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ROSA PHOENICEA Boiss. 
THK PHOENICIAN ROSE 
/\osa plioenicea : ramis elongatis, sarmentosis ; aculeis sparsis, conforinibus, 
falcatis ; foliolis 3-7, oblongis, obtusis, teneris, dentibus simplicibus, ovatis, apertis, 
facie ciliatis, dorso parce piibescentibus ; rhachi pubescente et aciculata, parce 
glandiilifera ; stipulis adnatis, apicibus liberis ovatis, parvis; doribus pluribus, 
corymboso-paniculatis, ramis inferioribus foliis compositis stipatis ; pedicellis nudis 
vel giandulosis ; calycis tubo angusto, nudo ; lobis ovatis, acuminatis, copiose pinnati- 
fidis ; petalis albis, magnitudine mediocribus ; stylis glabris, coalitis, protrusis ; 
fructii gioboso, parv'O, rubro, nudo ; sepalis deciduis. 
R. phoenicea Boissier, Diag/i. PL Orient. Nov. fasc. x. p. 4 (1849); FI. Orient. 
vol. ii. p. 688 (1872). — Deseglise in Bnll. Soc. Bot. Belg.MoX. xv. p. 206 {Cat. Rais. 
Ros. p. 37 [1877]) (1876). — Crepin in Bnll. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. pp. 318-322 
{Priniit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. v. pp. 564-8) (1880); vol. x.xxi. pt. 2, pp. 57-61 (1892). — 
Christ in Boissier, Ft. Orient. Siippl. p. 228 (1888). — Koehne, Dentsche Dendrol. 
p. 278 (1893). — Post, Ft. Syria, p. 309 (1896). 
Branches long, sarmentose ; prickles scattered, uniform, hooked, moderately 
large. Leaflets 3-7, oblong, obtuse, thin, the end one i-i^ in. long, openly simply 
bluntly toothed, glabrous on the upper surface when mature, slightly pubescent 
beneath ; petioles pubescent, aciculate, slightly glandular ; stipules adnate, with 
small ovate free points. Flowers many, arranged in a corymbose panicle, the 
lower branches of which are subtended by compound leaves ; pedicels naked or 
glandular. Calyx-tiibewAxvow, naked; ovate-acuminate, i-f in. long, copiously 
compound. Petals pure white, middle-sized, glabrous, united in a protruded 
column. Fruit globose, bright red, naked, ^ in. diameter; sepals spreading, 
deciduous. 
Rosa phoenicca ranges from the Troad eastward to S)'ria, and is one 
of the commonest Roses in Palestine, ascendinor the mountains to an 
altitude of 6,000 feet. Its area of distribution thus forms a link between 
Rosa senipcrvircns L., which does not extend eastward beyond Greece, 
and Rosa nwscJiata Mill , which is found in Persia on one side and in 
Ab)^ssinia and the south of Arabia on the other. Although a perfectly 
distinct and well-marked species, it has been persistently misunder- 
stood by the various botanists who collected it on Mount Taurus, at 
Damascus, Beyrout, etc. Boissier was the first to distinguish it clearly 
as a new species and to describe it under the name of Rosa phocnicca. 
In affinity it stands next to Rosa moscJiata Mill., from which it diflers by 
69 K 
