R osaceae. The Rose tribe.
" C a ly x 4 or 5-lobed, with a disk either linening the tube or surrounding the orifice; the
fifth lobe next the axis. P e ta ls 5, perigynous, equal. Stam en s indefinite, arising from the
calyx, just within the petals, in aestivation curved inwards; anth e rs innate, 2-celled, bursting
longitudinally. Ovaries superior, either solitary or several, 1-celled, sometimes cohering into a
plurilocular pistil; ovules 2, or more, suspended, very rarely erect; s ty le s lateral; stigmas
usually simple, and emarginate on one side. Fruit either l-seeded nuts, or acini, or follicles
containing several seeds. Seeds suspended, rarely ascending. Embryo straight, with a taper
short radicle pointing to the hilum, and flat cotyledons. Albumen usually almost obliterated
when the seeds are ripe; if present fleshy.—Herbaceous plants or shrubs. Leaves simple or
compound, alternate, usually with 2 stipules at their base.”
Under this order Dr. Lindley ranges the rose, the raspberry, bramble, and strawberry,
the Dryas and Agrimony, meadow sweet ( Spircea) and many others in which numerous
pistils with lateral styles are observed, the rose itself being to all appearance the most
anomalous of the tribe, owing the extension of the tube of the calyx and the contraction of its
orifice enclosing and concealing the carpels, which in most of the others are exposed. The
genera naturally divide themselves into four groups—1st. Roseae, distinguished as above by its
tubular ventricose calyx enclosing the ovaries—2d. Potentilleae, by its numerous ovaries seated
on an elevated fleshy receptacle—3d. Spircece, by its definite ovaries (about 5) each with a terminal
style and several ovules ; follicular fruit, with two rows of Suspended seed in each follicle :
and lastly, Quillaieae like Spircece but trees, having winged seed,with simple, not lobed leaves,
(all American.)
G eographical D istribu tion. Principally natives of temperate or cold climates of the
northern hemisphere. The species found within the tropics are natives of high hills, where the
temperature is reduced by elevation. Such is the case with all those found in the Indian peninsula,
figures of several of which will be found in the 12th number of my leones.
P ro p er t ie s and U se s . No rosaceous plants are unwholesome and some of them furnish
us with most delicate fruit. In the plant the astringent principle generally predominates and in
the Tormentilla so intensely that its roots are even used for tanning leather, some of them are
reckoned febrifuge and have been administered as substitutes for Peruvian bark; B r a y era an
Abyssinean plant is said to be one of the most powerful anthelmentics in the world, it being
stated by Brayer its discoverer, that, two or three doses of its infusion are sufficient to cure the
most obstinate cases of tapeworm. Rosaceae are however best known for the beauty and fragrance
of the type of the family, the R ose, and for their fruit, of which the strawberry, raspberry,
and blackberry, are the most esteemed. Some of the Indian species of R u b u s even in
their uncultivated state produce very passable fruit, which might be greatly improved by
culture and certainly merit a trial. Judging from the great advances which within these few
years have been made in the culture of the rose in this country, we have strong reason to hope
for most ample success in this attempt. The strawberry is now cultivated to a considerable
extent about Hyderabad and Bangalore and has even succeeded in producing fruit in Madras,
but as yet our attempts at culture have not been crowned with much success.
Sub-order P omeae. The Apple tribe.
ft C a ly x superior, 5-toothed; the odd segment posterior.. P e ta ls 5, unguiculate, inserted
in the throat of the calyx; the odd one anterior. Stamens indefinite, inserted in a ring in the
throat of the calyx. D i s k thin, clothing the sides of the tube of the calyx. Ovaries from 1 to
5, adhering more or less to the sides of the calyx and each other; ovules usually 2, collateral,
ascending, very rarely solitary; S ty le s from 1 to 5; stigmas simple. F r u it a pome, 1 to 5-
celled, seldom spuriously 10-celled ; the endocarp either cartilaginous, spongy, or bony. Seeds
ascending, solitary. Albumen none; embryo erect, with flat cotyledons, or convolute ones in
Chamameles, and a short conical radicle.—gi Trees or shrubs. L ea ve s alternate, stipulate, simple,
or compound. Flowers in terminal cymes, white or pink.”
