22— ROSA PHOENICEA Boiss. 
THE PHOENICIAN ROSE 
Rosa phoenicea: ramis elongatis, sarmentosis ; aculeis sparsis, conformibus, 
falcatis ; foliolis 3-7, oblongis, obtusis, teneris, dentibus simplicibus, ovatis, apertis, 
facie ciliatis, dorso parce pubescentibus ; rhachi pubescente et aciculata, parce 
glandulifera ; stipulis adnatis, apicibus liberis ovatis, parvis ; floribus pluribus, 
corymboso-paniculatis, ramis inferioribus foliis compositis stipatis ; pedicellis nudis 
vel glandulosis ; calycis tubo angusto, nudo ; lobis ovatis, acuminatis, copiose pinnati- 
fidis ; petalis albis, magnitudine mediocribus ; stylis glabris, coalitis, protrusis ; 
fructu globoso, parvo, rubro, nudo; sepalis deciduis. 
R. phoenicea Boissier, Diagn. PI. Orient. Nov. fasc. x. p. 4 (1849); FI. Orient. 
vol. ii. p. 688 (1872). — Deseglise in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xv. p. 206 (Cat. Rais. 
Ros. p. 37 [1877]) (1876).— Crepin in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xviii. pp. 318-322 
(Primit. Monogr. Ros. fasc. v. pp. 564-8) (1880); vol. xxxi. pt. 2, pp. 57-61 (1892). — 
Christ in Boissier, FI. Orient. Suppl. p. 228 (1888). — Koehne, Deutsche 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-ii 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-tube narrow, naked; ovate-acuminate, -J-f in. long, copiously 
compound. Petals pure white, middle-sized. Styles glabrous, united in a protruded 
column. Fruit globose, bright red, naked, J in. diameter ; sepals spreading, 
deciduous. 
Rosa phoenicea ranges from the Troad eastward to Syria, and is one 
of the commonest Roses in Palestine, ascending the mountains to an 
altitude of 6,000 feet. I ts area ol distribution thus forms a link between 
Rosa sempermrens L., which does not extend eastward beyond Greece, 
and Rosa moschata Mill , which is found in Persia on one side and in 
Abyssinia 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 phoenicea. 
In affinity it stands next to Rosa moschata Mill., from which it differs by 
69 k 
