IIS— ROSA CENTIFOLIA L. 
THE CABBAGE ROSE 
Rosa centifolia : caule erecto, viridi ; aculeis sparsis, inaequalibus, falcatis, 
aciculis setisque intermixtis ; foliolis 5-7, oblongis, acutis, subcoriaceis, simpliciter 
serratis, facie glabris, dorso interdum pubescentibus ; rhachi glandulosa ; stipulis 
adnatis, glanduloso-ciliatis, apice libero ovato, acuto ; floribus paucis ; pedunculis 
elongatis, dense glandulosis, apice interdum cernuis ; bracteis ovatis ; calycis tubo 
subgloboso ; lobis ovatis, cuspidatis, copiose pinnatifidis, apice subfoliaceis, dorso et 
margine glandulosis ; petalis copiosis, margine incurvatis ; stylis liberis, villosis ; 
fructu oblongo vel subgloboso ; sepalis subpersistentibus. 
R . centifolia Linnaeus, Sp. Plant, vol. i. p. 491 (1753). — Miller, leones , t. 221, 
fig. 1 (1760). — Aiton, Hort . Kew. vol. ii. p. 204 (1789). — Lawrance, Roses , t. 51 
(1799). — Roessig, Die Rosen , Nos. 1, 20 (1802-1820). — Rau, Enum. Ros. p. 109 
(1816). — Thory in Redoute, Roses, vol. i. p. 25, t. (1817) ; Prodr. Monogr. Ros. p. 73 
(1820). — Nouv. Duhamel, vol. vii. p. 34, t. 12 (1819). — Seringe in De Candolle, 
Prodr. vol. ii. p. 619 (1825). — Boissier, FI. Orient, vol. ii. p. 676 (1872). — Deseglise 
in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xv. p. 253 {Cat. Rais. Ros. p. 84 [1877]) (1876). — Crepin 
in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. p. 346 {Priniit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. v. p. 592 [1880]) 
(1879). — Bentley & Trimen, Med. Plants , vol. ii. t. 105 {excl. syn. R. damascena) 
(1880). 
R. gallica, var. centifolia Regel in Act. Hort. Petrop. vol. v. pt. 2, p. 354 
{Tent. Ros. Monogr. p. 70 [1877]) (1878). — Dippel, Handb. Laubholzk , vol. iii. p. 565 
(1893). — Koehne, Deutsche Dendrol. p. 282 (1893). — Keller in Ascherson & Graebner, 
Syn. Mitt eleur. FI. vol. vi. p. 51 (1900). — Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. Hort. vol. iv. 
p. 1552 (1902). — Schneider, FI. Handb. Laubholzk. vol. i. p. 547 (1906). 
Stem erect, green, 3-6 feet high. Prickles unequal, stout, hooked, mixed with 
aciculi and setae. Leaflets 5-7, oblong, acute, subcoriaceous, simply toothed, more 
deeply and acutely than in Rosa gallica, glabrous on both surfaces or slightly pubescent 
beneath ; petioles glandular ; stipules adnate, gland-ciliated, with ovate, acute, free 
tips. Flowers 1-3 ; peduncles long, densely glandular, sometimes cernuous at the 
apex ; bracts ovate. Calyx-tube subglobose, naked or setose ; lobes ovate and 
cuspidate, an inch long, copiously pinnatifid, slightly leafy at the tip, glandular on 
the back and edges. Corolla fragrant, very double, usually pink ; petals with 
incurved edges. Styles free, villous. Fruit rarely produced, subglobose or oblong, 
orange-red, not pulpy ; sepals subpersistent. 
The Cabbage Roses, which grew wild in Macedonia, are first 
mentioned by Herodotus , 1 who says that they had sixty petals and 
were the most fragrant Roses in the world. Pliny , 2 following as usual 
2 Hist. Nat. lib. xxi. ch. io. 
1 Hist. lib. viii. ch. 138. 
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