A f f in it ie s . These differ from the preceding by the adhesion of the ovaries with the sides
of the calyx and more or less with each other. te The fruit is always a pome; that is it is
made up of a fleshy calyx adhering to fleshy or bony ovaries, containing a definite number of
seeds. Pomeae are principally distinguished by their ovules being in pairs and side by side,
while Rosaceae, when they have two or more ascending ovules, always have them one above the
other. Cultivated plants of this order are very apt to produce monstrous flowers which depart
sometimes in a most remarkable degree from their normal state : nor can any order be more
instructively studied with a view morphological inquiries, particularly the common pear when in
blossom. A remarkable permanent monster of this kind with 14 styles, 14 ovaries and a calyx,
with 10 divisions in two rows is described in the R e vu e Encyclopédique, thus exhibiting a tendency
on the part of Pomeae to assume the indefinite ovaries and double calyx of Rosaceae. I
have seen a P ru n u s in a similar state”—Lindley.
G eographical D istribution. Plants of this sub-order abound in Europe and northern
Asia, a few are found in the mountains of India. Two species of P h o tin ea are found in the
Indian peninsula and Ceylon, and the L o q u a t (Eryo b o ti'id ) is generally cultivated in India and
besides yielding a fine fruit, is found very useful as a stock on which to graft the apple. The
apple also thrives well and produces good fruit not only in the cooler parts of the Peninsula
but even in Madras, where several fine apples have been ripened.
P roperties and U se s . The apple and pear are too generally known and esteemed to
require more notice here than that of being named. In this country the L o q u a t is also pretty
well known though scarcely so well as it deserves. The two species of P h o tin e a are almost
unknown but with the view of extending our knowledge of them I have figured both, one here
and the other in the leones. Should they be found to thrive on the plains they may prove
useful as stocks for grafting on, none of the other genera are known in this country.
Sub-order A mygdaleae. The Almond tribe.
" C a ly x 5-toothed, deciduous, lined with a disk ; the fifth lobe next the axis. P e ta ls 5
perigynous. Stamens 20, or thereabouts, arising from the throat of the calyx, in æstivation
curved inwards ; anthers innate, 2-celled, bursting longitudinally. O va ry superior, solitary,
simple, 1-celled; ovules 2, suspended; s tyles terminal, with a furrow on one side, terminating
in a reniform stigma. F ru it a drupe, with the putamen sometimes separating spontaneously
from the sarcocarp. Seeds mostly solitary, suspended, in consequence of the cohesion of a
funiculus umbilicalis, arising from the base or the cavity of the ovary, with its side. Embryo
straight, with the radicle pointing to the hilum ; cotyledons thick ; albumen none. Trees or
shrubs. L eave s simple, alternate, usually glandular towards the base. S tip u le s simple, mostly
glandular. Flowers white or pink. H yd ro c ya n ic acid present in the leaves and kernel.”
A f f in it ie s . To this sub-order all our stone fruit belong : the sloe and its numerous derivatives,
the almost endless variety of plums : the cherry in all its various forms : and the almond
from which, according to some, cultivation has elicited the various kinds of peaches, nectarines,
and apricots, but which others consider distinct species. They are distinguished from the two
preceding orders by the fruit being a drupe (a succulent stone fruit) by their bark yielding gum,
but most remarkably by the presence of Prussic or Hydrocyanic acid. To Leguminosae they
approach through D e ta rium which has a drupaceous fruit, but are separated by their regular
petals and stamens, by the position of the odd sepal and by the presence of Prussic acid. “ It
is not a.little remarkable that here, where we have a close approach to the structure of Mimoseae
in L eguminosae, we have also the only instance among Rosaceae of an approach to the property
possessed by that sub-order of the bark yielding gum ; the peculiar astringency of some species
is also analogous to that of Acacia catechu and the like.” Lindley.
G eographical D ist r ibu t io n . None of the species of this sub-order are known to exist
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