AKBOUETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM.
a. 1. Fe ' lla P se u 'd o -C y' t is u s D . F a ls e -C y tis u s .o r sA™ 5 ij/,C re s s -R o ck e t.
Idcntmcrttion. Lin. Sp. 895. ; Dec. P ro d ., 1. p.223. ; D o n ’s Mill., 1. p . 254.
Siinoni/mes. F tlla integrifblia Sat. ; Fiiux-cytise, Fr. ; s trau c h a rtig e (sh ru b b y ) Velle, Gcr.
E n g ra v in g s. Cav. Ic., 1 .4 2 .; and o u r/% . 76.
Spec. Char., SfC. P e ta ls yellow, with long dark
purple claws. Larger stamens perfectly connate
by pairs. (D o ris M ill.) A low sub-
evergreen shrub. Spain, on calcareous hills.
Height 2 ft. to 4 ft. In tro d . in 1759. Flowers
yellow ; April and May. Silique greenish
yellow ; ripe in July. Decaying leaves yellow.
Branches arched, spreading, somewhat decumbent.
Leaves glaucous green. Somewhat te n der,
b u t requires no protection in the climate of
London, when planted on dry soil. I t is a
short-lived plant, like all th e suffruticose Cru-
ciferm, b u t it may readily be renewed by cuttings
or seeds.
76. r a u Pleiido-CytU»..
O r d e r VIII. CISTA'GEÆ.
Ob d . Char. Sepals 5, two o f them being exterior. Petals 5, very fugitive.
¿'¿aJKcns nniiierotis. Fruit capsular, 3—5-valved, 5— 10-celled, with parietal
placentæ. J ím ín /o inverted. Properties balsamic. (L in d l.)
Leaves simple, opposite or a lte rn a te (th e lowest leaves always opposite
), stipulate or exstipulate, deciduous or sub-evergreen; generally pubescent,
pubescence simple o r stellate. Flowers large, showy, white, red,
or p u rp le .— Shrubs low, snffrutescent, many subherbaceous ; natives o f
E u ro p e and Africa.
The 6'istàceæ have no medical properties ; b u t th e resinous balsamic substance
called ladamim or labdanum is produced ifom C. creticus, C. ladaniferus,
C. /aurifòlius, and one or two o th e r species. T h e ir use in gardens is
for ornamenting rockwork, or for keeping in pits during th e winter, and planting
o u t in flower-borders in spring ; as, from the tenderness o f th e finer species,
they are unfit for a permanent place in a shrubbery or arboretum. Most
o f even th e larger-growing kinds require some protection during winter :
bu t they will all grow fi eely in any soil th a t is dry ; and they are readily
propagated by seeds, which,' in fine seasons, they produce in abundance, or
by cu ttin g s ; th e plants, in both cases, flowering th e second year. Though
e'asily propagated, th e Cistàceæ do n o t readily bear transplanting, having
very few fibres, and these rambling to a great distance from th e main root.
P la n ts for sale ought, therefore, to be always k ep t in p o ts ; and, in the
winter season, they should be protected by some slight covering during
severe weather. The hardy ligneous species are included in two genera ; which
are thus contradistinguished by DeCandolle and G. Don : —
Ci'sTus L . Capsule 10—5-celled.
H e l i a ' n t h e m u m Tourn. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved.
G e n u s I.
■'1
CI S T U S L . T h e C i s t u s , or R o c k R o se . Lin. Syst. Polyandria
Monogynia.
Derixfatfon. From the Greek word kiste, a box or capsule, or the Anglo-Saxon, cist, a hollow
vessel ; on ac count o f th e shape of its capsules. In Martyn’s Miller, th e name is smd to be derived
from th a t o f th e youth Cistus, whose story is to be found in Cassianus Bassus. Others derive it
from kis, a worm o r weevil.
Identification. T o u rn ., L in ., De c., G. D o n . .r,. . .
Synonymes. Holly Hose, Ge rard ; Gum Cistus ; Ciste, F r . \ Cisten Rose, Ger. ; Cisto Ita l.
