White Rose - Rosa gallica x R. corymbifera = R. x alba
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Species Description
Widespread but very scattered. Habitat includes: hedgerows.
Stace 4:
Rosa x alba L. (R. x collina Jacq. non Woods; parentage unknown) - White Rose (of York).
Stems erect to spreading, to 2m, with slightly curved prickles; leaflets hairy at least on veins on lowerside, sharply uniserrate; flowers white (to pink), fully or partially flore pleno, 6-8(9cm) across; pedicels 3-5cm, glandular-hyspid; sepals reflexed after flowering; fruit ovoid, 1.5-2cm, sparsely glandular-hispid; orifice of disc ≥1/3 its total width; (2n=42). Neophyte-naturalised; in hedges and other marginal sites; very scattered in England, Kirkcudbrights, Isle of Man, Channel Islands; garden origin.
Key:
- Styles exserted or not, free (may appear fused in dried material)
- Fruit red when ripe; leaflets mainly 5-7; flowers with 1 or more much reduced leaves (bracts) at base of pedicels
- At least some sepals lobed or with strongly expanded tips or abruptly narrowed at apex, if more or less entire then patent to reflexed and / or falling before fruit ripe
- Petioles and leaflets tomentose to hairy on lowerside, at least on midrib and lateral veins
- Petiole and rachis distinctly furrowed; flowers 6-8cm across, flore pleno to some degree, usually white