| Rosa rubiginosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Growing wild nearToronto | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Rosa |
| Species: | R. rubiginosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Rosa rubiginosa | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
List
| |
Rosa rubiginosa (sweet briar,[3]sweetbriar rose,[4]sweet brier oreglantine;[3]syn.R. eglanteria) is a species ofrose native toEurope and westernAsia.
It is a densedeciduousshrub 2–3 meters high and across, with the stems bearing numerously hookedprickles. Thefoliage has a strongapple-like fragrance. Theleaves are pinnately compound, 5–9 cm long, with 5–9 rounded to oval leaflets with a serrated margin, and numerous glandular hairs. Theflowers are 1.8–3 cm in diameter, the five petals being pink with a white base, and the numerous stamens yellow; the flowers are produced in clusters of 2–7 together, from late spring to mid-summer. The fruit is a globose to oblong redhip 1–2 cm in diameter.
Its nameeglantine is fromMiddle Englisheglentyn, fromOld Frenchaiglantin (adj.), fromaiglent 'sweetbrier', fromVulgar Latin *aculentus (with the ending ofspinulentus 'thorny, prickly'), from Latinaculeus 'prickle', fromacus 'needle'.Sweet refers to the sweet, apple fragrance of the leaves, whilebriar ~brier refers to it being a thorny bush.[5]
Rosa rubiginosa is native to most of Europe with the exception of the extreme north (above61°N), where it inhabits pastures and thorny bushes from themontane to thesubalpine floor, with a sunny, continental climate. It is somewhat rare, with isolated specimens near roads and pastures frequented by cattle. Its presence is doubtful in western Asia. InSouthern Europe it lives in higher altitudes, usually 1,000 to 1,700 m (3,300 to 5,600 ft).[6] InPortugal it is classified asCritically Endangered and is restricted to theSerra da Estrela range.[7]
In addition to its pink flowers, it is valued for its scent and the hips that form after the flowers and persist well into the winter.[citation needed]
DuringWorld War II, the British relied on rose hips andhops as presumed sources ofvitamins A andC, leading to the British wartime expression: "We are getting by on our hips and hops."[8]
Rosa rubiginosa has become aninvasive species in most ofArgentine Patagonia and in the south ofChile, particularly where the steppe meets the forest. Cattle spread the seed efficiently through their feces. Poor knowledge of how detrimental it is to the local economy and native species has ledRosa rubiginosa to become an existing invasive threat, causing several millions of dollars' worth of damage each year.[9] It is an invasive species in southeastAustralia,[10] and is classified as a restricted plant in New Zealand banned from sale, propagation and distribution in the Auckland,[11] Canterbury,[12] and Southland regions. TheNew Zealand Department of Conservation classifiesR. rubiginosa as an "environmental weed".[13] The plant is present in extensive areas of pasture andtussock grasslands in theOtago andCanterbury regions, where the seeds are spread by cattle,possums and birds that eat the hips. Growth from seed is aided by the reduction in competing pasture by rabbits.[14] It is listed as a Category 1 Declared Weed inSouth Africa. These plants may no longer be planted or propagated, and all trade in their seeds, cuttings or other propagative material is prohibited.[15]
