Rosa micrantha Sm.

Deciduous, rather spreading, ± dense shrub 1–2.5 m high, often with suckers; stems often rather arching, especially on young plants, glabrous or nearly so; armature of numerous, mostly rather uniform, flattened, moderately to strongly falcate prickles, with acicles only on petioles and lf rachises. Lvs with 2–3 pairs of leaflets; petiole 15–25 mm long, with few to many glandular hairs; stipules completely adnate, entire except for numerous dark red marginal glandular hairs, otherwise stipules glabrous. Lamina of leaflets 10–25–(35) × 7–17–(27) mm, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, dull green and glabrous above, with fairly numerous very short glandular hairs beneath and often with eglandular hairs on midrib and lower part of veins; margins 1–2-serrate, with glandular hairs; base rounded; apex obtuse or subacute. Fls 1–5–(7), single, 25–30–(40) mm diam.; pedicels with many hispid glands. Sepals ± deciduous, lanceolate to ovate, long-acuminate, tomentose inside, with glandular hairs outside and on margins, sometimes puberulent, especially towards margins; outer sepals pinnatisect with a few linear lobes. Petals c. 12–15–(20) mm long, obovate, pink in bud, pale pink or whitish at anthesis. Styles free, shortly exserted, glabrous or glabrate. Fr. 9–18 mm long, broadly ellipsoid or ovoid-ellipsoid, glabrous except for a few glandular hairs at base, red.

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

Flowering: Nov.–Dec.; Fruiting: Mar.–May.