Gen. Char. Calyx of 5 sepals, Sepals disposed.in a double series ; 2 outer
ones unequal, sometimes wanting. Petals 5, equal, somewhat cuneated,
caducous. Stamens numerous, usually exserted from th e glandular disk.
Style filiform. Stigma capitate. Capsule covered by th e calyx, 5- or
lO-valved, with a seminiferous partition in th e middle o f each valve,
therefore 5- or 10-celled. Seeds ovate, angular. Embryo fililorm, spiral.
Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, sub-evergreen, entire or toothed ;
th e petioles embracing th e stem. Flowers axillary, or many flowered
peduncles ; large, beautiful, resembling a rose, red or white. — Shrubs or
subshrubs, natives o f th e South of E urope and N orth of Africa. ^ Only
two or three species ,or subspecies, and th e ir varieties, are hardy in th e
climate o f London.
5 ; 1. C i ' s t u s p u r p u ' r e u s Lam. The pxivpXe-Jlowered Cistus, or Rock Rose.
Identification. L am . D ie t., 2. p. 14.; Dec. P ro d ., 1. p. 2G4. ; Don’s Mill., 1. p. 298.
Synonymes. C. créúcus Hort. K ew . \ th e p u rp le Gum Cistus. th e p u rp le sh ru b b y C is tu s ; Cista
po urpre, Fr. ; p u rp u rro th e Cisten Rose, Ger.
Engravinqs. Bot. Reg., t. 408. ; Swt. Cist., t . 17. ; and onr fig . ’¡’I.
Spec. Chav., Sjc. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or
acute, and more or less rugose ; reticulately veined, ,
with undulated margins. Pe tiole s short, hairy, con- '
nected at the base, and sheathing the stem. Flowers
terminal, from 1 to 6 , on short peduncles. Bracteas
sessile, leaf-like, pubescent, broad and concave a t the (
base, where they are connected, and terminating in
acute points. Pedicels short, and with the calyx hairy.
Calyx of 5 sepals. P e ta ls 5 or 6, obovate o r wedge-
shaped ; very much imbricate, more or less crumpled.
Stamens numerous, filaments smooth. Style
very sh o rt ; and stigma large, capitate, 5-lobed, papillose.
(Sw t. Cist.) A sub-evergreen low bush. Levant.
Height 3 ft. to 4 ft. Introduced in 1659. Flowers
large, bright reddish purple, with a yellow spot a t the
base. J u n e and Ju ly . Capsule brown ; ripe in Sept. Decaying leaves brown.
Branches numerous, erect, and clothed with a brownish pubescence.
The flowers are very large and handsome, o f a bright reddish purple, with
a yellow spot a t th e base, above which is a large dark purple velvet mark,
surrounded with red, and slightly branched. The petals are imbricate, and
much crumpled. I t flowers abundantly in Ju n e and Ju ly ; grows very fast, is
easily propagated by cuttings, and is very ornamental.
a . 2. C. i n c a ' n u s L . Th e hoary Cistus, or Rock Rose.
Identification. L in . Sp., 737.; Smith ’s F l. Græc., 494.; D o n ’f Mill., 1.
p. m
Synonymes. C. álb id u s Hort. ; C. cymôsus Dec. ; Ciste cotonneux, Fr. ;
bestaubte Cisten Rose, Ger.
E n g ra vin g s. Bot. Mag., t. 43. ; Swt. C ist., t . 44. ; and o u r ^ . 78.
Spec. Char., if-c. Leaves spathulate, tomentose, wrinkled,
somewhat 3-nerved, sessile, somewhat connate a t the base,
upper ones narrower. Peduncles 1—3-flowered. (Don's
M ill.) A hoary evergreen shrub. Spain and France. Height
2 ft. to 3 ft. Intro d u ced in 1597. Flowers reddish purple,
with th e petioles emarginate. Ju n e and Ju ly . Capsule
brown ; ripe in September. Decaying leaves brown.
Quite hardy in dry soil.
E 4
C i sm sp u rp a r e u s .
ii
78. CisDu Incànu».