Rosa luciae (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Rosa luciae Franch. & Rochebr. ex Crép.

Family: Rosaceae

Synonyms

• Rosa philippinensis Merr.

Vernacular names

• Philippines: sibsibit (Bontoc).

Distribution

Philippines (Luzon), Japan, Taiwan, eastern China and Korea.

Uses

In the Philippines the stems are used for binding and fencing. R. luciae is cultivated as an ornamental.

Observations

• Suberect to straggling, more or less scandent shrub, up to 4 m tall.
• Stems with 2 prickles under each leaf.
• Leaves imparipinnate, spirally arranged, up to 10 cm long; stipules adnate; petiole up to 2.6 cm long; leaflets 7 or 9, base obtuse to rounded, margin serrate, apex obtuse to acute.
• Inflorescence a terminal raceme or thyrsus, 7-30-flowered.
• Flowers strongly fragrant; sepals 5, up to 7 mm × 3.3 mm; petals 5, white, (broadly) obovate, up to 18 mm × 11 mm.
• Fruit a hypanthium (hip), bluish-black, enclosing 1-seeded achenes.

R. luciae is found in thickets, in the Philippines at altitudes of 1200-1700 m. Several varieties are distinguished and hybrids occur of R. luciae and R. multiflora Thunb., the latter grown as an ornamental in Java and elsewhere.

Selected sources

15, 47, 197.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch