Gardeners’ Chronicle 31(809): 438-439 (June 28, 1902) WILD CHINESE ROSES Augustine Henry
The illustration now given (fig. 171) is taken from my No. 5552, which was collected in South Wushan, in Szechwan, in ravines and hedges, at 2000 to 3000 feet altitude. This Rose is also common in the province of Hupeh, in the Yangtse gorges near Ichang, where it is a large climber, hanging down from cliffs (my Nos. 1153, 2922, 3198). In my specimens the plant is glabrous, always armed with hooked prickles, somewhat dilated at the base. The leaflets are generally five in number, though three and seven occur; they are more or less ovate-lanceolate and serrulate. The stipules are very characteristic, being long bristles; they drop off early, and are only to be seen on some of the flowering specimens. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant; they are borne in false umbels, which are generally many-flowered, but in some cases are much reduced, so that only two flowers occur.
Delavay's Yunnan specimens at Kew are only in fruit; they show seven leaflets, and are glabrous and prickly. Franchet, however, in describing the flowering specimens sent by Delavay, says that they are unarmed sometimes, and that three and five leaflets occur, which are pubescent on the median nerve, and occasionally also on the petioles and petiolules. Potanin's specimens are very pubescent on the petioles and petiolules.
There are specimens at Kew, No. 10,508, which were obtained by my native collector in Yunnan. They are semi-double, and evidently cultivated; they have long, narrow, small leaflets, seven in number.
The Banksia Rose has long been cultivated in China, and from that country it has been introduced into Japan and Europe. It is known to the Chinese as Mu-hsiang, i.e., "wood-fragrance." It is figured and described in the Chih-wu-ming, xxi., 47, as a cultivated double-flowering Rose, with five-foliolate leaves. The author mentions several kinds: "That with small white flowers which have a purple centre, is most deliciously fragrant. The non-fragrant variety has yellow flowers, with a green centre." He also speaks of a third kind, with large, white flowers, not remarkable for their fragrance. His remarks on the two first kinds agree with the figures of the forms originally introduced into England. The cultivated yellow double-flowered variety is less fragrant than the white-flowering kind in this country; and the stigmas, &c., in the centre of the double flowers show the difference in colour in the two kinds that is noted by the Chinese author. The Chinese Herbal mentions the Banksia Rose as having small fragrant flowers, and this work was written in 1578.
Rosa microcarpa, Ldl., bears a considerable resemblance to Rosa Banksiae in the shape of the leaflets and of the stipules, and in the smallness of the flowers and fruit; but in it the styles are coherent. The most obvious distinction lies in the outer sepals of Rosa microcarpa, which have spinules on the back, and denticulate or spinuliform appendages on the margins. These spinules, are totally wanting in Rosa Banksiae.
Rosa Colletti, Crépin, discovered in the Shan States of Burma, is very close to R. microcarpa, agreeing with it in styles, appendaged sepals, &c. It is apparently a tomentose geographical form of that species, and is interesting, because we find in certain plants (such as Albizzia Julibrissin), tomentose forms as we leave China and get into the warmer regions of Burma and India.
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Gardeners’ Chronicle 31(809): 438-439 (June 28, 1902)
WILD CHINESE ROSES
Augustine Henry
The illustration now given (fig. 171) is taken from my No. 5552, which was collected in South Wushan, in Szechwan, in ravines and hedges, at 2000 to 3000 feet altitude. This Rose is also common in the province of Hupeh, in the Yangtse gorges near Ichang, where it is a large climber, hanging down from cliffs (my Nos. 1153, 2922, 3198). In my specimens the plant is glabrous, always armed with hooked prickles, somewhat dilated at the base. The leaflets are generally five in number, though three and seven occur; they are more or less ovate-lanceolate and serrulate. The stipules are very characteristic, being long bristles; they drop off early, and are only to be seen on some of the flowering specimens. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant; they are borne in false umbels, which are generally many-flowered, but in some cases are much reduced, so that only two flowers occur.
Delavay's Yunnan specimens at Kew are only in fruit; they show seven leaflets, and are glabrous and prickly. Franchet, however, in describing the flowering specimens sent by Delavay, says that they are unarmed sometimes, and that three and five leaflets occur, which are pubescent on the median nerve, and occasionally also on the petioles and petiolules. Potanin's specimens are very pubescent on the petioles and petiolules.
There are specimens at Kew, No. 10,508, which were obtained by my native collector in Yunnan. They are semi-double, and evidently cultivated; they have long, narrow, small leaflets, seven in number.
The Banksia Rose has long been cultivated in China, and from that country it has been introduced into Japan and Europe. It is known to the Chinese as Mu-hsiang, i.e., "wood-fragrance." It is figured and described in the Chih-wu-ming, xxi., 47, as a cultivated double-flowering Rose, with five-foliolate leaves. The author mentions several kinds: "That with small white flowers which have a purple centre, is most deliciously fragrant. The non-fragrant variety has yellow flowers, with a green centre." He also speaks of a third kind, with large, white flowers, not remarkable for their fragrance. His remarks on the two first kinds agree with the figures of the forms originally introduced into England. The cultivated yellow double-flowered variety is less fragrant than the white-flowering kind in this country; and the stigmas, &c., in the centre of the double flowers show the difference in colour in the two kinds that is noted by the Chinese author. The Chinese Herbal mentions the Banksia Rose as having small fragrant flowers, and this work was written in 1578.
Rosa microcarpa, Ldl., bears a considerable resemblance to Rosa Banksiae in the shape of the leaflets and of the stipules, and in the smallness of the flowers and fruit; but in it the styles are coherent. The most obvious distinction lies in the outer sepals of Rosa microcarpa, which have spinules on the back, and denticulate or spinuliform appendages on the margins. These spinules, are totally wanting in Rosa Banksiae.
Rosa Colletti, Crépin, discovered in the Shan States of Burma, is very close to R. microcarpa, agreeing with it in styles, appendaged sepals, &c. It is apparently a tomentose geographical form of that species, and is interesting, because we find in certain plants (such as Albizzia Julibrissin), tomentose forms as we leave China and get into the warmer regions of Burma and India.