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dog rose, rosier des chiens

California rose, California wild rose

Habit Shrubs, arching, not rhizomatous. Shrubs, usually forming thickets.
Stems

usually erect to sprawling, 10–25(–50) dm;

distal branches arching, bark green;

infrastipular prickles paired, curved or appressed, 6–7 × 4–9 mm, lengths ± uniform, internodal prickles rare, single, rarely absent.

ascending to erect, 8–25(–30) dm, densely to openly branched;

bark often glaucous when young, dark reddish brown with age sometimes exfoliating as thin ash-gray sheets, glabrous;

infrastipular prickles 1–2(–3), strongly curved to nearly erect, ± flattened, stout, subulate, 3–15(–20) × 2.5–8 mm (to 10–15 mm), base glabrous, internodal prickles usually absent, sometimes sparse, smaller, aciculi usually absent, rarely stipitate-glandular.

Leaves

deciduous, 6–11 cm;

stipules 10–22 × 3–5 mm, auricles 3–5 mm, margins stipitate-glandular or eglandular, surfaces glabrous, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular;

petiole and rachis sometimes with pricklets, glabrous, eglandular;

leaflets 5–7, terminal: petiolule 5–11 mm, blade ovate, obovate, or elliptic, 15–40 × 12–20 mm, base obtuse to slightly cuneate, margins 1- or multi-serrate, teeth 20–30 per side, apex acute, sometimes acuminate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, rarely pubescent or tomentose on midveins, eglandular, adaxial dark green to green, lustrous to dull, glabrous, rarely tomentose.

(2–)4–14 cm;

stipules 5–20 × 2–5 mm, auricles flared to erect, 2–5 mm, margins entire or serrate, stipitate-glandular, surfaces glabrous, eglandular;

petiole and rachis sometimes with pricklets, usually sparsely to densely hairy hairs to 1 mm, rarely glabrate, sometimes stipitate-glandular;

leaflets 5–7(–9), terminal: petiolule 5–15(–20) mm, blade ovate to elliptic, sometimes obovate, (10–)15–40(–60) × 10–25(–30) mm, usually widest at or below middle, membranous to ± leathery, margins 1–2-serrate, teeth 7–20 per side on distal 3/4–4/5 of margin, obtuse to acute, eglandular or gland-tipped, apex ± obtuse, sometimes acute, abaxial surfaces pale green, sparsely to abundantly shaggy-hairy, sometimes more finely hairy and/or sparsely glandular, adaxial green, dull, sparsely hairy to subglabrous.

Inflorescences

panicles, sometimes corymbs, solitary, sometimes 2 or 3(–7)-flowered.

panicles, few corymbs, (1–)3–30(–50)-flowered.

Pedicels

erect to reflexed as hips mature, 8–20 mm, eglandular or stipitate-glandular;

bracts 2, ovate-lanceolate, 6–18 × 4–5 mm, margins glandular-serrate, abaxial surfaces puberulent, adaxial surfaces glabrous, eglandular.

erect, slender, 3–20 mm, hairy, rarely glabrous, eglandular, rarely glandular;

bracts 1–3, broadly lanceolate, 8–20 × 2–10 mm, margins entire or serrate, eglandular or stipitate-glandular, surfaces ± hairy, eglandular.

Flowers

3.5–5 cm diam.;

hypanthium narrowly urceolate, 7–9 × 3–6 mm, eglandular, neck 2–3 × 1–2 mm;

sepals appressed-reflexed, spreading, or erect, ovate-lanceolate, 10–17 × 3–5 mm, margins deeply pinnatifid, tip 4–6 × 0.5 mm, abaxially eglandular;

petals rose, pink, or white, sweet-scented, 18–25 × 15–18 mm;

carpels 26–36, styles villous, exsert 1–2 mm beyond stylar orifice (0.7–1.5 mm diam.) of hypanthial disc (4–5 mm diam.).

2.5–5 cm diam.;

hypanthium ± ovoid, 4–6 × 3–5.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, eglandular, neck 1 × 2–4.5 mm;

sepals spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 10–15 × 2–4.5 mm, tip 1–5 × 0.3–1 mm, margins entire, eglandular, sometimes glandular, abaxial surfaces ± hairy, eglandular, sometimes stipitate-glandular;

petals single, pink, (10–)15–25 × (10–)15–25 mm;

stamens 90;

carpels (20–)25–40, styles exsert 1–2.5 mm beyond stylar orifice (1.5–2 mm diam.) of hypanthial disc (3–4 mm diam.).

Hips

red, globose, ovoid, urceolate, or ellipsoid, 10–16(–24) × 6–16 mm, glabrous, eglandular;

sepals deciduous as hips mature, reflexed.

scarlet, ± ovoid, sometimes globose to obovoid, 10–18 × 7–20 mm, fleshy, glabrous or ± hairy, eglandular, neck 0.5–2 × (2.5–)3–5(–6) mm;

sepals persistent, usually erect.

