610 
ICOSANDRIA. POLYGYNIA. Rosa. 
{Styles six or eight. Root fibrous. Stem three or four feet high, furrowed, 
leafy. Flowers white, small, very fragrant. FI. Brit. E.) Stem angu¬ 
lar, reddish. Leaves bright green above, white underneath, irregularly 
serrated; the terminal leafit divided into three segments. Flowers yel¬ 
lowish white, numerous. Calyx segments and petals sometimes four. 
Capsules five to eight, but mostly six, twisted spirally together. 
Meadow-sweet. Queen or the Meadows. (Irish: AirgiaLovaghra. 
Welsh: Erivain; Chivy s Arthur. Gaelic: Lus-chneas-ChuchuUainn. 
E.) Moist meadows, and banks of rivers. P. June—Aug.* 
POLYGYNIA. 
RO'SA.f Petals five : Cal. urn-shaped, five-cleft, fleshy, con¬ 
tracted at the neck so as to form at length a coloured 
berry of one cell, opening at the top : Seeds many, his¬ 
pid, dispersed in the pulp. 
(The Editor has admitted a large accession to the species of this beautiful and 
interesting genus of plants ; not, indeed, so much upon his own entire con¬ 
viction of their permanency, as in conformity with the opinions of several 
eminent Botanists, whose opportunities for observation, and attention to 
the subject, merit every consideration. So far as the identity of the 
respective plants could be ascertained, the reformed specific characters 
of Smith have been adopted, while the descriptive details have been 
carefully compared with those of the most accurate recent authorities. 
The tribe of Roses is become intricate, and in no small degree perplexing, 
from the difficulty of pointing out characteristics at once discriminative 
* (The leaves and ions of this plant are used in medicine as an astringent, and will tan 
leather. In the few countries where primitive manners are yet to be observed, the custom 
of scattering fragrant herbs on floors remains; and for such purpose Meadow-sweet has 
ever been highly extolled, as thus by Gerard : “ The leaves and flowers far excel all other 
strowing herbes, for to decke up houses, to strowe in chambers, ha!s, and banketting 
houses in the sommer time ; for the smell thereof maketh the hart merrie, delighteth the 
senses; neither doth it cause headach, or loathsomnesse to meate, as some other sweete 
smelling herbes do.” In language less uncouth has it also been celebrated ; 
“ Mid scents as varied as the scene, 
Distinct is thine, fair Meadow's Queen , 
With buds of pearly dye; 
Graceful thy foliage and thy hue. 
In softest shades of green and blue. 
Attracting still a closer view, 
They fix the admiring eye.” S. H. 
Some compare the scent to that of Hawthorn, but to our senses it is more sickly ; 
-“ While in the moistened plain 
The Meadow-sweet its luscious fragrance yields.” 
Varieties with double blossoms and striped leaves are produced in gardens. E.) The 
flowers infused in boiling water give it a fine flavour, which rises in distillation. Sheep 
and swine eat it. Goats are extremely fond of it. Cows and horses refuse it. Sphinx 
ncellata and Filipendula feed on botli species. Linn. 
f (Derived from the Celtic ros, or rhos , the primary root of which may be rhoodL , 
or rhuddf red, E.) 
