Rosa germinibus subrotundis, parvifloris, incarnatis, æqualibus; foliolis ovatis, subtus villosis; marginibus serrulatis, glandulosis; caule et petiolis aculeatis; aculeis ramorum sparsis, rectis.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Rose with roundish seed-buds, small-flowered, flesh-coloured, and equal. The leaflets are egg-shaped, villose beneath, with sawed glandular margins. The stem and petioles are prickly: the prickles of the branches are scattered and straight.
This variety was introduced from France by Mr. Williams, a nurseryman residing near Paris. It is of a compound character; the leaves and the colour of the flowers resembling the Rosa nana, but in point of size much more like the nana minor, or Pompone Rose; yet differing again from that, in the great regularity of the petals—(whence the name æqualiflora)—a trivial distinction, and yet the most prominent feature allowed us by way of discrimination. Nor should we have adopted it, had we not seen at the nursery of Messrs. Colville a number of plants of exactly the same uniform description; which induced us to regard it as a permanent character. If it should prove so (which time alone can ascertain), the name will be sufficiently discriminative: but in case the flowers should enlarge, that circumstance might probably disorganize the symmetry of the petals, and it would then have no distinguishing mark to separate it from the de Meaux; between which and the Pompone Rose it is certainly a variety. But whilst so many variations are allowed among the larger Roses, the lesser ones (but not less estimated) may with propriety claim an equal right to be admitted, particularly as they are so few, compared with those of larger magnitude.
