Rosa sempervirens hybrids

Evergreen, scrambling or lianoid shrub; stems usually long and trailing or climbing to c. 5 m high, often intertwining, layering extensively, glabrous; armature of uniform, scattered, flattened and rather small, slightly curved prickles, denser on vigorous vegetative shoots. Lvs with (2)–3 pairs of leaflets; petiole usually 15–25 mm long, glabrous or sometimes with scattered glandular hairs and pricklets on rachis; stipules completely adnate, deeply and irregularly toothed, glabrous except for scattered marginal glandular hairs. Lamina of leaflets (10)–15–40–(50) × 8–25–(30) mm, usually broadly elliptic to broadly obovate or ± orbicular, sometimes broadly ovate, moderately to very glossy green and glabrous, bronzy red when young; margins sharply serrate; base rounded to slightly cuneate; apex rounded to acute, rarely acuminate. Fls usually many, in rather dense clusters, double, 25–50–(60) mm diam.; pedicels glabrous, rarely with scattered glandular hairs. Sepals ± ovate-oblong, cuspidate or acuminate, tomentose inside, glabrate to tomentose, and sometimes with a few glandular hairs outside; outer sepals sometimes with a few linear lobes. Petals numerous, 13–25 mm long, narrowly obovate or obovate, pink to rose in bud, white inside at anthesis. Styles free but forming a column, long-exserted, hairy. Fr. not seen.

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

Flowering: Nov.–Feb.