Page:Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1838 Vol.2.djvu/151

Mr. W INCH 's Observations on his Flora. begins to show a tendency to pubescence on the midrib of its leaves, and Rosa dumetorum or caesia has leaves covered with a velvety down. In all these the prickles are strongly hooked. The next link of the chain claims particular attention, as it appears to connect two sections of the genus. I allude to Rosa tomentosa, the prickles of which are in part hooked, and in part straight, its fruit sometimes smooth, at others hispid, and this frequently occurs on the same bush, but its leaves are always pubescent. Rosa scabriuscula has straight prickles, its flowers are white, except the extremity of the petals which are tipped with red. Rosa villosa, of S MITH (not the plant so called by S WARTZ and most of the continental Botanists, that being an exotic and the Apple Rose of the gardeners), has invariably straight prickles, pubescent leaves, globose fruit, occasionally hispid, and full rose-red flowers. The Roses most nearly allied to Rosa canina have pale pink blossoms, those to Rosa villosa red, with the exception of Rosa scabriuscula as previously mentioned. With respect to Rosa Eglanteria, it will be found to vary through Rosa micrantha to Rosa Borreri, or inodora of the foreign Botanists, a bad name for a plant which still possesses, in some degree, the odour of the Eglantine, and which the old herbalists would have denominated a savage Sweet Briar. Passing on to another section of the genus, we find the same uncertainty of specific character to continue. Thus in Rosa gracilis of Woods, the prickles on the stem are hooked, but not so on the young branches, — in its variety Rosa Sabini or Doniana (for there is not the slightest difference between them), all the prickles are straight, as well as in its dwarf sea-side variety, Rosa involuta. Rosa spinosissima, in its wild state, varies only in size, though the parent of the numerous beautiful Roses sold by nurserymen under the name of Scotch Roses, and Rosa arvensis continues true to its well-defined specific character. Of Rosa rubella, which is nearly allied to Rosa alpina of the south of Europe, as Rosa arvensis is to Rosa sempervirens — too little is known to enable one to say whether it passes into any other supposed species — its pendent scarlet fruit keeps it asunder from any British Rose. A dark red flowered variety is not rare in the gardens near London, but I could not learn from whence it came. The foregoing vol. II. o o