Rosa banksiae.
It is a Wild or Species rose native to central and western China.
The Lady Banks’ or Banks’ rose was named for the wife of botanist Sir Joseph Banks.
Banksia Rose is variously described as a scrambler, climber and rambler but its features best fit a rambler.
A rapidly growing vigorous plant usually seen up to 6 m high.
Young strong arching stems are green and older ones are brown and woody.
There are large prickles on old branches while newer branches have small scattered ones. (Cultivars often have no prickles.)
Alternate evergreen leaves, on a petiole are 4 to 6 cm long.
Linear green stipules beside the petiole base fall off early.
The petiole and the leaf midrib have simple hairs.
The 3 or 5 (7) elliptic to oblong or lance-shaped leaflets are on petiolules.
Leaflets, 2 to 5 cm long have a pointed tip, a rounded base and a toothed edge.
There are simple hairs on the lower surface mainly along the veins.
Inflorescences are clusters of up to 15 flowers on pedicels 2 to 3 cm long.
Flowers may all be attached to the same spot (umbel) or along a common stalk.
The small linear bracts at the base of the pedicels fall off early.
Flowers, 1.5 to 2.5 cm across have 5 sepals alternating with 5 petals.
All are attached to the top of the hypanthium.
Sepals have a pointed tip and dense simple hairs on the inner surface.
Sepals bend back then fall off as the fruit develops.
The 5 white or yellow petals are obovate with a rounded tip.
Plants flower once a year.
There is a nectary disc inside the numerous stamens.
The carpels in the receptacle are also numerous and each has a free densely hairy style.
The fruit are a roughly spherical orange or black-brown hip around 6 mm wide with numerous achenes.
(The roses are native to China and the above description is from Flora of China @ efloras.org.)
Plants of the World Online (Kew) says the name ‘Rosa banksiae’ includes:
- R. banksiae f. lutea,
- R. banksiae f. lutescens and
- R. banksiae var. normalis.
It lists 20 synonyms for R. banksiae including:
- R. banksiae f. aculeata
- R. banksiae f. albiflora
- R. banksiae f. subinermis
- R. banksiae var. alboplena
- R. banksiae var. banksiae
- R. banksiae var. lutea.
The Australian Plant Name Index has only Rosa banksiae.
Hybrids and cultivars are under Modern roses > Rambling roses.
J.F.
