Part 9

ROSA, germinibus globosis; pedunculis et petiolis hispidis; floribus multiplicibus, equalibus; foliolis ovatis, acutis, parvis, subtus villosis, marginibus serrulatis; caule fruticoso; aculeis ramorum sparsis, rectis.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

ROSE, with round seed-buds; peduncles and petioles hispid; flowers with many folds, and equal; leaflets ovate, sharp-pointed and small, hairy beneath, with finely sawed edges; stem shrubby; the spines of the branches are scattered and straight.

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This beautiful Dwarf Rose is certainly a very distinct species, and generally known by the appellation of Burgundy Rose. It is an early-blooming Rose, and makes a brilliant appearance. The flowers are very double, of a rich red purple when in perfection, but of a paler or bluer colour when retiring. It is very easily distinguished from any other dwarf Rose, by the striking resemblance which it bears to the Ranunculus, and from which a good specific name might have been derived, had not the leaves (ever the most appropriate characteristic) furnished an unexceptionable title, recently adopted by professor Willdenow in his Species Plantarum.

Our drawing was made from fine plants at the nursery of Messrs. Whitley and Brames.

ROSA spinosissima.

Thorny Rose.

CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.

ROSA, germinibus globosis, glabris; pedunculis et petiolis glabris; foliolis ovatis, crenatis, glabris; floribus albis; caule et ramis aculeatissimis; aculeis rectis, sub-albidis.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

ROSE, with smooth round seed-buds; peduncles and petioles of the leaf smooth; the leaflets are egg-shaped, notched, and smooth; flowers white; the stem and branches are very prickly; the prickles straight, and nearly white.

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Various are the opinions of cultivators with regard to what part of the world this Rose is in reality indigenous. Its general appellation with us is Common Scotch Rose; but Professor Afzelius, in his Observations on Swedish Roses, claims it as a native of Sweden, finding great fault with Linnæus for the inaccuracy of his description in confounding the pimpinellæfolia with the spinosissima; an error, we have little doubt, originating merely from having two names for one individual plant. There are two slight variations from this plant: the one rather a taller plant, whose flowers and leaves are of a more luxuriant growth; the other and most material is one, said to be of recent importation from Holland, whose leaves are narrower, nor are the spines quite so numerous or perfectly straight as on the true spinosissima, but yet it is evidently the same plant. This slight variation of clime and culture, it is not at all improbable, might be the cause of the above confusion: we have so frequently seen it growing wild on the waste lands within ten miles of London, that, although it may be a native of Sweden, it nevertheless seems quite at home in Britain. The single flower beneath represents what is called a Striped Variety; but it is often so nearly white, that, until its character is more determined, we shall decline a separate figure. It is very hardy, of a lively appearance, but no great beauty. It is an early Rose, and possessed of several very handsome varieties.

Our figure was made from the nursery of Mr. Williams, Turnham Green.

ROSA spinosissima; Var. flore marmoreo.

Thorny Rose; Marbled-flowered Variety.

CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.

ROSA, germinibus globosis, glabris; pedunculis et petiolis glabris; foliolis ovatis, crenatis, glabris; floribus marmoreis, purpureis; caule et ramis aculeatissimis; aculeis rectis, albicantibus.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

ROSE, with round seed-buds, and smooth; peduncles and petioles smooth; the leaflets are ovate, notched, and smooth; the flowers are marbled, and of a purple colour; the stem and branches are very prickly; the prickles straight out, and of a whitish colour.

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This fine Marbled Variety of the spinosissima is certainly much more desirable than its original, but is by no means so abundant; and we think it is a smaller or more dwarf-growing plant: but not having seen more than two plants of it in bloom, we cannot be quite certain of its character in that particular. The flowers are somewhat smaller than in the White, and one of the specimens in bloom at the nursery of Malcolm and Co., Kensington, still smaller than our figure of it, but fully equal in beauty and richness of colour to the plant from which our figure was made at the nursery of Messrs. Loddige, Hackney; but so variable are the Striped and Marbled Roses, that we cannot expect them often to stand the test of comparison. It is an early blooming Rose, but not of long duration; beginning to flower the latter end of May, and seldom lasting more than three weeks.

ROSA nana, minima.

Smallest Dwarf, or True Pompone Rose.

CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.

ROSA, germinibus subrotundis; floribus minutis, incarnatis, in medio profunde rubris; foliolis ovatis, acutis, et parvis, subtus villosis, marginibus serrulatis, glandulosis. Frutex pygmæus; caule et petiolis aculeatis; aculeis ramorum sparsis, rectis.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.