Rosa sericea Lindl.

About Rosa sericea Lindl.

Rosa sericea Lindl. is a typically very spiny shrub that grows 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) tall. Its leaves are deciduous, reaching 4–8 cm (1 5/8–3 1/8 inches) in length, and bear 7–11 leaflets with serrated margins. Flowers are 2.5–5 cm (1–2 inches) in diameter, white, and unusually for roses, have only four petals. The resulting rose hips are red, 8–15 mm (5/16–19/32 inch) in diameter, have persistent sepals, and are often bristly. This species is native to south-western China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), Bhutan, northern India (Sikkim), Nepal, and Myanmar, where it grows in mountainous areas at altitudes between 2,000–4,400 m (6,600–14,400 feet). The form Rosa sericea f. pteracantha is cultivated as an ornamental plant valued for its large, bright red thorns. Known as se ba in Tibetan, the plant is used in traditional Tibetan medicine. Historically, its silky rose hips were also used as weights for measuring gold and silver in Tibet.