Achenes

14–23, tan, 5–6 × 3–3.5 mm.

basiparietal, (1–)5–20, cream to pale brown, (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) × 2–3 mm.

2n

= 35.

= 28.

Rosa canina

Rosa californica

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Feb–Nov.
Habitat Foothills, woodlands, along roads and railways, abandoned homesteads, riparian habitats Sunny streamsides, slough banks, mesic draws, moist areas in open woodlands, brushlands, and grasslands
Elevation 0–700 m [0–2300 ft] 0–1800 m [0–5900 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; ID; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NE; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NS; ON; QC; Europe; wc Asia (Turkmenistan); n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America, South America, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rosa canina occurs sporadically throughout Canada and the United States in disturbed areas. Shrubs lack rhizomes and have arching stems with paired or single curved infrastipular prickles all more or less uniform in length. Sepals (abaxially), stipules, petioles, rachises, pedicels, blades (abaxially, except some veins), hypanthia, and hips are all glabrous and most are also eglandular.

W. J. Bean (1970–1988) cited Rosa canina var. corymbifera (Borkhousen) Rouy, R. canina var. dumetorum (Thuillier) Baker, and R. dumetorum as synonyms of R. corymbifera, and that treatment is followed here.

Moderate evidence exists for the efficacy of powdered achenes and hip receptacles of Rosa canina to treat patients suffering from osteoarthritis, specifically of the knee and hip (K. Winther et al. 2005; C. Chrubasik et al. 2006).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Rosa californica is the common thicket-forming rose in the California Floristic Province, barely entering the Mojave Desert along the Mojave River at Victorville; Oregon occurrences are problematic. Characteristics that distinguish R. californica include large compressed, often strongly curved to nearly erect prickles, shaggy leaf vestiture, leaflets most commonly ovate with obtuse apices and cuneate to rounded to subcordate bases, numerous flowers with hairy pedicels, and large ovoid hips.

Some patterns of intraspecific variation in Rosa californica correlate with the ecogeographic complexity of the California Floristic Province, and they gain significance given the extent to which the plants are used in restoration efforts. Among those ecogeographic variants that may merit taxonomic recognition are: the hartwegiana phase, comprising exceptionally robust populations in the Central Valley with consistently hooked prickles, elliptic, short-hairy leaflets with acute apices, and relatively numerous flowers; the nutkanoid phase, consisting of scattered coastal populations that combine characteristics of R. californica (for example, hip size) and R. nutkana (for example, exceptionally heavy armature); and the orthacantha phase occurring in brushlands and open woodlands around Monterey and San Francisco bays and tending to have prominent pairs of erect infrastipular prickles, 1–3 flowers on elongate pedicels that exceed the subtending bracts, and ellipsoid hips containing relatively large achenes, possibly resulting from introgression with R. gymnocarpa. Variety orthacantha C. Presl probably represents this last phase.

The Costanoans of Californian Santa Clara Valley used hip decoctions of Rosa californica for treating indigestion, sore throat, fever, colds, rheumatism, and kidney ailments, and as a wash for scabs and sores (B. R. Bocek 1984).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 90. FNA vol. 9, p. 111.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Roseae > Rosa > subg. Rosa > sect. Caninae Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Roseae > Rosa > subg. Rosa > sect. Rosa
Sibling taxa
R. acicularis, R. arkansana, R. blanda, R. bracteata, R. bridgesii, R. californica, R. carolina, R. cinnamomea, R. foliolosa, R. gallica, R. glauca, R. gymnocarpa, R. laevigata, R. lucieae, R. minutifolia, R. mollis, R. multiflora, R. nitida, R. nutkana, R. palustris, R. pinetorum, R. pisocarpa, R. rubiginosa, R. rugosa, R. setigera, R. sherardii, R. spinosissima, R. spithamea, R. stellata, R. tomentosa, R. virginiana, R. woodsii
R. acicularis, R. arkansana, R. blanda, R. bracteata, R. bridgesii, R. canina, R. carolina, R. cinnamomea, R. foliolosa, R. gallica, R. glauca, R. gymnocarpa, R. laevigata, R. lucieae, R. minutifolia, R. mollis, R. multiflora, R. nitida, R. nutkana, R. palustris, R. pinetorum, R. pisocarpa, R. rubiginosa, R. rugosa, R. setigera, R. sherardii, R. spinosissima, R. spithamea, R. stellata, R. tomentosa, R. virginiana, R. woodsii
Synonyms R. corymbifera, R. dumetorum, R. montezumae R. aldersonii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 491. (1753) Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 2: 35. (1827)
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