Translation of the text published with this picture of the Yellow Tea-scented rose. Compare with Lindley's description of Parks' Yellow China rose.

DESCRIPTION

Shrub hardier and more vigorous than the last; stems from twenty to thirty inches; bark smooth and dark green; short prickles scattered, enlarged at the base and almost straight; leaves of three to five elongated leaflets, acute at the top, sea green and shining above, less underneath and hairless on both sides; edges plain or slightly toothed and margined violet-purple; petioles with stipules rather large, somewhat long and completed in short spikes and reflected from each side; calyx tube ovoid, compressed; sepals, one simple, the others slightly pinnulated around the edges, but all terminated in almost linear leaflets; terminal flowers in umbels often three or more, the stalks at the base are accompanied by unequal bracts; petiole usually equipped with small prickles; corolla of two to three inches in diameter; petals four to five rows, more or less well disposed, slightly indented at the top, yellow-ocher outside before opening, and sulfur-yellow inside, but soon fading to sulfur-white when the flower opens; However, in the fall when the air is cooler, the flower keeps its first color well; fruit, quite deciduous, and are globular purple-red from the sun at maturity.

OBSERVATIONS.

This charming and valuable rose was imported from England to Paris by Mr. HARDY, in 1825 or 1826. Several amateurs and merchants have also received specimens from Mr. LODDIGES the same year. It is now quite common, but still valuable for its colors as rare as desired. Despite the falling of its fruits, however many are successful; seedlings have already been raised with the intention of obtaining varieties whose flowers are more consistently full and better constructed than those of the Bengal which we give here the description with the figure. One also wants a yellow tint more persistent and more pronounced. We have already been successful in several attempts whose successes were far less likely. Hopefully they will eventually be no more unhappy. Pirolle

I have an archive photo of this image from Redouté, 3rd edition. I would say the yellow depicted here is much more intense. The colour is less bright in my print, more a deep cream or light lemon yellow. The French name in Redouté is 'Bengale Jaune-Soufre' -(vulgairment Thé Jaune) and the yellow tone is always qualified, suggesting to me the rose was 'aspirationally' yellow rather than strongly yellow.