NOTES ON THE ORIGIN OF THE MOSS-ROSE. 
35 
has produced more sports or side-steps (" jeux ou ecarts ") than all 
the other species of Rosa put together. 
Loiseleur-Deslongchamps (1844) also states that the Moss-Rose 
originated in England, and that Miller is supposed to have been the 
first cultivator of it in 1724. 
Paul (1848) states : " The history of the Moss-Rose is wrapped 
in obscurity. It was first introduced to England from Holland 
[in the 1888 edition he adds " in 1596 "] and it is generally believed 
that it was a sport from the Provence Rose : that it was not originated 
by seed, as most new varieties are, but by a branch of the Provence 
Rose sporting . . . flowers enveloped in Moss. 
" Some tribes of plants are more disposed to sport than others ; 
and the Provence and Moss-Roses possess this peculiar property to 
a remarkable degree." 
Finally Darwin (1893) who devoted considerable attention to 
the question of the origin of the Moss-Rose, states : 
" Its origin is unknown, but from analogy it probably arose from 
the Provence Rose (R. centifolia) by bud- variation." After a careful 
survey of the facts available to him in 1868, Darwin concludes : 
That the original Moss-Rose was the product of bud-variation is 
probable." Many facts have come to light since the time of Darwin, 
which more fully confirm this conclusion. 
Records show that on three distinct occasions the Moss-Rose 
mutation has appeared among the Cabbage- Roses. First, about 
1696, the Old Moss-Rose appeared, as we have seen, in the South 
of France. Second, in 1801 the Moss de Meaux appeared in the West 
of England as a bud-mutation on the Rose de Meaux (Hare, 1818). 
Third, about 1843, the Unique Moss appeared in France, as a bud- 
mutation on the Rose Unique (Vibert, 1844 ; Paul, 1848). 
Both the mother parents probably originated as bud- variations of the 
Old Cabbage-Rose, the Rose de Meaux about 1637 in France (Willmott, 
1912), and the Rose Unique in 1775 in the East of England (Shailer, 
1852). 
A confirmation of this view is found in the fact that both the Rose 
de Meaux and the Rose Unique reverted by bud-variation to the 
Old Cabbage-Rose (Andrews, 1810 ; Rivers, 1840). 
Origin of the Rose Unique. 
The Rose Unique, or White Provence, is a white Cabbage-Rose 
which differs from the Old Pink Cabbage-Rose in colour only. As 
a matter of fact it is not a true albino, but a tinged white with pink 
buds. 
Usually the flower is pure white when expanded, but the five 
outer petals are tinged with colour, and occasionally the centre of 
the flower too. There is an excellent coloured drawing of this Rose 
in Redoute (1817) under the name of R. centifolia mutabilis, or 
Rosier Unique. Andrews (1805) also figures it under the name of 
