Flora of New Zealand Series

Scrambling shrub or liane, ± deciduous; stems often long and climbing to c. 6 m high, often intertwining and much-branched, often layering, glabrous; armature 0 or of few to numerous, ± uniform, flattened, falcate prickles. Lvs with 3-4 pairs of leaflets; petiole 15-30-(35) mm long, tomentose and sometimes with glandular hairs; stipules adnate for c. ⅔, usually densely clothed in glandular hairs and moderately to densely puberulent, pectinate with many narrow lobes, sometimes the lobes pinnately divided. Lamina of leaflets 15-50-(60) × 10-30 mm, elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, shining deep green and glabrous above, moderately to densely clothed in eglandular hairs beneath; margins serrate; base cuneate to rounded; apex acute to acuminate or cuspidate. Fls usually numerous in a pyramidal panicle, occasionally few, single, or rarely semi-double with c. 10 petals, 20-25 mm diam.; pedicels and peduncles moderately to densely pilose. Sepals deciduous, lanceolate to elliptic-ovate, acuminate, tomentose inside and on margins, with very few to many glandular hairs outside and on margins; outer sepals usually pinnately divided with a few narrowly linear lobes. Petals 8-14 mm long, obovate or broadly obovate, white or slightly pink. Styles fused in a column, well-exserted, glabrous. Fr. 6-8 × 4-5 mm, ± ellipsoid, glabrous, shining red or deep orange.

N.: N. Auckland, Auckland, S. Auckland, Taranaki; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, eastern areas.

Japan, Korea 1870

Mainly in and close to settlements on roadsides, in waste places and shrubberies around old gardens.

FL Oct-Feb FT Mar-Jun.

R. multiflora is commonly used as a stock for budding and grafting other roses, and many wild plants are the result of the R. multiflora stock taking over and spreading after the scion rose has died. Much of this spread is by vegetative layering although hips are common. Many specimens are almost or completely unarmed because thornless forms have been selected for ease of budding, but some wild plants have prominent prickles. Steen (op. cit.) recorded several cvs of R. multiflora as wild in the northern half of the North Id - cvs `Blush Rambler', `Calva', `Carnea', `Platyphylla' or seven sisters rose - but there are no specimens. The R. multiflora description above only encompasses plants with small, white fls which are usually single, rarely semi-double, and excludes the cvs above which mostly have white to rose or rosy purple double fls. However, the almost thornless, semi-double, light pink to pink cv. 'Blush Rambler' may be represented by CHR 243427, Whakapara, near Puhipuhi Forest, N. Auckland, Sykes, 9.12.1987. R. multiflora and the other lianoid or rambler roses described here belong to sect. Synstylae.

A R. multiflora hybrid which is very popular throughout most of N.Z. is cv. 'Cécile Brunner'. The other parent is a form of tea rose (R. chinensis × R. gigantea). This cv. has small, scented, double, pink fls which are pointed in bud, and glabrous leaflets which are dark shining green above. Both the original suberect plant and its climbing sport are common in N.Z. and one of them has been collected almost wild at Inangahua, Buller.

The record of R. arvensis Hudson  (Given 1982) is based on an unusual specimen of R. multiflora.