64 — ROSA HUMILIS Marsh 
Rosa humilis : caulibus decumbentibus ; aculeis parvis, modice robustis, haud 
falcatis, saepe geminis stipularibus, aciculis paucis, interdum additis ; foliolis 5-9, 
oblongis, acutis, simpliciter serratis, facie glabris, dorso parce pubescentibus; rhachi 
glabra, haud glandulosa ; stipulis adnatis, apice libero ovato ; floribus solitariis vel 
paucis ; pedunculis brevibus, saepe aciculatis ; calycis tubo globoso, parvo, saepe 
aciculato, glanduloso ; lobis lanceolatis, apice elongatis, dorso glandulosis, majoribus 
saepe parce pinnatifidis ; petalis rubris, magnitudine mediocribus ; stylis pilosis, 
liberis, haud exsertis ; fructu parvo, globoso, rubro, saepe aciculato ; sepalis patulis, 
decicluis. 
R. humilis Marshall, Arbust . Amer. p. 136 (1785). — S. Watson in Smith- 
sonian Misc. Coll. vol. xv. p. 312 (1878). — Dippel, Handbuch Laubholzk. vol. iii. 
p. 580 (1893). — Rehder in Bailey, Cycl. Am. Hort. vol. iv. p. 1554 (1902). 
R. parvijlora Ehrhart, Beitr. zur Naturk. vol. iv. p. 21 (1789). — Pursh, FI. 
Amer. Sept. vol. i. p. 344 (1814). — Lindley, Ros. Monogr. p. 20 (excl. syn .) (1820). 
R. Carolina Aiton, Hort. Kew. vol. ii. p. 203 (ex parte) (1789). 
R. Lyoni Pursh, FI. Amer. Sept. vol. i. p. 345 (1814). 
R. lucida A. Gray, Man. Bot. N. States , p. 127 (ex parte ) (non Ehrhart) 
(1848). — Meehan, Native Flowers , ser. 1, vol. ii. p. 33, t. 9 (1879). 
R. humilis , var. parvijlora Koehne, Deutsche Dendrol. p. 293 (1893). — Keller 
in Ascherson & Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur . FI. vol. vi. p. 292 (1902). 
R. virginiana , var. humilis C. K. Schneider, III. Handbuch Laubholzk. vol. i. 
p. 570 (1906). 
Stems usually low and spreading ; prickles small, moderately stout, not hooked, 
frequently in stipular pairs, often with a few aciculi. Leajlets 5-9, oblong, acute, 
simply serrated, 1 in. or more long, glabrous on the upper surface, slightly pubes- 
cent beneath ; petioles glabrous or pubescent, not glandular ; stipules adnate, with 
ovate free tips. Flowers one or few ; peduncles short, often aciculate ; bracts small. 
Calyx-tube globose, small, often aciculate and glandular ; lobes lanceolate, long- 
pointed, glandular on the back, the largest usually sparsely pinnatifid. Petals 
bright red, 1 in. long. Styles pilose, free, not protruded beyond the disc. Fruit 
small, globose, red, often aciculate ; sepals spreading, deciduous. 
Rosa humilis ranges from Canada and Newfoundland through 
the eastern United States to Florida. The oldest specimen known 
is that collected by Bartram in 1764, but it was first described by 
Marshall in 1785. By Aiton, and perhaps also by Linnaeus, it was 
confused with Rosa Carolina L. 
Next to Rosa Carolina it is the commonest Rose in Virginia, 
eastern Tennessee and Carolina. The double form had never been 
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