ROSA CHINENSIS f. SPONTANEA Reprinted with permission of the Author
Rosaceae
Martyn Rix
Part 2 (Part 1 http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/qcsFrm.php?XHR=1&qcID=45979)

With three accompanying photographs in "Photos" section.

(1914), which consists of accounts of genera
and new species based on E. H. Wilson’s specimens from his
expeditions to China between 1904 and 1910. It was first collected
by Augustine Henry near the Ichang gorges in western Hubei in
1902, and Henry (1902) described his discovery of the wild form of
R. chinensis in The Gardener’s Chronicle, where it is illustrated by a
line drawing by Matilda Smith. It was flowering in April in the Sanyu-
tung glen, which leads off the Ichang Gorge.

Augustine Henry has already been mentioned above under
Saruma henryi. In 1910, Wilson collected specimens of f. spontanea in
fruit in north-central and north-western Sichuan, but does not
appear to have seen it in flower nor introduced the plant into
cultivation. There is also a specimen in K, collected by Rock in
Gansu. It was not seen again by foreign botanists until Mikinori
Ogisu found it in 1983, flowering in SW Sichuan near Leibo
(Phillips & Rix, 1988). In this area the plants formed large shrubs
with arching and scrambling branches and the flowers were pale
pink on opening, becoming dark red as they aged. A few years later
Mr Ogisu found it again near Pingwu, and here the flowers were
more variable in colour, some showing the typical colour change,
others opening and remaining pale. Again the habit was variable,
the plants becoming tall, robust climbers where they could ascend
into trees, but forming shrubs with arching branches in open scrub,
or even compact bushes where they were heavily grazed. Familiar
plants growing with the roses were Rosa banksiae var normalis, Lonicera
nitida, Photinia davidiana (Phillips & Rix, 1988, 2004). It is from this
area that the flowering plant illustrated here originated. The hip
and seeds illustrated in the line drawing were from a herbarium
specimen collected by W.P. Fang in August 1928 on Omei-shan;
3500–4000 ft, in thickets (Fang 2404). Ogisu (pers comm.) has also
seen the species in other parts of Sichuan, including in warm
temperate forest at the foot of Omeishan. Mikinagi (2002) reported
great variety of colour from pale buff to dark red, with and without
colour change.

The colour change, from pale to dark, shown by the flowers of
this species is very unusual if not unique in roses. The character is
absent from many cultivars, but very striking in a few, such as the
China rose, ‘Sophie’s Perpetual’. In other varieties, such as
‘Sanguinea’ and many Tea roses, the change is associated with
temperature, winter flowers being pale, those produced in summer
dark red.

Both Rehder & Wilson (1914) and Flora of China (Gu &
Robertson, 2003) refer to R. lucidissima Le´veille´ in Fedde Repert.
9:444(1911). Rehder & Wilson (l.c.) say that it is conspecific with
Rosa chinensis f. spontanea. Rehder (1932) says that it is ‘‘probably a
hybrid’’ between R. laevigata Michx. and R. chinensis. Boulenger
(1936), says that the type specimen Cavalerie 990 in E, is R. laevigata
and that the flower colour is unimportant. Lauener (1970), also
considers this specimen to be R. laevigata. There is also a specimen
of this collection, Cavalerie 990 from the province of Kwei-Chou, in
K, and it is red-flowered, but otherwise similar to R. laevigata.
The authors of the account of Rosa in Flora of China (Gu &
Robertson, 2003) consider R. lucidissima a distinct species in section
Chinenses, recorded from Guizhou, Hubei and Sichuan and
distinguished by having prickly, setose branchlets, leaves pale
green on the underside with three or rarely five leaflets and flowers
with a setose receptacle and purplish-red petals.

I have examined the specimens labelled R. lucidissima inK, Cav. 990,
Cav. 3927 and 3942. The first, mentioned above, is R. laevigata, and
this is the type. The other two specimens are Rosa chinensis f. spontanea
in a form in which all leaves have only three leaflets. Most specimens
of f. spontanea contain plants with both three and five leaflets, e.g. Henry
1151, but a form with three leaflets only is also represented in Henry’s
collections e.g. Henry 4131, from near Ichang.

of R. chinensis in The Gardener’s Chronicle, where it is illustrated by a
line drawing by Matilda Smith. It was flowering in April in the Sanyu-
tung glen, which leads off the Ichang Gorge.

