ROSA, the ROSE; a genus of plants belonging to the icofandria class; and in the natural method ranking under the 35th order, Sentiglo. See BOTANY Index.
The sorts of roses are very numerous; and the botanists find it very difficult to determine with accuracy which are species and which are varieties, as well as which are varieties of the respective species. On this account Linnaeus, and some other eminent authors, are inclined to think that there is only one real species of rose, which is the rosa canina, or "dog rose of the hedges, &c. and that all the other sorts are accidental varieties of it. However, according to the present Linnaean arrangement, they stand divided into 14 supposed species, each comprehending varieties, which in some sorts are but few, in others numerous.
The supposed species and their varieties according to the arrangement of modern botanists, are as follows:
1. The canina, canine rose, wild dog-rose of the hedges, or hep-tree, grows five or six feet high, having prickly stalks and branches, pinnated five or seven-lobed leaves, with aculeated foot-stalks, smooth pedunculi, oval smooth germina, and small single flowers. There are two varieties, red-flowered and white-flowered. They grow wild in hedges abundantly all over the kingdom; and are sometimes admitted into gardens, a few to increase the variety of the shrubbery collection.
2. The alba, or common white-rose, grows five or six feet high, having a green stem and branches, armed with prickles, hispid pedunculi, oval smooth germina, and large white flowers. The varieties are,—large double white rose—dwarf single white rose—maidens bluish white rose, being large, produced in clusters, of a white and bluish-red colour.
3. The Gallica, or Gallican rose, &c. grows from about three or four to eight or ten feet high, in different varieties, with pinnated, three, five, or seven-lobed leaves, and large red and other coloured flowers in different
ferent sorts. This species is very extensive in supposed varieties, bearing the above specific distinction, several of which have been formerly considered as distinct species, but are now ranged among the varieties of the Gallican rose, consisting of the following noted varieties.
1. Common red officinal rose, grows erect, about three or four feet high, having small branches, with but few prickles, and large spreading half-double deep-red flowers.—Rosa mundi (rose of the world) or striped red rose, is a variety of the common red rose, growing but three or four feet high, having large spreading semi-double red flowers, beautifully striped with white—and deep red.—York and Lancaster variegated rose, grows five, six, or eight feet high, or more; bearing variegated red flowers, consisting of a mixture of red and white; also frequently disposed in elegant stripes, sometimes in half of the flower, and sometimes in some of the petals.—Monthly rose, grows about four or five feet high, with green very prickly shoots; producing middle-sized, moderately-double delicate flowers, of different colours in the varieties. The varieties are, common red-flowered monthly rose—bluish-flowered—white-flowered—striped-flowered. All of which blow both early and late, and often produce flowers several months in the year, as May, June, and July; and frequently again in August or September, and sometimes, in fine mild seasons, continues till November or December: hence the name monthly rose.—Double virginia rose, grows five or six feet high, having greenish branches with scarce any spines; and with large double pale-red and very fragrant flowers.—Red damask rose, grows eight or ten feet high, having greenish branches, armed with short aculea; and moderately-double, fine soft-red, very fragrant flowers.—White damask rose, grows eight or ten feet high, with greenish very prickly branches, and white-red flowers, becoming gradually of a whiter colour.—Bluish Belgic rose, grows three or four feet high, or more; having greenish prickly branches, five or seven lobed leaves, and numerous, very double, bluish-red flowers, with short petals, evenly arranged.—Red Belgic rose, having greenish and red shoots and leaves, and fine double deep-red flowers.—Velvet rose, grows three or four feet high, armed with but few prickles; producing large velvet-red flowers, comprising semi-double and double varieties, all very beautiful roses.—Marbled rose, grows four or five feet high, having brownish branches, with but few prickles; and large, double, finely-marbled, red flowers.—Red-and-yellow Austrian rose, grows five or six feet high, having slender reddish-branches, armed with short brownish aculea; and with flowers of a reddish copper colour on one side, the other side yellow. This is a curious variety, and the flowers assume a singularly agreeable appearance.—Yellow Austrian rose, grows five or six feet high, having reddish very prickly shoots; and numerous bright-yellow flowers.—Double yellow rose, grows six or seven feet high; with brownish branches, armed with numerous large and small yellowish prickles; and large very double yellow flowers.—Frankfort rose, grows eight or ten feet high, is a vigorous shooter, with brownish branches thinly armed with strong prickles; and produces largish double purplish-red flowers, that blow irregularly, and have but little fragrance.
