The blossoms are of a firm texture, but apt to fall off long before they have lost their brilliancy; it therefore is a practice with some to stick such deciduous blossoms 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 the front shelf of a green-house, where it may have plenty of air in the summer, but guarded against too much moisture in the winter. May be raised from seeds in the same manner as the round-leaved Cyclamen already figured in this work, p. n. 4. Flowers early in the spring, and is admirably well adapted to decorate the parlour or study. Varies with fragrant flowers, and the eye more or less red. [45]