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climbing prairie rose, climbing rose, prairie rose

bristly rose, Nootka rose, wild rose

Habit Shrubs, loosely clustered or forming dense thickets.
Stems

erect to procumbent and vinelike, 10–20(–60) dm;

bark of canes green to light brown;

prickles infrastipular and internodal, single or paired, declined, usually curved, sometimes erect, stout, 3–4 × 7–9 mm, broad-based, sometimes mixed with aciculi, rarely absent.

erect or spreading, stout or lax, 4–25(–40) dm, densely or openly branched;

bark dull reddish brown, older wood with gray exfoliate, glabrous;

infrastipular prickles 0–2, erect, curved, or hooked, often flattened, stout, subulate, sometimes deltoid, (2–)3–15(–20) × 2–10(–15) mm, base glabrous, internodal prickles usually sparse or absent, smaller, mixed with aciculi, sometimes absent.

Leaves

deciduous, 8–12 cm;

stipules narrowly lanceolate, 12–15 × 0.5–3 mm, auricles flared, 3–4 mm, margins entire, sometimes fimbriate, stipitate-glandular, surfaces glabrous, sparsely glandular;

petiole and rachis with or without pricklets, usually pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

leaflets 3 (mostly younger stems)–5 (older stems), terminal: petiolule 10–16 mm, blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, (30–)48(–70) × (20–)27(–40) mm, membranous or leathery, base rounded or obtuse, margins 1(–2)-serrate, teeth (18–)35(–42) per side, coarse, gland-tipped, apex usually acuminate, abaxial surfaces pale green, glabrous or pubescent to tomentose, sometimes sessile- and/or stipitate-glandular, adaxial darker green, dull, glabrous.

(3–)5–12(–17) cm;

stipules 12–20(–28) × 3–5(–10) mm, auricles flared, 3–6(–10) mm, margins sinuate or shallowly serrate, sparsely to ± densely stipitate-glandular, surfaces glabrous, rarely pubescent, eglandular;

petiole and rachis with pricklets absent or sparse, glabrous or pubescent, sessile- or stipitate-glandular;

leaflets 5–7(–9), terminal: petiolule (3–)5–17 mm, blade ovate, elliptic, or suborbiculate, rarely cordate or oblong, (14–)20–55(–63) × (6–)10–30(–40) mm, firm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins 1–2+-serrate, teeth 8–20 per side, often broad-based 2–4 mm, acute to obtuse, eglandular or gland-tipped, apex acute or obtuse, rarely acuminate, abaxial surfaces green, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, eglandular or sessile-glandular, adaxial green, dull, glabrous.

Panicles

(1–)6(–15+)-flowered.

Inflorescences

corymbs, 1–3(–9)-flowered.

Pedicels

15–25 mm, glabrous, stipitate-glandular;

bracts 1 or 2, narrowly lanceolate, 10–30 × 1–2 mm, margins short stipitate-glandular, surfaces glabrous, eglandular.

erect or recurved, slender to stout, 10–20(–33) mm, glabrous, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular;

bracts 1 or 2(or 3), ovate, 13–20 × 4–9 mm, margins entire, surfaces glabrous, glandular or eglandular.

Flowers

functionally unisexual or monoecious, plants dioecious, 3–5 cm diam.;

hypanthium ovoid, 4–6 × 4–5 mm, stipitate-glandular;

sepals narrowly to broadly ovate-lanceolate, 10–18 × 2–4 mm, margins entire, tip 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm, abaxial surfaces pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

petals single, rose-purple to pink, fading to white, 18–25 × 16–25 mm;

stamens 212;

carpels 20–25, styles glabrous, exsert 5–6 mm beyond stylar orifice rims (0.5 mm diam.), hypanthial disc 2–3 mm diam.

(3.5–)4.5–7(–8.5) cm diam.;

hypanthium globose to subglobose or ovoid, 4–10 × 5–8.5 mm, glabrous, eglandular, sometimes setose-glandular, neck (0–)0.5–1.5 × 3–6 mm;

sepals spreading, lanceolate, 14–25(–35) × (2–)3–4 mm, tip 5–10(–20) × 1–3 mm, margins entire, abaxial surfaces glabrous or slightly hairy, stipitate-glandular and sessile-glandular or eglandular;

petals single, pink to deep rose, (15–)20–32 × (15–)20–32 mm;

stamens 100;

carpels 28–58, styles exsert 1 mm beyond stylar orifice (2–2.5 mm diam.) of hypanthial disc (5 mm diam.).

