SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Rose, with egg-shaped seed-buds; empalements and peduncles mossy; petioles and younger branches hispid, and glandulously viscous; spines of the branches numerous, and straight.
The origin of this beautiful Rose, has ever been considered as enveloped in obscurity; but we have no hesitation in assigning it to the Province, to which it assimilates in every particular,—with the addition of a rich luxuriant moss, that gives it a decided superiority, and at the same time a specific distinction. In proof of our opinion, we have recently seen both the Moss and Province Rose at one time, in high perfection, on the same plant; and to remove all doubt, the plant was dug up, to show that it was but one individual root. We have since seen three more plants of the same description. Two of them had been propagated by layers from the mossy shoots. The major part of them returned to their origin, the Province. In the examination of a number of Moss Roses, we have perceived a considerable difference in the quantity of moss attached to them,—in many instances so slight, as evidently to proclaim their original. There can be little if any doubt, that this beautiful variety is the spontaneous effusion of Nature in this country, of which we shall ever regard it as indigenous, since we have never heard of any importations of this species, but of frequent exportations. The most luxuriant specimens of this plant are the dwarf growth in the open ground, from which our figure was taken.
