairy, one-flowered, with two 

 leafy bracteas about the middle of them. Flowers 

 large, terminal. Calyx of 5 hairy sepals. Petals 5 

 or 6, imbricate^ obovate, with i-oundish points. 

 A stiff upright woody shrub, with short rigid 

 branches, thickly clothed, us well as the other 

 parts of the j)!ant, with a hairy pubescence. The 



