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, Dte Rosen , 
Nos. 15, 34 (1802-1820). — Guimpel, Willdenow & Hayne, Abbild. Deutsch. 
Holzart. vol. i. p. 127, t. 96 (1815). — Rau, Fniini. 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).— Des£glise in Bull. Soc. Bof. Belg. vol. xv. p. 397 (Cat. Rais. 
Ros. p. 228 [1877]) (1876). — Crepin in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. p. 356 
(Primit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. p. 602 [1880]) (1879). — Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. 
Hort. vol. iv. p. 1552 (1902). 
R. usitatissima Gaterau, PI. Montauban , p. 94 (1789). 
R. procera Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Hort. Allert. p. 359 (1796). 
R. rubicans 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 & Craebner, 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 refiexing, 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 
AOQ vol. 11. — z 
