34— ROSA GI GAN TEA Collett ex Crep. 
Rosa gigantea: caule elongato, sarmentoso; aculeis sparsis, robustis, conformi- 
bus, falcatis; foliolis 5, oblongis, acutis, magnis, minute simpliciter serratis, utrinque 
viridibus, glabris ; rhachi glabra ; stipulis angustis, adnatis, apicibus liberis ovato- 
lanceolatis ; floribus solitariis; pedicellis nudis, glabris; calycis tubo oblongo, nudo; 
lobis simplicibus, lanceolatis, apice foliaceis, dorso glabris ; petalis magnis, albis, 
late cuneatis ; stylis pubescentibus, liberis, inclusis ; fructu globoso, glabro, nudo ; 
sepalis patulis, demum deciduis ; carpellis fructiferis, magnis, castaneis, nitidis, 
glabris. 
R. gigantea Collett ex Crepin in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. vol. xxvii. pt. 2, p. 148 
(1888); vol. xxviii. pt. 2, p. 11 (1889). — Card. Chron. ser. 3, vol. vi. p. 12, fig. 4 
(1889). — Collett & Hemsley in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. xxviii. pp. 6, 55, t. 9 (1890). — 
Koehne, Deutsche Dendrol. p. 280 (1893). — Berger in Card. Chron. ser. 3, vol. xxiii. 
PP- 375, 376 (1898). — Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. Hort. vol. iv. p. 1551 (1902). — 
Bot. Mag. vol. cxxx. t. 7972 (1904 )— Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. lxxiii. p. 203 (1904). — 
C. K. Schneider, III. Handbuch Laubholzk. vol. i. p. 545 (1906). — Brandis, Indian 
Trees , p. 287 (1906). 
Stems long, trailing ; prickles uniform, scattered, stout, hooked. Leaflets 5, 
large, oblong, acute, finely simply toothed, the end one 2F-3 in. long, the side ones 
distinctly stalked, green and glabrous on both surfaces ; petioles glabrous ; stipules 
adnate, narrow, with small, ovate-lanceolate free points. Flowers large, solitary; 
pedicels naked, glabrous. Calyx-tube oblong, naked ; lobes simple, lanceolate, with 
long foliaceous tips, ii-i-J in. long, glabrous on the back. Petals white, broadly 
cuneate, 2 in. long. Styles free, included, pubescent. Fruit globose, glabrous, naked, 
bright red ; sepals spreading, deciduous. Fruit carpels brown, shining, glabrous, 
i in. diameter. 
Rosa gigantea was collected in 1888 in the Shan Hills, Upper 
Burma, at elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet, by the late General Sir 
Henry Collett, who sent dried specimens to Kew and to the Calcutta 
Botanic Garden, whence they were sent to Crepin with the name 
gigantea suggested by the discoverer. It has also been collected by 
Mr. W. Hancock and Dr. A. Henry in Mengtze in the province of 
Yun-nan. .The flowers are said to be sometimes as much as fifteen 
inches in circumference. 
Rosa gigantea grows well on the Riviera, but, though it is quite 
hardy in England, the sun has not sufficient power to bring it to the 
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