rose

'The rose is said to have been given to the god of silence by Cupid to seal a promise not to reaveal the love of Adonis and Venus. Its origin was the blood of Adonis. . . . A symbol for secrecy and silence as well as for love, it was once used as the sculpted motif on the ceilings of banquet halls to remind diners that what was said . . . was . . . said sub rosa'under the rose and not to be repeated. . . .

The word 'rose' comes from the Greek roden, meaning red, and it is thought that once the flower's only hue was a deep, dark red. . . . Over the centuries it has been cultivated . . . into . . . as many as 250 true varieties. Roses that are as small as a little button or as large as a cabbage can be grown in a range of color from almost black through all shadings of red and pink to palest lavender to yellow to clear white.'

'Ann Tucker Fettner, from Potpourri, Incense and Other Fragrant Concoctions, 1977.