Sombreuil

This is quite a misunderstood rose. Most books list it as hybridized in 1850, but it is actually much older. They also incorrectly indicate that it is named after a heroine of the French Revolution; in fact "Sombreuil" is a corruption of the older, original name, "Sommeil" ("Sleepiness"). The odor of this rose is a powerful soporific - hence the original name. Its sweet fragrance is said not only to induce sleep, but to cause peculiar dreams: dreams of magic, dreams of botanical obsession, dreams of great beauty.

There was a wise ruler who had a garden with nothing but specimens of this rose, grown as a labyrinth of hedges. All who entered soon fell asleep somewhere within its boundaries. The king provided chairs and cushions for this purpose. He ruled for many, many years.