lossoms on some fresh bud, where they continue to
look well for a considerable time.

PETIVER considered our plant as a species of Tea tree; future
observations will probably confirm his conjecture.

[43]

~Cistus incanus. Hoary, or Rose Cistus.~

_Class and Order._

~Polyandria Monogynia.~

_Generic Character._

_Corolla_ 5-petala. _Calyx_ 5-phyllus, foliolis duobus minoribus.
_Capsula_.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

CISTUS _incanus_ arborescens exstipulatus, foliis spatulatis tomentosis
rugosis inferioribus basi connatis vaginantibus. _Lin. Syst. Vegetab.
p. 497._

CISTUS mas angustifolius. _Bauh. Pin. 464._

[Illustration: 43]

Few plants are more admired than the Cistus tribe; they have indeed one
imperfection, their petals soon fall off: this however is the less to be
regretted, as they in general have a great profusion of flower-buds,
whence their loss is daily supplied. They are, for the most part,
inhabitants of warm climates, and affect dry, sheltered, though not
shady, situations.

The present species is a native of Spain, and the south of France, and
being liable to be killed by the severity of our winters, is generally
kept with green-house plants.

It may be propagated either by seeds, or cuttings; the former make the
best plants.

[44]

~Cyclamen persicum. Persian Cyclamen.~

_Class and Order._

~Pentandria Monogynia.~

_Generic Character._

_Corolla_ rotata, reflexa, tubo brevissimo: fauce prominente. _Bacca_
tecta capsula.

_Specific Character._

CYCLAMEN _persicum_ foliis cordatis serratis. _Miller's Dict. 4to.
ed. 6._

[Illustration: 44]

LINNAEUS in this, as in many other genera, certainly makes too
few species, having only two; MILLER, on the contrary, is
perhaps too profuse in his number, making eight. The ascertaining the
precise limits of species, and variety, in plants that have been for a
great length of time objects of culture, is often attended with
difficulties scarcely to be surmounted, is indeed a Gordian Knot to
Botanists.

Our plant is the _Cyclamen persicum_ of MILLER, and has been
introduced into our gardens long since the European ones; being a native
of the East-Indies, it is of course more tender than the others, and
therefore requires to be treated more in the style of a green-house
plant.

It is generally cultivated in pots, in light undunged earth, or in a
mixture of loam and lime rubbish, and kept in frames, or on th