86— ROSA SPINOSISSIMA, var. ALTAICA Rehd. 
Rosa sftinosissima, var. altaica: a typo recedit caule elatiori ; foliolis floribusque 
majoribus. 
R. sftinosissima, var. altaica Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. Hort. vol. iv. p. 1557 
(1902). 
R. altaica Willdenow, Enum. Hort . Berol. p. 543 (1809). 
R. grandiflora Lindley, Ros. Monogr. p. 53, No. 32 (1820) ; in Bot. Reg . vol. xi. 
t. 888 (1825). 
R. sibirica Trattinnick, Ros. Monogr. vol. ii. p. 230 (1823). 
R. pimpinelh folia, var. altaica Seringein De Candolle, Prodr. vol. ii. p. 608(1825). 
R. pimftinelli ‘folia , var. grandiflora Ledebour, FI. Alt. vol. ii. p. 227(1830); 
FI. Ross. vol. ii. p. 73 (1844). 
An erect bush 4-7 feet high ; prickles straight, slender, dense, passing gradually 
into aciculi. Leaflets 7-1 1, oblong, obtuse, simply serrated, glabrous on both sur- 
faces, |"! in. long ; petioles glabrous, not glandular ; stipules adnate, with small 
free tips. Flowers solitary ; peduncles naked. Calyx-tube globose, naked ; lobes 
lanceolate, simple, entire, not leaf-pointed, naked on the back. Corolla pure white, 
2-2\ in. diameter. Styles free, villous, not protruded. Fruit globose, sub-coriaceous, 
black, crowned by the persistent sepals. 
Lindley describes this Rose in his Monograph, but he was evidently 
doubtful about giving it specific rank, since he states that he does so at 
Mr. Sabine’s suggestion. He adds, however, that it is too remarkable 
a plant to be passed over unnoticed, and even should it eventually be 
referred to Rosa sftinosissima L. it would always be a distinct variety. 
The plate in the Botanical Register , which was made from the plant 
growing in the Horticultural Society r ’s garden at Chiswick in 1825, 
represents a much larger-flowered plant than the present ; this may, 
however, be due to the artist having slightly exaggerated his subject. 
Lindley gives Siberia as its habitat. Of the plants growing at Kew 
some were collected in Songaria by Schrenk and others in the Altai 
Mountains by Ledebour. Its long shoots covered with rather large, 
pure white flowers make it one of the most beautiful of the single Roses, 
and it is one of the earliest to blossom. It is quite as hardy as the 
ordinary Scotch Rose to which it is so nearly allied, and increases very 
rapidly by suckers. 
The drawing was made from a plant growing in my garden at 
Tresserve, where it is in flower year after year all through the month 
of May. 
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