Rosa sericea Lindl.

Four forms can be recognized: f. sericea, which has leaflets abaxially pubescent, non-glandular; f. glandulosa T. T. Yü & T. C. Ku (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 503. 1980), which has leaflets abaxially pubescent and glandular; f. glabrescens Franchet (Pl. Delavay. 220. 1890), which has leaflets abaxially glabrous or subglabrous; and f. pteracantha Franchet (loc. cit.), which has branches with broad, flat, winglike prickles.

Shrubs erect, 1–2 m tall. Branchlets robust; prickles absent or in pairs below leaves and scattered, terete, to 1.2 cm, fine to robust, abruptly flaring to a broad base, or prickles winglike, to 1.2 cm and 3.5 cm in diam.; bristles sometimes dense. Leaves including petiole 3.5–8 cm; stipules mostly adnate to petiole, free parts auriculate, pubescent or glabrous, margin glandular; rachis and petiole pubescent, sometimes sparsely prickly and glandular-pubescent; leaflets (5–)7–11(–13), ovate or obovate, rarely obovate-oblong, 8–20 × 5–8 mm, abaxially sericeous-villous or subglabrous to glabrous, glandular or not, adaxially glabrous, rugose, base broadly cuneate, margin serrate in upper part, entire below, apex rounded-obtuse or acute. Flower solitary, axillary, 2.5–5 cm in diam.; pedicels 1–2 cm, glabrous; bracts absent. Hypanthium obovoid or globose, subglabrous. Sepals 4, ovate-lanceolate, abaxially sparsely pubescent or subglabrous, adaxially villous, margin entire, apex acuminate or acute. Petals 4, white, broadly obovate, base broadly cuneate, apex emarginate. Styles free, shorter than stamens, slightly exserted, villous. Hip red or purple-brown, obovoid or globose, 8–15 mm in diam., glabrous, with persistent, erect sepals; pedicel 1–2 cm, glabrous, usually not fleshy. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 14.

Himalaya (Chamba to Bhutan), Tibet, Assam, N. Burma, W. China.

Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sikkim].

2200-4600 m

Sparse woods, forest margins, scrub, valley slopes, dry valleys, cliffs, mountain summits, gravels, dry sunny places; 2000--4400 m.

Rosa tetrapetala Royle; R. wallichii Trattinnick.