Augustine Henry has already been mentioned above under
Saruma henryi. In 1910, Wilson collected specimens of f. spontanea in
fruit in north-central and north-western Sichuan, but does not
appear to have seen it in flower nor introduced the plant into
cultivation. There is also a specimen in K, collected by Rock in
Gansu. It was not seen again by foreign botanists until Mikinori
Ogisu found it in 1983, flowering in SW Sichuan near Leibo
(Phillips & Rix, 1988). In this area the plants formed large shrubs
with arching and scrambling branches and the flowers were pale
pink on opening, becoming dark red as they aged. A few years later
Mr Ogisu found it again near Pingwu, and here the flowers were
more variable in colour, some showing the typical colour change,
others opening and remaining pale. Again the habit was variable,
the plants becoming tall, robust climbers where they could ascend
into trees, but forming shrubs with arching branches in open scrub,
or even compact bushes where they were heavily grazed. Familiar
plants growing with the roses were Rosa banksiae var normalis, Lonicera
nitida, Photinia davidiana (Phillips & Rix, 1988, 2004). It is from this
area that the flowering plant illustrated here originated. The hip
and seeds illustrated in the line drawing were from a herbarium
specimen collected by W.P. Fang in August 1928 on Omei-shan;
3500–4000 ft, in thickets (Fang 2404). Ogisu (pers comm.) has also
seen the species in other parts of Sichuan, including in warm
temperate forest at the foot of Omeishan. Mikinagi (2002) reported
great variety of colour from pale buff to dark red, with and without
colour change.

The colour change, from pale to dark, shown by the flowers of
this species is very unusual if not unique in roses. The character is
absent from many cultivars, but very striking in a few, such as the
China rose, ‘Sophie’s Perpetual’. In other varieties, such as
‘Sanguinea’ and many Tea roses, the change is associated with
temperature, winter flowers being pale, those produced in summer
dark red.

Both Rehder & Wilson (1914) and Flora of China (Gu &
Robertson, 2003) refer to R. lucidissima Le´veille´ in Fedde Repert.
9:444(1911). Rehder & Wilson (l.c.) say that it is conspecific with
Rosa chinensis f. spontanea. Rehder (1932) says that it is ‘‘probably a
hybrid’’ between R. laevigata Michx. and R. chinensis. Boulenger
(1936), says that the type specimen Cavalerie 990 in E, is R. laevigata
and that the flower colour is unimportant. Lauener (1970), also
considers this specimen to be R. laevigata. There is also a specimen
of this collection, Cavalerie 990 from the province of Kwei-Chou, in
K, and it is red-flowered, but otherwise similar to R. laevigata.
The authors of the account of Rosa in Flora of China (Gu &
Robertson, 2003) consider R. lucidissima a distinct species in section
Chinenses, recorded from Guizhou, Hubei and Sichuan and
distinguished by having prickly, setose branchlets, leaves pale
green on the underside with three or rarely five leaflets and flowers
with a setose receptacle and purplish-red petals.

I have examined the specimens labelled R. lucidissima inK, Cav. 990,
Cav. 3927 and 3942. The first, mentioned above, is R. laevigata, and
this is the type. The other two specimens are Rosa chinensis f. spontanea
in a form in which all leaves have only three leaflets. Most specimens
of f. spontanea contain plants with both three and five leaflets, e.g. Henry
1151, but a form with three leaflets only is also represented in Henry’s
collections e.g. Henry 4131, from near Ichang.

HABITAT. Rocky slopes and hills, usually on limestone and shales, 500–
1950 m.

FLOWERING TIME. March–May.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The author would like to thank Mikinori Ogisu for his guidance and help with the finding of this rose and other interesting plants in China.

REFERENCES
Boulenger G.A. (1936). Revision des Roses d’Asie. Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 14:
197.
Bunyard, Edward (1936). Old Garden Roses. Country Life, London.
Gu Cuizhi & Robertson, Kenneth R. (2003). Rosa in Wu, Z-y. & Raven,
P.M. (eds.) Flora of China 9: 368–369. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri
Botanic Garden Press (St. Louis).
Henry, A. (1902). Wild Chinese Roses. Gard. Chron. ser. 3, xxxi:438, fig. 170.
Jacquin, N.J. (1768). Observationem botanicarum iconibus ab auctore delineatis illustratum
3:7, t. 55. Vienna.
Lauener, L.A. (1970). Catalogue of the names published by Hector Le´veille´:
vi. Notes R. B. G. Ed. xxx, no 2: 239–294.
Linnaeus, C. (1753). Rosa indica. Species Plantarum 492.
Mikinagi, Yuki (2002). Wild Roses in Sichuan, China. World Rose News, June
2002:7–8.
Needham, J. (1986). Science and Civilisation in China. Vol. 6:1. Cambridge
University Press.
Petiver, James. (1702). Gazophylacium 56, t. 35, fig. 11.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1988). Roses. Macmillan, London.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (2004). The Ultimate Rose Guide. Macmillan, London.
Rehder, A. (1932). Ligneous plants described by Le´veille´. Journ. Arn. Arbor. 13: 316.

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