Rosa sericea, the silky rose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae native to the region spanning from the Himalaya to southern central China and northern Myanmar.
The closely related Rosa omeiensis is sometimes treated as a subspecies of R. sericea.
Description
It is a shrub growing tall and is often very spiny. The leaves are deciduous, long, with 7–11 leaflets with a serrated margin. The flowers are diameter, white, with (unusually for a rose) only four petals. The hips are red, diameter, with persistent sepals, and often bristly.
Taxonomy It was described by Lindl. in 1820. It has two varieties: Rosa sericea var. hookeri Rosa sericea var. sericea
Distribution and habitat
It is native to south-western China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), Bhutan, northern India (Sikkim), Nepal and Myanmar; it grows in mountains at altitudes of .
Cultivation and uses
Rosa sericea f. pteracantha is grown as an ornamental plant for its large, bright red thorns.
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