Rosa banksiae
Encyclopedia
Rosa banksiae, commonly referred to as the Lady Banks' Rose, is a species of Rosa
native to central and western China
, in the provinces of Gansu
, Guizhou
, Henan
, Hubei
, Jiangsu
, Sichuan
, and Yunnan
; it grows in mountains at altitudes of 500–2200 m.
It is a scrambling shrub
by liana
growing vigorously over other shrubs to 6 m tall. Unlike most roses, it is practically thornless, though may bear some prickles up to 5 mm long, particularly on stout, strong shoots. The leaves
are evergreen
, 4–6 cm long, with three to five (rarely seven) leaflets 2–5 cm long with a serrated margin. The flower
s are small, 1.5-2.5 cm diameter, white or pale yellow.
There are two varieties
:
The rose is named after Lady Banks, the wife of the eminent botanist Sir Joseph Banks (after whom the Banks Peninsula
is named).
, who had been sent on a plant-hunting expedition by Sir Joseph. He bought the first Lady Banks' Rose, subsequently named the 'White Lady Banks' (R. banksiae var. banksiae) from the famous Fa Tee nursery in 1807. A number of other forms were subsequently discovered growing in China, The white, small-flowered R. banksiae var. normalis (1796) is considered the "wild" form; 'Banksiae Lutea', the 'Yellow Lady Banks' Rose, probably the most popular (brought to Europe in 1824 by J. D. Park); and R. banksiae 'Lutescens', a rose with light yellow blooms. All Lady Banks' roses are said to smell of violets to varying degrees.
According to Guinness
, the world's largest rosebush was planted in Tombstone, Arizona
, in 1885 and still flourishes today in the city's sunny climate. This rose bush now covers 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) of the roof on an inn, and has a 12 feet (3.7 m) circumference trunk.
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
native to central and western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, in the provinces of Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, and Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
; it grows in mountains at altitudes of 500–2200 m.
It is a scrambling shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
by liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
growing vigorously over other shrubs to 6 m tall. Unlike most roses, it is practically thornless, though may bear some prickles up to 5 mm long, particularly on stout, strong shoots. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, 4–6 cm long, with three to five (rarely seven) leaflets 2–5 cm long with a serrated margin. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are small, 1.5-2.5 cm diameter, white or pale yellow.
There are two varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
:
- Rosa banksiae var. banksiae. Flowers semi-double or double, with numerous petals replacing most or all of the stamenStamenThe stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s; a cultigenCultigenA cultigen is a plant that has been deliberately altered or selected by humans; it is the result of artificial selection. These "man-made" or anthropogenic plants are, for the most part, plants of commerce that are used in horticulture, agriculture and forestry...
developed in Chinese gardens. - Rosa banksiae var. normalis Regel. Flowers single, with five petals; the natural wild form of the species.
The rose is named after Lady Banks, the wife of the eminent botanist Sir Joseph Banks (after whom the Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
is named).
Cultivation and uses
R. banksiae has likely been grown in the gardens of China for hundreds of years. The species was introduced to Europe by William KerrWilliam Kerr (gardener)
William Kerr was a Scottish gardener and plant hunter, the first Western professional full-time plant collector active in China. He also collected in Java and Luzon in the Philippines...
, who had been sent on a plant-hunting expedition by Sir Joseph. He bought the first Lady Banks' Rose, subsequently named the 'White Lady Banks' (R. banksiae var. banksiae) from the famous Fa Tee nursery in 1807. A number of other forms were subsequently discovered growing in China, The white, small-flowered R. banksiae var. normalis (1796) is considered the "wild" form; 'Banksiae Lutea', the 'Yellow Lady Banks' Rose, probably the most popular (brought to Europe in 1824 by J. D. Park); and R. banksiae 'Lutescens', a rose with light yellow blooms. All Lady Banks' roses are said to smell of violets to varying degrees.
According to Guinness
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, the world's largest rosebush was planted in Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
, in 1885 and still flourishes today in the city's sunny climate. This rose bush now covers 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) of the roof on an inn, and has a 12 feet (3.7 m) circumference trunk.