| The cistuses are ornamental free-flowering shrubs, usually only a few feet high, with very showy purple or white flowers similar to a small single rose, appearing in early summer. They are hardy only in warmer temperate regions, but many of them will stand 10° of frost without injury, and C. laurifolius and C. villosus var. tauricus even more. They thrive best in a well- drained light soil, mostly preferring limestone soil, and in a sunny position; the dwarfer species are well adapted for rockeries with southern aspect. They do not bear transplanting well, and should be grown in pots until planted out. Some species yield ladanum, a resin used in perfumery. Propagated by seeds sown in spring in pans or boxes and the young seedlings shaded; increased also by layers and cuttings in spring or late summer, inserted in sandy peat under glass. In the Old World, the cistuses are important garden plants, but they are little known in America. | | The cistuses are ornamental free-flowering shrubs, usually only a few feet high, with very showy purple or white flowers similar to a small single rose, appearing in early summer. They are hardy only in warmer temperate regions, but many of them will stand 10° of frost without injury, and C. laurifolius and C. villosus var. tauricus even more. They thrive best in a well- drained light soil, mostly preferring limestone soil, and in a sunny position; the dwarfer species are well adapted for rockeries with southern aspect. They do not bear transplanting well, and should be grown in pots until planted out. Some species yield ladanum, a resin used in perfumery. Propagated by seeds sown in spring in pans or boxes and the young seedlings shaded; increased also by layers and cuttings in spring or late summer, inserted in sandy peat under glass. In the Old World, the cistuses are important garden plants, but they are little known in America. |
| C. algarvensis, Sims=Helianthemum ocymoides.—C. candidissimus. Dun.; S.C. 3=C. symphytifolius, var.—C. canescens, Sweet (C. villosus var. canescens, Nichols. C. albidus x C. villosus). Lvs. short-petioled, narrow-oblong or lanceolate, 3-nerved, obtuse, undulate: fls. dark purple. Of garden origin. S.C. 45.—C. Clusii, Dun.=C. rosmarinifolius.—C. corbariensis Pourr. (C. populifolius x C. salvifolius). To 5 ft.: lvs. slightly cordate, glutinous: fls. 1- 5, white, 1½ in. S.C. 8.—C. florentinus. Lam. (C. monspeliensis X C. salvifolius). Dwarf: lvs. lanceolate: fls. white, 2 in. S.C. 59. G. 11:183; 14:241. G.M. 32:277; 31:587. Gn. 27:570; 38, p. 177; 53. p. 130, 134; 75, p. 422. F.S.R. 2, p. 43.—C. formosus, Curt.= Helianthemum formosum.—C. glaucus, Pourr. (C. Ledon, Lam. C. laurifolius X C. monspeliensis). 1-2 ft.: lvs. lanceolate, glossy above: fls. 5-10, white, 1½ in. S. France.—C. hirsutus, Lam. 1-3 ft., clothed with spreading and glandular hairs: lvs. sessile, lanceolate: fls. 1-5, white. S.W. Eu. S.C. 19.—C. latifolius. Sweet, S.C. 15=C. populifolius var.—C. laxus, Ait.=C. nigricans.—C. Ledon, Lam.—C. glaucus.—C. longifolius, Lam.=C. nigricans.— C. Loretii, Rouy A Fouc. (C. ladaniferus X C. monspeliensis). Habit like C. monspeliensis: lvs. linear-lanceolate, revolute, grayish beneath, glutinous: fls. 1-5, white, 2 in. across. Of garden origin; also found spontaneous. Var. maculatus, Rouy & Fouc. Fls. with 5 dark red blotches. Gn. 75, p. 633; 76, p. 439.