Helianthemum roseum by Wooster, 1872

Helianthemum roseum by David Wooster, 1872.

This colored print of Helianthemum roseum was published in Alpine Plants: Figures and Descriptions of Some of the Most Striking and Beautiful of the Alpine Flowers.  Each plate was accompanied by a description of the plant, which included cultivation instructions. Wooster also listed when the the plant was first introduced to Great Britain. The book was published by Bell and Daldy, in London. David Wooster (c.1824-1888) was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, which was founded in 1804. He also served as Assistant Secretary to the Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction and the Advancement of Science. 

Helianthemum roseum, is no longer a recognized name in botanical classification. It was described as being a sunrose in the order of Cistineae and was a native plant of southern Europe. Flowering occurred in June or July and it could produce either double or single flowers in shades of pink to yellow. It was a trailing plant that grew approximately six inches high and was capable of withstanding hard frosts. Today, the Helianthemum genus includes one hundred ten different species and is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas. They are in the family Cistaceae, which includes seven other genera, and is commonly referred to as the rock-rose family.