| Rosa chinensis | ||||||||||||||||
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 A double-flowered cultivar | ||||||||||||||||
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| Rosa chinensis Jacq. | ||||||||||||||||
Rosa chinensis, known commonly as the China Rose is a member of the genus Rosa native to central China in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan.
It is a shrub growing to 1-2 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, with 3-5 leaflets, each leaflet 2.5–6 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. In the wild species (sometimes listed as Rosa chinensis var. spontanea), the flowers have five pink to red petals. The fruit is a red hip 1-2 cm diameter.
Uses
The species is extensively cultivated in China as an ornamental plant; numerous cultivars have been selected, with varying flower colour and usually an increased number of petals (semi-double or double flowers). The species is also important in the breeding of many modern garden roses, including the Hybrid Tea roses.
The flowers and fruits are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of irregular and/or painful menstruation, as well as swollen thyroid.
References
18th century painting of two cultivars
