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cluster rose, cluster wild rose, peafruit rose, swamp rose

Cherokee rose

Habit Shrubs, loosely clustered or in dense thickets.
Stems

ascending to erect, (2–)4–20(–25) dm, openly branched;

bark ± glaucous when young, dark reddish brown or dull red with age outer layer may exfoliate as thin ash gray peel, glabrous;

infrastipular prickles usually paired, erect, rarely curved, usually subulate, 2–10 × 2–4 mm, base glabrous, internodal prickles rare or absent.

distal branches dark brown to purplish red;

infrastipular prickles paired, internodal prickles paired or single, reddish brown, rarely deltate or erect, 6–9 × 6–11 mm.

Leaves

5–10(–13) cm;

stipules 8–22 × 2–5 mm, auricles flared, 2–5 mm, margins usually entire, sometimes erose or lobed, finely ciliolate to ciliate, eglandular, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, sparsely stipitate-glandular or eglandular;

petiole and rachis sometimes with pricklets, glabrous or hairy hairs to 1 mm, sometimes stipitate-glandular;

leaflets 5–7(–9), terminal: petiolule 8–12 mm, blade elliptic-ovate, (15–)20–45(–60) × 9–16(–20) mm, widest at or below middle, membranous, base cuneate to obtuse, margins 1(–2)-serrate, teeth 12–22 per side, on distal 3/4–4/5 of margin, acute, eglandular, apex acute, sometimes obtuse, abaxial surfaces pale green, usually sparsely pubescent, eglandular, adaxial green, dull, glabrous, rarely puberulent.

stipules 4–6 × 1–2 mm, auricles 5–7(–10) mm, surfaces glabrous;

petiole and rachis sometimes with pricklets, glabrous, eglandular;

leaflets: terminal larger than laterals, base cuneate, margins 1-serrate, teeth 20–30 per side, tipped with dark glands, apex acute or acuminate, abaxial surfaces usually with pricklets on midveins.

Inflorescences

corymbs, sometimes panicles or solitary flowers, 1–12-flowered.

Pedicels

erect, sometimes recurved, slender, 10–22 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes finely puberulent, eglandular, rarely stipulate-glandular;

bracts 2–3, lanceolate, 8–14 × 3–6 mm, margins entire, sometimes serrate, irregularly stipitate-glandular and/or erose, surfaces glabrous or pubescent, eglandular.

densely setose;

bracts attached near base, lanceolate, 5 × 2–3 mm, margins not ciliate, surfaces glabrous, eglandular.

Flowers

2.4–3.8 cm diam.;

hypanthium ovoid-urceolate, 3–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous, rarely setose, eglandular, neck (0–)0.5–1 × 2 mm;

sepals spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 10–17 × 1.5–3 mm, tip 3–7(–10) × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins entire, abaxial surfaces sometimes puberulent, densely or sparsely stipitate-glandular, rarely eglandular;

petals single, pink to deep pink, 12–18 × 10–18 mm;

stamens 75;

carpels 22–35, styles exsert 1–2 mm beyond stylar orifice (1 mm diam.) of hypanthial disc (3.5 mm diam.).

1(or 2);

hypanthium 5–9 × 4–6 mm, densely setose, setae 2–3 mm, some gland-tipped;

sepal tip 5–10 × 2 mm;

petals 25–35 × 25–30 mm;

styles exsert 1–2 mm beyond hypanthium orifice.

Hips

scarlet, globose, sometimes subglobose or ovoid, 7–15 × 7–13 mm, fleshy, glabrous, eglandular, rarely setose- or stipitate-glandular, neck (0–)1–1.5 × 1.5–3.5 mm;

sepals persistent, erect.

leathery, base elongate, 7–12 mm, neck 1–2 × 6–9 mm.

Achenes

basiparietal, 5–35, tan, 3–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm.

20–30, light tan, 6–8 × 3–4 mm.

2n

= 14, 28.

= 14.

Rosa pisocarpa

Rosa laevigata

Phenology Flowering (Feb–)Apr–Jun.
Habitat Swamp edges, pastures, fence and hedge rows, abandoned fields, roadsides, pine barrens, disturbed areas
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, s Africa, Atlantic Islands (Madeira), Pacific Islands (Hawaii)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

By the nineteenth century, Rosa laevigata was widely found in the southern United States as a hedging shrub, being commonly distributed by stem cuttings and rhizomes, representing relatively few clones (C. A. Walker 1996; Walker and D. J. Werner 1997). The species was named and described from plants collected in Georgia in the 1790s by A. Michaux, who was unaware that his newly discovered species was native to Asia. This suggests a very old introduction into the United States, where it occurs only in the southeast to eastern Texas and the Carolinas. Shrubs form dense, rhizomatous thickets with stems capable of climbing to 100 dm. Leaves are persistent and leathery with mostly three leaflets and stipules free for most of their lengths, then caducous. Inflorescences consist of one (rarely two) white-petaled flowers and have densely setose hypanthia and hips.

In China, where the species is considered one of the most beautiful and cherished of roses, Rosa laevigata has a long history of use by herbal practitioners to treat bronchitis, dysentery, and urogenital disorders, and to restore hair color (J. A. Duke and E. S. Ayensu 1985, vol. 2).

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

Key
1. Inflorescences (1–)3–12-flowered; sepal abaxial surfaces usually stipitate-glandular, tips to 10 mm; infrastipular prickles (1–)2; hips usually globose, rarely subglobose, abruptly narrowed to necks 1.5–3 mm diam.; leaflets most commonly 7, terminal blade 15–35 mm.
subsp. pisocarpa
1. Inflorescences 1–3(–10+)-flowered; sepal abaxial surfaces usually eglandular, rarely stipitate-glandular, tips to 7 mm; infrastipular prickles 0–1(–2); hips subglobose to ovoid, gradually to abruptly narrowed to necks 2.5–3.5 mm diam.; leaflets most commonly 5, terminal blade 20–45(–60) mm.
subsp. ahartii
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 109. FNA vol. 9, p. 87.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Roseae > Rosa > subg. Rosa > sect. Rosa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Roseae > Rosa > subg. Rosa > sect. Laevigatae
Sibling taxa
R. acicularis, R. arkansana, R. blanda, R. bracteata, R. bridgesii, R. californica, 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. 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. californica, R. canina, R. carolina, R. cinnamomea, R. foliolosa, R. gallica, R. glauca, R. gymnocarpa, 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
Subordinate taxa
R. pisocarpa subsp. ahartii, R. pisocarpa subsp. pisocarpa
Synonyms R. cherokeensis
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 382. (1872) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 295. (1803)
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