Flora of New Zealand Series

rambler roses

Evergreen or semi-evergreen, scrambling shrub or liane; stems usually long and trailing or climbing to c. 6 m high, often intertwining, layering extensively, glabrous or occasionally with glandular hairs when young; armature of ± uniform, scattered, flattened and slightly curved to hooked prickles and pricklets, denser on vigorous vegetative shoots. Lvs with 2-3-(4) pairs of leaflets; petiole c. 15-40 mm long, glabrous or sometimes with scattered glandular hairs, occasionally with fine eglandular hairs; stipules completely adnate, usually irregularly toothed or lobed, usually glabrous except for some marginal glandular hairs, occasionally with marginal eglandular hairs, sometimes entire with a fringe of numerous glandular hairs. Lamina of leaflets 12-50-(55) × 10-30-(35) mm, elliptic to broadly elliptic, ovate, almost obovate, or orbicular, scarcely to very glossy dark or bright green above and usually glabrous except for a few glandular hairs at base, glabrous or occasionally with dense eglandular hairs on veins on lower surface; margin serrate, at least in upper 1/2, sometimes crenate-serrate; base cuneate to rounded; apex rounded to acute or shortly acuminate. Fls (1)-5- c. 25, in rather loose clusters, single or double, 25-70 mm diam.; pedicels usually with scattered to dense glandular hairs, sometimes with eglandular hairs, occasionally glabrous. Sepals ovate, oblong-ovate or lanceolate-ovate, acuminate or mucronate, tomentose inside, glabrous or puberulent towards the margins and often with glandular hairs outside; outer sepals often with a pair of long lateral lobes. Petals 5 or numerous, 10-40 mm long, obovate, whitish or cream, pink to rose or crimson, usually whitish at base. Styles free, long-exserted, hairy. Fr not seen.

FL Nov-Apr.

The wichuraiana hybrid ramblers can be divided into 2 groups according to which other parent (or parents) is involved (Thomas 1965, op. cit.).