4. The centifolia, or hundred-leaved red rose, &c. grows from about three or four to six or eight feet
high, in different sorts, all of them hispid and prickly; pinnated three and five lobed leaves; and large very double red flowers, having very numerous petals, and of different shades in the varieties. The varieties are,—common Dutch hundred-leaved rose, grows three or four feet high, with erect greenish branches, but moderately armed with prickles; and large remarkably double red flowers, with short regularly arranged petals.—Bluish hundred-leaved rose, grows like the other, with large very double pale-red flowers.—Provence rose, grows five or six feet, with greenish brown prickly branches, and very large double globular red flowers, with large petals folding over one another, more or less in the varieties.—The varieties are, common red Provence rose, and pale Provence rose; both of which having larger and somewhat looser petals than the following sort.—Cabbage Provence rose; having the petals closely folded over one another like cabbages.—Dutch cabbages rose, very large, and cabbage tolerably.—Childing Provence rose—Great royal rose, grows six or eight feet high, producing remarkably large, somewhat loose, but very elegant flowers.—All these are large double red flowers, somewhat globular at first blowing, becoming gradually a little spreading at top, and are all very ornamental fragrant roses.—Moss Provence rose, supposed a variety of the common rose; grows erectly four or five feet high, having brownish stalks and branches, very closely armed with short prickles, and double crimson-red flowers; having the calyx and upper part of the peduncle surrounded with a rough mossy-like substance, effecting a curious singularity. This is a fine delicate rose, of a high fragrance, which together with its mossy calyx, renders it of great estimation as a curiosity.
5. The cinnamon, or cinnamon rose, grows five or six feet high, or more, with purplish branches thinly aculeated; pinnated five or seven lobed leaves, having almost innumerable petioles, smooth pedunculi, and smooth globular germina; with small purplish-red cinnamon-scented flowers early in May. There are varieties with double flowers.
6. The Alpina, or Alpine inermous rose, grows five or six feet high, having smooth or unarmed reddish branches, pinnated seven-lobed smooth leaves, somewhat hispid pedunculi, oval germina, and deep-red single flowers; appearing in May. This species, as being free from all kinds of armature common to the other sorts of roses, is esteemed as a singularity; and from this property is often called the virgin rose.
7. The Carolina, or Carolina and Virginia rose, &c. grows six or eight feet high, or more, having smooth reddish branches, very thinly aculeated; pinnated seven-lobed smooth leaves, with prickly foot-stalks; somewhat hispid pedunculi, globose hispid germina, and single red flowers in clusters, appearing mostly in August and September. The varieties are, dwarf Pennsylvanian rose, with single and double red flowers—American pale-red rose. This species and varieties grow naturally in different parts in North America; they effect a fine variety in our gardens, and are in estimation for their late-flowering property, as they often continue in bloom from August until October; and the flowers are succeeded by numerous red berry-like hips in autumn, causing a variety all winter.
8. The villosa, or villose apple-bearing rose, grows
Ros. fix or eight feet high, having strong erect brownish smooth branches; aculeated sparingly pinnated seven-lobed villose or hairy leaves, downy underneath, with prickly foot-stalks, hispid peduncles, a globular prickly germin; and large single red flowers, succeeded by large round prickly hips, as big as little apples. This species merits admittance into every collection as a curiosity for the singularity of its fruit, both for variety and use; for it having a thick pulp of an agreeable acid relish, is often made into a tolerable good sweetmeat.
