ceeding writers is ably shown by Mr. Lindley to be an un- 
guarded repetition, while the centifolia of the same autho- 
Tities is proved to belong to the Linnean gallica. In this 
way provincialis becomes justly merged in centifolia. ‘The 
section consists of damascena, centifolia, gallica, and parvi- 
folia; and comprises in their varieties all the primeval fa- 
-‘yourites, as well as the kinds which afford the celebrated 
essential oil called “ Attar of Roses.” A hint is dropped by 
Mr. Lindley showing, that in his opinion, it is not im- 
probable but that centifolia may have been the parent- 
stock of the entire section. 
“This species forms a little dark, compact, blucish grey 
plant. Branches somewhat glaucous, straight, erect, slen- 
der, armed with unequal, scattered, slender, somewhat 
falcate prickles and a few sete. Leaves on the strongest 
shoots at least twice as long as the joints, on the branchlets 
very densely aggregated; stipules linear, nearly naked, fringed. 
with glands, bright green; petioles hairy, haying at the back 
a few strong short straightish little prickles, glandular; 
leaflets 3-7, usually 5, small, stiff, ovate, acute, flat, very 
finely and simply toothed; serratures with a gland on one 
side, of a deep dull green, rugose, and naked above, pale 
- ash-colour, with a hairy rib and prominent veins beneath, 
the lowest pair, when more than three, generally very small. 
Flowers solitary, overtopped by the young shoots, without 
bractese, purple, always very double; peduncle naked; sepals 
(calycine leaflets) ovate with a point, nearly simple, concave, 
reflexed, hairy and scattered over with glands, very much 
shorter than the ‘petals; these are spreading, except the 
inner ones, which are in part formed from the ovaria (ger- 
mens) and very closely imbricated; styles hairy, a little pro- 
truded, and adhering by their down.” 
<I have little hesitation in distinguishing this particu- 
larly from gallica (see above, fol. 448), especially as I have 
the authority of the accurate and observing Ehrhart for doing 
so. It surely differs as much from that, as that does from 
centifolia; and as I have no varieties to enumerate of it, 
there is the less difficulty in finding characters that may be 
depended upon. I have seen it growing in the most sterile 
and the most fertile soils; yet without material alteration in 
its appearance, and most certainly without the slightest 
tendency to assume the characters of gallica (its nearest 
kin). M. Durand is reported, on the authority of M. De- 
candolle, to have found this wild on the mountains in the 
_ neighbourhood of Dijon.” Lindley monogr. |. c. 
