Spec. Plant. Willal. ii. 1603. Cl. 12. Ord. 5. Icosandria Polygynia. Nat. ord. Rosaceae. G. 997. Petals five. Calyx pitcher-shaped, five-cleft, fleshy, contracted at the neck. Seeds numerous, hispid, affixed to the inner side of the calyx. * * With ovate germens. Species 15. R. centifolia. Hundred-leaved Rose. Med. Pot. 3d edit. 495.t.178. Species 16. R. gallica. Red Rose. Med. Pot. 3d edit. 497.

t.179. Species 31. R. canina. Dog Rose, or Hep tree. Med. Pot. 3d edit. 493. t.177. Smith, Flora Prit. ii. 540. Gaertner, i. 347.

t.73.

1. Rosa centifolia.2

Officinal. Rosa centifolia, Lond. Edin. Dub. The Hundred-leaved Rose.

Syn. Petales de Rose a cent feuilles (F.), Blumen der Blassen Rose (G.) Rosa de Alexandria (S.), Rozen (Dutch), Rosa (Russ.), Wurd(Arab.), Goolabu-poo (Tam.), Tu Miuhoa (Chin.), Gul (Pers.), Mawar (Malay), Sewooanda mull ( Cynp.), Goolat (H.).

Although this species of rose is commonly cultivated in almost every garden in Europe, yet the place whence it was originally brought is still undetermined, notwithstanding the assertion of Herodotus that it grows wild in Macedon; and that of Loureiro that it is a native of China. Professor Ran has lately informed us that it is indigenous in Northern Persia.3 In the Dublin Pharmacopoeia it is improperly confounded with the damask rose, which is altogether a different species.4 The bush rises with prickly stems about three feet in height. The leaves consist of two or three pairs of leaflets, with a terminal one, attached on very short petioles to a rough common foot-stalk: the leaflets are oval, broad, smooth, of a deep green colour on the upper surface, hairy on the under, and serrated, with purple edges. The flowers, which appear in June, are large, supported on peduncles beset with brown bristly hairs. The segments of the calyx are semipinnate: the petals large, of a beautiful pale red colour, fragrant, and very numerous.

1 Translation of the Dublin Pharmacop p. 165.

Theophrasti.

3 Enumeratio Rosarum circa Wirceburgam, 1816. '

4 See Hort, Kew., Willdenow; etc. Gerarde cultivated this species in 1596.

The varieties of this species of rose are very many; but for medicinal purposes they may be indiscriminately used. The petals only are employed.

Qualities.-Their odour is extremely fragrant, and their taste sweetish, subacidulous, and at last very slightly bitter. In distillation with water, a small portion of a butyraceous oil is obtained; and the water is strongly impregnated with the odour of the rose.

Medical properties and uses.-The petals of this species of rose are slightly laxative'; and as such are ordered, combined with sugar, in the form of a syrup, as an adjunct to oil and other purgatives in infantile diseases; but they are chiefly employed for the distillation of rose-water.

Officinal preparations.-Aqua Rosae, L. E. D. Syrupus Rosae, L. E.

2. Rosa Gallica. Officinal. Rosa Gallica, Lond. Edin. Dub. The Red Rose.

Syn. Fleurs de Roses rouges (F.), Essig-rosen (G.), Fransche rosen (Dutch), Aettikerosor (Swed.), Rosa domestica (I.), Rosa rubra o Castillara (S.), Rosa Vermelha (Port.).

This species is a native of the south of Europe, cultivated in our gardens, and flowering in June and July. The stalks rise about three feet in height, are erect, and almost destitute of prickles. The foliage resembles that of the centifolia; but the leaflets are not so large, scarcely tomentose below, and subacute. The flowers also are less doubled; the petals large, widely spread open, of a deep, rich crimson colour, fragrant, and displaying an abundance of yellow anthers, on thread-like filaments; with the papillary stigmas of numerous, connected, villose styles, rising from the germen. The petals of the unblown buds are the parts medicinally used. They are cultivated in abundance in the neighbourhood of London for medicinal purposes.

Qualities. - The odour of this rose is less fragrant than that of the former species; but it is improved by drying: the taste is pleasantly bitter and austere. Water at 212° extracts both its odour and taste; and the infusion strikes a black with sulphate of iron, and also forms a precipitate of a dark colour with sulphate of zinc.

1 Illustris mulier mihi asserebat, ex rosarum olfactu se foecum alvirmrum odo-rem pereipere.-Plenck, Icones, etc. cent. iv.

Medical properties and uses.-The red rose is astringent and tonic. It forms an elegant and useful vehicle for the exhibition of mineral acids, nitrate of potassa, and other neutral salts in haemorrhages, and many other diseases. (See the Preparations of it.)

Officinal preparations.- Confectio Rosae Gallicae, L. E. D. In-fusum Rosae compositum, L. E. D. Mel Rosae, L. D. Syrupus Rosae, E.

3. Rosa Canina.1

Officinal. Rosa canina, Lond. Rosae caninae fructus, Edin. Dub. The pulp of the Dog-rose fruit, or Hep.

Syn. Le fruit d'Eglantier de Chien (F.), Die frucht der Wilden rose Hage-butten (G.), Le polpa di fruti di Rosa canina (I.).

This species is a common but beautiful ornament of our hedgerows, flowering in June, and exhaling a very fragrant perfume. It rises to the height of eight or ten feet; has a smooth stem; with two alternate, compressed conical-hooked, bright red, internodial prickles; and elongated branches spreading from the upright. The leaves are pinnate, composed of seven ovate, pointed, inodorous leaflets, naked and smooth on both sides, but the upper shining, and of a deeper green than the under. The petioles are pubescent, prickly, and glandular. The floral peduncles generally form a kind of corymb; but are sometimes solitary and smooth. The calyx is pubescent within, on the margin; the petals are inversely cordate, generally five, of a pale flesh colour, often white, and odorous. The fruit is an ovate, fleshy, smooth, red-berried calyx; with the apex sometimes open, sometimes shut; containing about thirty long angular seeds, embedded among white silky bristles.

Qualities. - The fruit is inodorous, and has a pleasant, sweet, acidulous taste, depending on uncombined citric acid and sugar, which it contains.

Medical properties and uses.-The pulpy part of heps is cooling, but possesses no direct medicinal properties. It is used only for the formation of the confection.2

Officinal preparation.- Confectio Rosae caninae, L.

Dioscoridis. Handsrose (G.), Hondsroos (Dutch), Hybentorn (Dan.), Nieupon (Swed.), Rosa Sylvestre (S.), Rosa brava (Port.), Schippownich (Russ.), Shora polna (Pol.), Gul (Tartar), Foo son (Japan.).

2 The confection is sometimes brought to table as a sweetmeat on the Continent; and the leaves of the plant are drunk by the Tartars and the Russians in Siberia instead of tea. The Russians of the Volga prepare a spirit from the flowers.- Lin, Trans, vol. xii. part i. p. 227.