Rosa canina L.

Deciduous, ± spreading and sometimes semi-scrambling shrub to 3.5 m high, often with suckers; stems usually suberect to spreading, arching in young plants, glabrous; armature of uniform, scattered to moderately abundant, flattened and slightly curved prickles; acicles 0. Lvs with 2–3–(4) pairs of leaflets; petiole usually 15–35–(40) mm long, glabrous or sometimes with sparse glandular hairs; stipules adnate for most of length, glabrous, the denticulate teeth black-tipped. Lamina of leaflets (15)–18–40–(50) × 8–27–(30) mm, elliptic, broad-elliptic, or ovate-elliptic, dull green and glabrous above, sometimes with a few hairs near base, usually glabrous beneath, sometimes hairy, especially on veins and midrib; margins sharply serrate with short acuminate teeth; base rounded; apex acute or subacute, sometimes rounded or shortly acuminate. Fls 1–4–(5), single, 30–55 mm diam.; pedicels glabrous, rarely with scattered glandular hairs. Sepals deciduous, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, sometimes with an expanded apex, puberulent to tomentose inside, usually glabrous outside, rarely with scattered short glandular hairs; outer sepals with a few long linear lobes. Petals 13–23–(28) mm long, obovate, usually white, rarely pale pink, usually with yellowish base when young. Styles free, usually shortly exserted, sometimes well-exserted, glabrous or hairy. Fr. 12–23 mm diam., ± globose to ellipsoid, glabrous, orange-red or red.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Oct.–Jan.; Fruiting: Feb.–May.