Rosa sericea

Rosa sericea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Rosa
Species:	R. sericea
Binomial name
Rosa sericea Lindl.

Rosa sericea is a species of Rosa native to southwestern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan), Bhutan, northern India (Sikkim), and Myanmar; it grows in mountains at altitudes of 2,000-4,400 m.

It is a shrub growing to 2 m tall, often very spiny. The leaves are deciduous, 4–8 cm long, with 7-11 leaflets with a serrated margin. The flowers are 2.5–5 cm diameter, white, with (unusually for a rose) only four petals. The hips are red, 8–15 mm diameter, with persistent sepals, and often bristly.

There are four formae:

• Rosa sericea f. sericea.
• Rosa sericea f. glandulosa T.T.Yü & T.C.Ku.
• Rosa sericea f. glabrescens Franchet.
• Rosa sericea f. pteracantha Franchet.

The closely related Rosa omeiensis is sometimes treated as a subspecies of R. sericea.

A shrub of Rosa sericea pteracantha

Cultivation and uses

R. sericea f. pteracantha is grown as an ornamental plant for its large, bright red thorns.

Detail of Rosa sericea pteracantha thorns

References

• Flora of China: Rosa sericea

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