Rosa canina

Rosa canina, commonly known as the dog rose, is a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. The dog rose is a deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from 1–5 metres (3.3–16.4 ft), though it can scramble higher into the crowns of taller trees. Its multiple arching stems, are covered with small, sharp, hooked prickles, which aid it in climbing. The leaves are pinnate, with 5–7 leaflets, and have a delicious fragrance when bruised. The dog rose blooms from June to July, with sweet-scented flowers that are usually pale pink, but can vary between a deep pink and white. They are 4–6 centimetres (1.6–2.4 in) in diameter with five petals. Like other roses it has a quintuscial aestivation (see sketch A in diagram). Unusually though, of its five sepals, when viewed from underneath, two are whiskered (or “bearded”) on both sides, two are quite smooth and one is whiskered on one side only.: 182  It has usually 10 or more pistils, and multiple stamens. Flowers mature in September to October, into an oval, 1.5–2-centimetre (0.59–0.79 in), red-orange hips. The fruits can persist on the plant for several months (if not eaten by wildlife) and become black. Its form and flowers can be confused with fieldbriar Rosa agrestis and sweetbriar Rosa rubiginosa. Classical writers did not recognise Rosa canina as a rose, but called it Cynorrhodon, from the Greek "kunórodon". In 1538, Turner called it "Cynosbatos : wild hep or brere tree". Yet in 1551, Matthias de l'Obel classified it as a rose, under the name, "Canina Rosa odorata et silvestris", in his herbal "Rubus canis: Brere bush or hep tree" . Based on a 2013 DNA analysis using amplified fragment length polymorphisms of wild-rose samples from a transect across Europe (900 samples from section Caninae, and 200 from other sections), it has been suggested that the following named species are best considered as belonging to a single Rosa canina species complex: R. balsamica Besser R. caesia Sm. R. corymbifera Borkh. R. dumalis...