NOTES ON THE ORIGIN OF THE MOSS-ROSE. 
27 
Moss-Rose fully (1760), gives it specific rank under the name of R. 
muscosa (1768), which is accepted by the following : Du Roi (1772), 
Retzius (1779), Curtis (1793), Willdenow (1799), Aiton (1789), (1811), 
Lawrance (1799), Rossig (1802), Andrews (1805), Persoon (1807), 
Deleuze and Desfontaines (1809), Thory and Redoute (1817), and 
Prevost (1829) ; on the other hand, the following authorities regard 
the Moss-Rose as a variety of R. centifolia L. (or its synonym R. 
provincialis Mill.) : Linnaeus (1762), Dumont de Courset (1805), 
Smith (1815), Seringe (1818), Lindley (1820), Guimpel (1825), Rossig 
(1826), Crepin (1892), and Willmott (1912). 
Some modern authors, e.g. Regel (1877), Dippel (1893), Kohne 
(1893), Bois (1896), Rehder (1902), and Schneider (1906), place both 
the Moss-Rose and R. centifolia L. under R. gallica L. 
Characters Common to the Moss-Rose and the Cabbage-Rose. 
Whatever the systematic status of the Moss-Rose may be, one 
thing is certain, all authorities agree that the old Moss-Rose and the 
old Cabbage-Rose are closely allied. Anyone who has seen the two 
growing side by side, and has carefully examined them, must acknow- 
ledge that they have many characters in common, which are quite 
distinct from any other species or sub-species. For example, both 
have very double globular flowers, which are red in the bud and rose- 
pink when open. Both have about a hundred short and broad petals, 
which are closely incurved and rolled inwards towards the centre, 
which is frequently quartered like a crown. Both yield the same 
distinctive fragrance from the petals, v/hich is peculiar to R. centifolia L. 
and distinct from the fragrance of R. gallica L. (The resinous and 
balsamic odour from the mossy glands of the Moss-Rose is naturally 
much more powerful than the odour from the same area in the Cabbage- 
Rose, which is but faint.) Both have cernuous or nodding flowers, 
usually solitary or up to three only, unlike those of R. damascena 
Mill., which are usually erect and many, in corymbs or clusters. Both 
have the sepals spreading and persistent, not reflexed and deciduous 
as in R. damascena Mill, and R. gallica L. Both have a medium habit 
of growth, not so tall and prickly as R. damascena Mill., nor so dwarf 
and bushy as R. gallica L. Both have leaves softer to the touch 
than the more rigid and coriaceous leaves of R. gallica L. and the 
allied forms. Last, but not least in importance, both the old 
Moss-Rose and the old Cabbage-Rose are sterile, inasmuch as neither 
develops perfect fruits (which all the allied species do as a rule), 
and neither has been known to produce fertile seeds so far as we 
can ascertain. So far, all attempts to obtain seed from the old 
Moss-Rose and the old Cabbage-Rose at Burbage have failed, both 
outside and under glass, though miniature fruits were sometimes 
obtained containing no seeds.* In view of the fact that some apparently 
* In 1 92 1 a few fruits matured under glass, and one contained a seed, the 
germination of which has not yet been tested. 
