1 3 6— ROSA ALBA L. 
Rosa alba : caule elongato, arcuato, viridi ; aculeis sparsis, conformibus, 
falcatis ; foliolis 5-7, oblongis, acutis, griseo-viridibus, simpliciter serratis, facie 
glabris, dorso pubescentibus ; rhachi pubescente, leviter glandulosa ; stipulis 
adnatis, glanduloso-ciliatis, apice libero, parvo, deltoideo ; floribus paucis, corym- 
bosis ; pedunculis setosis ; bracteis lanceolatis ; calycis tubo turbinato ; lobis 
copiose pinnatifidis, dorso glandulosis ; petalis albis vel rubello-tinctis ; stylis 
liberis, villosis, haud protrusis ; fructu raro, urceolato ; sepalis reflexis, deciduis. 
R. alba Linnaeus, Sp. Plant, vol. i. p. 492 (1753).— Aiton, Hort. Kew. vol. ii. 
p. 208 (1789). — Lange, FI. Dan. vol. vii. t. 1215 (1799). — Roessig, Die Rosen , 
Nos. 15, 34 (1802-1820). — Guimpel, Willdenow Sc Hayne, Abbild. Dentsch. 
Holzart. vol. i. p. 127, t. 96 (1815). — Rau, Ennni. Ros. p. 94 (1816). — Nouv. 
Duhamel , vol. vii. p. 30, t. 16, fig. 1 (1819). — Lindley, Ros. Monogr. p. 81, No. 46 
(1820). — Seringe in De Candolle, Prodr. vol. ii. p. 621 (1825). — Hayne, Arzn. 
vol. xi. t. 31 (1830). — K. Koch , Dendrol. vol. i. p. 263 (1869). — Boissier, FI. Orient. 
vol. ii. p. 684 (1872). — Deseglise in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xv. p. 397 (Cat. Rais. 
Ros. p. 228 [1877]) (1876). — Crepin in Ball. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. p. 356 
(Priniit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. p. 602 [1880]) (1879). — Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. 
Hort. vol. iv. p. 1552 (1902). 
R. usitatissima Gaterau, PI. Montanban , p. 94 (1789). 
R. procera Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Hort. Allert. p. 359 (1796). 
R. rnbicans Roessig, Die Rosen, No. 48 (1802-1820). 
R. gallica x canina Christ, Rosen Schweiz, pp. 202, 204 (1873). — Crepin in 
Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. p. 356 (Primit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. v. p. 602 [1880]) 
(1879); vol. xxxiii. pt. 1, p. 88 (1894). — Keller in Ascherson Sc Graebner, Syn. 
Mitteleur. FI. vol. vi. p. 273 (1902). 
R. dumetorum x gallica Koehne, Deutsche Dendrol. p. 282 (1893). — Dippel, 
Handbuch Laubholzk. vol. iii. p. 568 (1903). 
Stem arching, green, reaching a height of 6-10 feet. Prickles uniform, 
scattered, hooked. Leaflets 5-7, oblong, acute, middle-sized, grey-green, simply 
toothed, glabrous on the upper surface, pubescent beneath ; petioles pubescent and 
slightly glandular ; stipules adnate, gland-ciliated, with small, deltoid, free tips. 
Flowers few, corymbose ; peduncles setose ; bracts lanceolate. Calyx-tube tur- 
binate ; lobes an inch long, glandular on the back, the outer copiously compound. 
Petals white or faintly tinged with pink. Styles free, villous, not protruded. Fruit 
rarely produced, urceolate ; sepals reflexing, deciduous. 
The history and origin of this very old garden favourite is 
doubtful. Probably it is a hybrid between Rosa canina L. and 
Rosa gallica L., in which the former predominates. It is generally 
supposed to have been the white rose which was the badge of the 
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