—C. monspeliensis. Linn. To 5 ft.: lvs. sessile, lanceolate: fls. white, cymose, 1 in. S. Eu. S.C. 27.—C. nigricans, Pourr. (C. longifolius. Lam. C. laxus, Ait. C. monspeliensis X C. populifolius). – 2-4 ft., glandular: lvs. oblong-lanceolate, glossy above: fls. white, 1½ in. S. W. Eu. S.C. 12. Variable.—C. oblongifolius, Sweet; S.C. 67=C. nigricans var.—C. obtusifolius. Sweet, S.C. 42=C. nigricans var. —C. rosmarinifolius, Pourr. (C. Clusii, Dun.) Allied to C. ladaniferus. Lvs. linear, strongly revolute at the margin, viscid above while young, tomentose beneath: fls. 4-6, white, 1-1⅓ in. across. W. Medit. region. S.C. 32. G.M. 31:587; 32:277.—C. symphytifolius, Lam. (C. vaginatus, Dry. Rhodocistus Berthelotianus, Spach). To 2 ft.: lvs. petioled, ovate, acuminate: fls. cymose, deep rose-colored, yellow in center. Canary Isls. S.C. 9. B.R. 3:225. F.S. 15:1501.—C. vaginatus, Dry.=C. symphytifolius. Alfred Rehder. | | C. algarvensis, Sims=Helianthemum ocymoides.—C. candidissimus. Dun.; S.C. 3=C. symphytifolius, var.—C. canescens, Sweet (C. villosus var. canescens, Nichols. C. albidus x C. villosus). Lvs. short-petioled, narrow-oblong or lanceolate, 3-nerved, obtuse, undulate: fls. dark purple. Of garden origin. S.C. 45.—C. Clusii, Dun.=C. rosmarinifolius.—C. corbariensis Pourr. (C. populifolius x C. salvifolius). To 5 ft.: lvs. slightly cordate, glutinous: fls. 1- 5, white, 1½ in. S.C. 8.—C. florentinus. Lam. (C. monspeliensis X C. salvifolius). Dwarf: lvs. lanceolate: fls. white, 2 in. S.C. 59. G. 11:183; 14:241. G.M. 32:277; 31:587. Gn. 27:570; 38, p. 177; 53. p. 130, 134; 75, p. 422. F.S.R. 2, p. 43.—C. formosus, Curt.= Helianthemum formosum.—C. glaucus, Pourr. (C. Ledon, Lam. C. laurifolius X C. monspeliensis). 1-2 ft.: lvs. lanceolate, glossy above: fls. 5-10, white, 1½ in. S. France.—C. hirsutus, Lam. 1-3 ft., clothed with spreading and glandular hairs: lvs. sessile, lanceolate: fls. 1-5, white. S.W. Eu. S.C. 19.—C. latifolius. Sweet, S.C. 15=C. populifolius var.—C. laxus, Ait.=C. nigricans.—C. Ledon, Lam.—C. glaucus.—C. longifolius, Lam.=C. nigricans.— C. Loretii, Rouy A Fouc. (C. ladaniferus X C. monspeliensis). Habit like C. monspeliensis: lvs. linear-lanceolate, revolute, grayish beneath, glutinous: fls. 1-5, white, 2 in. across. Of garden origin; also found spontaneous. Var. maculatus, Rouy & Fouc. Fls. with 5 dark red blotches. Gn. 75, p. 633; 76, p. 439.—C. monspeliensis. Linn. To 5 ft.: lvs. sessile, lanceolate: fls. white, cymose, 1 in. S. Eu. S.C. 27.—C. nigricans, Pourr. (C. longifolius. Lam. C. laxus, Ait. C. monspeliensis X C. populifolius). – 2-4 ft., glandular: lvs. oblong-lanceolate, glossy above: fls. white, 1½ in. S. W. Eu. S.C. 12. Variable.—C. oblongifolius, Sweet; S.C. 67=C. nigricans var.—C. obtusifolius. Sweet, S.C. 42=C. nigricans var. —C. rosmarinifolius, Pourr. (C. Clusii, Dun.) Allied to C. ladaniferus. Lvs. linear, strongly revolute at the margin, viscid above while young, tomentose beneath: fls. 4-6, white, 1-1⅓ in. across. W. Medit. region. S.C. 32. G.M. 31:587; 32:277.—C. symphytifolius, Lam. (C. vaginatus, Dry. Rhodocistus Berthelotianus, Spach). To 2 ft.: lvs. petioled, ovate, acuminate: fls. cymose, deep rose-colored, yellow in center. Canary Isls. S.C. 9. B.R. 3:225. F.S. 15:1501.—C. vaginatus, Dry.=C. symphytifolius. Alfred Rehder. |