9. The pimpinellifolia, or burnet-leaved rose, grows about a yard high, aculeated sparingly; small neatly pinnated seven-lobed leaves, having obtuse folioles and rough petioles, smooth peduncles, a globular smooth germin, and small single flowers. There are varieties with red flowers—and with white flowers. They grow wild in England, &c. and are cultivated in shrubberies for variety.
10. The spinossissima, or most spinous, dwarf burnet-leaved rose, commonly called Scotch rose, grows but two or three feet high, very closely armed with spines; small neatly pinnated seven-lobed leaves, with prickly foot-stalks, prickly pedunculi, oval smooth germin, and numerous small single flowers, succeeded by round dark-purple hips. The varieties are, common white-flowered—red-flowered—striped-flowered—marbled-flowered. They grow naturally in England, Scotland, &c. The first variety rises near a yard high, the others but one or two feet, all of which are single-flowered; but the flowers being numerous all over the branches, make a pretty appearance in the collection.
11. The eglantinis, eglantine rose, or sweet-briar, grows five or six feet high, having green branches, armed with strong spines sparingly; pinnated seven-lobed odoriferous leaves, with acute folioles and rough foot-stalks, smooth pedunculi, globular smooth germin, and small pale-red flowers. The varieties are, common single-flowered—semi-double-flowered—double-flowered—blush double-flowered—yellow-flowered. This species grows naturally in some parts of England, and in Switzerland. It claims culture in every garden for the odoriferous property of its leaves; and should be planted in the borders, and other compartments contiguous to walks, or near the habitation, where the plants will impart their refreshing fragrance very profusely all around; and the young branches are excellent for improving the odour of nosegays and bow-pots.
12. The moschata, or musk-rose, supposed to be a variety only of the ever-green musk-rose, hath weak smooth green stalks and branches, rising by support from six to eight or ten feet high or more, thinly armed with strong spines; pinnated seven-lobed smooth leaves, with prickly foot-stalks; hispid peduncles; oval hispid germin; and all the branches terminated by large umbellate clusters of pure-white musk-scented flowers in August, &c.
13. The sempervirens, or ever-green musk-rose, hath a somewhat trailing stalk and branches, rising by support five or six feet high or more, having a smooth bark armed with prickles; pinnated five-lobed smooth shining evergreen leaves, with prickly petioles, hispid pedunculi, oval hispid germin; and all the branches terminated by clusters of pure-white flowers of a musky fragrance; appearing the end of July, and in August. The semper-
virent property of this elegant species renders it a curiosity among the rose tribe; it also makes a fine appearance as a flowering shrub. There is one variety, the deciduous musk-rose above-mentioned. This species and variety flowers in August, and is remarkable for producing them numerously in clusters, continuing in succession till October or November.
The above 13 species of rose, and their respective varieties, are of the shrub-kind; all deciduous, except the last sort, and of hardy growth, succeeding in any common soil and situation, and flowering annually in great abundance from May till October, in different sorts; though the general flowering season for the principal part of them is June and July: but in a full collection of the different species, the blow is continued in constant succession several months, even sometimes from May till near Christmas; producing their flowers universally on the same year's shoots, rising from those the year before, generally on long pedunculi, each terminated by one or more roses, which in their characteristic state consist each of five large petals and many stamens; but in the doubles, the petals are very numerous; and in some sorts, the flowers are succeeded by fruit ripening to a red colour in autumn and winter, from the seed of which the plants may be raised; but the most certain and eligible mode of propagating most of the sorts is by suckers and layers; and by which methods they may be increased very expeditiously in great abundance.
The white and red roses are used in medicine. The former distilled with water yields a small portion of a butyraceous oil, whose flavour exactly resembles that of the roses themselves. This oil and the distilled water are very useful and agreeable cordials. These roses also, besides the cordial and aromatic virtues which reside in their volatile parts, have a mild purgative one, which remains entire in the decoction left after distillation. The red rose, on the contrary, has an astringent and gratefully corroborating virtue.