Rosa sericea

Rosa sericea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Rosa
Species:	R. sericea
Binomial name
	Rosa sericea; Lindl.

Rosa sericea, the silky rose,^[1] is a species of flowering plant.

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

Distribution

It is native to south-western China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), Bhutan, northern India (Sikkim), Nepal and Myanmar; it grows in mountains at altitudes of 2,000–4,400 m (6,600–14,400 feet).

Description

It is a shrub growing 2 m (6+1⁄2 feet) tall and is often very spiny. The leaves are deciduous, 4–8 cm (1+5⁄8–3+1⁄8 inches) long, with 7–11 leaflets with a serrated margin. The flowers are 2.5–5 cm (1–2 inches) diameter, white, with (unusually for a rose) only four petals. The hips are red, 8–15 mm (5⁄16–19⁄32 inch) diameter, with persistent sepals, and often bristly.

Forms

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.

Cultivation and uses

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

The plant, called se ba in the Tibetan language, has been used in traditional Tibetan medicine. In addition, silky rose hips were used as weights for measuring gold and silver in Tibet.^{[citation needed]}