Hips

bright red, subglobose to globose, 6–10 × 6–9 mm, firm, sparsely stipitate-glandular often undeveloped because of dioecy, then early deciduous.

red, orange-red, or purplish red, globose, depressed-globose, ovoid, oblong, or urceolate, (8–)10–20(–24) × 10–20(+) mm, fleshy, glabrous, sometimes setose, eglandular or glandular, neck (0–)1–2 × (4–)5–8 mm;

sepals persistent, erect, sometimes spreading.

Achenes

17–22, fawn, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm.

basiparietal, (1–)16–40, tan to dark tan, 4–6 × 2–4 mm.

2n

= 14.

Rosa setigera

Rosa nutkana

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Prairies, savannas, woodland borders, clearings, open fields, abandoned pastures, waste areas, roadsides, fence rows
Elevation 100–500 m (300–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON [Introduced in Europe (Channel Islands)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the eastern United States Rosa setigera has been introduced from the Midwest or escaped from cultivation (W. H. Lewis 1959b). Based primarily on herbarium records, R. setigera is introduced in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia; other states (Alabama, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) probably have both native and introduced populations.

Rosa setigera is the only native rose with procumbent or climbing stems to 60 dm with three leaflets on younger stems and five on older stems, and with unisexual flowers and caducous sepals.

Rosa setigera is the only species of sect. Systylae native to North America. The species is distinct from other members of the section in its flavonoid patterns, which show linkages to sect. Cinnamomeae [= sect. Rosa] (C. Grossi et al. 1998); it is also the only dioecious species of the genus. Microscopic floral characters are detailed elsewhere (W. H. Lewis 1959b; P. G. Kevan et al. 1990; J. R. Kemp et al. 1993, 1993b).

Since 1886, Rosa setigera has been used also as one parent in climbing hybrid cultivars produced in central Europe to increase hardiness and vigorous growth.

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

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Rosa nutkana is a widespread, polymorphic, hexaploid species that occurs from coastal Alaska to northern California, and eastward in the Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico (W. H. Lewis and B. Ertter 2007). Flowers and hips are usually solitary and significantly larger than in most sympatric species, and sepal tips are usually conspicuously prolonged and expanded. Eglandular and stipitate-glandular or setose hips can occur in the same population.

A presumed hybrid between subsp. nutkana (6x) and Rosa rugosa (2x) has been reported from Washington state. In Colorado, at the southeasternmost range of R. nutkana, a putative hybrid between subsp. melina and R. acicularis subsp. sayi has been recognized as R. ×engelmannii S. Watson. It is based on such intermediate characteristics as few infrastipular prickles with interspersed aciculi on distal stems and fertile branches, sparsely stipitate-glandular abaxial sepal surfaces, petioles and rachises with few pricklets, and blade margins 1- or multi-serrate.

Among the Lillooet and Thompson tribes of southwestern British Columbia, Rosa nutkana is considered of high value for use in traditional medicine (N. J. Turner 1988). They do not distinguish R. acicularis and R. woodsii from R. nutkana and use them similarly; R. gymnocarpa is distinct in name and use. Root extracts of R. nutkana, probably subsp. nutkana, were found to be active against an enteric coronavirus in antiviral screening (A. R. McCutcheon et al. 1995).

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

Key
1. Stems 4–10(–15) dm, internodes 2–2.5 cm; prickles (fertile branches) usually curved or hooked, rarely erect, rarely absent; sepal abaxial surfaces sessile- or stipitate-glandular; 2500–3800 m, s Rocky Mountains to Wasatch Mountains.
subsp. melina
1. Stems (6–)10–30(–40) dm, internodes 2–6.5 cm; prickles (fertile branches) erect, rarely curved, sometimes absent; sepal abaxial surfaces stipitate-glandular or eglandular; 0–2300 m, coast to n Rocky Mountains
→ 2
2. Shrubs densely branched; internodes 2–4 cm; infrastipular prickles rarely absent; terminal leaflets abaxially glandular or eglandular, margins usually 2+-serrate, teeth gland-tipped; Alaska to n California w of Cascade Mountains.
subsp. nutkana
2. Shrubs openly branched; internodes 5–6.5 cm; infrastipular prickles usually absent; terminal leaflets abaxially usually eglandular, margins 1-serrate, teeth eglandular; e Cascade Mountains to n Rocky Mountains.
subsp. macdougalii
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 83. FNA vol. 9, p. 112.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Roseae > Rosa > subg. Rosa > sect. Systylae 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. 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. 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. laevigata, R. lucieae, R. minutifolia, R. mollis, R. multiflora, R. nitida, 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. nutkana subsp. macdougalii, R. nutkana subsp. melina, R. nutkana subsp. nutkana
Synonyms R. rubifolia, R. setigera var. elatior, R. setigera var. glabra, R. setigera var. tomentosa
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 295. (1803) C. Presl: Abh. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., ser. 5, 6: 563. (1851)
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