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R O S A arvenfis.
White Dog-rofe.
4 Z
IC O SA îst D R I A Polygynia•
Gen. Char. Cal. urn-lhaped, flelhy, contrafted at the
orifice, terminating in 5 fegments. Petals 5. Seeds
feveral, briftly, fixed to the infide of the calyx.
Spec. Char. Fruit globofe, fmooth as well as the
flower-ftalks. Stem and leaf-ftalks prickly.
Flowers generally cluftered.
Syn. Rofa arvenfis. Hudf. FI. An. ed. 1. 192. ed. 2.
219. Linn. Mant. 2. 245. With. Bot. Arr.
521. Relh. Cant. 193.
R. fylveftris altera minor, flore albo noftras. Rail
Syn. 455.
■ p
J- R E Q U E N T in our hedges, and thickets in the borders
of fields, where it flowers in June and July; yet though here
fo common, it feems to be almoft peculiar to Britain. Perhaps
it may grow in other parts of Europe, but may not have been
well diferiminated by botanical writers. The figure in Flora Ban.
t. 398, quoted by Linnaeus, is R. fpinofiflima; and it is wonderful
Mr. Hudfon Ihould follow him in fo grofs an error, though,
having himfelf eftablilhed this fpecies, he ought to have known
it well. We beg leave on this occafion to hint a general admonition
againft copying fynonyms without examining them.
Rofa arvenfis has round, glaucous, often mahogany-coloured
Hems, of which laft colour are commonly the germens and
flower-ftalks; and the laft are covered with a glandular rough-
nefs. The prickles are hooked, but differ from thofe of R.
canina in being fmaller. The leaflets are moftly 5, oval,
pointed and fmooth. Flower-ftalks about 3 or 5 in a terminal
clutter (rarely folitary), not all exactly from one point, accompanied
by a few lanceolate bradlete, and each bearing a
Angle white flower, like the common dog-rofe, but never red
or blulh-coloured, and lefs fragrant. The germen is oblong,
but in ripening becomes globofe, and deep-red, terminated by
the fimple bafe of the ftyles, at that period elongated^ as is well
remarked by Dr. Stokes in Bot. Arr. 522.