Rosa banksiae

The rose tree of Lady Banks ( Rosa banksiae ) is a species of Rosier originating in the center and west of the China, in the provinces of Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, of Jiangsu, Sichuan and Yunnan. One finds it there in the mountainous regions at altitudes ranging between 500 and 2200 meters.

It is the single species constituting the section of the Banksianæ sub-genus Eurosa .

This rose tree was dedicated to Lady Banks, wife of the eminent botanist, Sir Joseph Banks (whose Péninsule of Banks in New Zealand bears the name). There are two varieties:

Rosa banksiae VAr. banksiae . , with semi-double or double flowers, the very many petals replacing the majority, even all, of the cheesecloth S; it is a cultivated rose tree found in the Chinese gardens.
Rosa banksiae VAr. normalis Regelation, with simple flowers, five petals; it is the wild natural form of the species.

Description

It is a climbing Arbrisseau, with the long sarmentous stems which grow vigorously rising on the other shrubs and shrubs up to six meters in height.

With the difference of the majority of the rose trees it is practically inerme, although it can carry some 5 mm length pivots, particularly on the strongest stems.

The Feuille S are persistent. They have from 4 to 6 cm length, and count from three to five, seldom seven, leaflets at the finely toothed edge.

The Fleur S are small, 1,5 to 2,5 cm in diameter, white or clear yellow, and, except R. banksiæ lutea , are scented.

Rosa banksiae, changes and hybrids

Rosa banksiae was probably cultivated in the Chinese gardens during hundreds of years. The species was introduced in Europe by William Kerr, which had been sent to him at the time of a botanical forwarding organized by Joseph Banks. This last had acquired in 1807 the first rose tree of Lady Banks, Rosa banksiae VAr. banksiae , with the famous seedbed F Tee close to Canton. Many another forms cultivated in China were thereafter discovered:

Rosa banksiae VAr. normalis (1796), which reaches 6 to 15 meters with its long stems inernes, with small white flowers, simple and odorous, is regarded as the wild form
Banksiae “Albo Plena” or pink of Lady Banks to white double flowers, cultivated form
Rosa banksiae “the Lutea”, probably most popular (brought to Europe in 1824 per J.D. Park), with the flowers double, yellow, without odor
Rosa banksiae “Lutescens”, rose tree with the flowers yellow clearly, very odorous, which always exists in China in a wild state.
hybrid, cultivated in the Chinese gardens:

Rosa fortunia (Rosa banksiae X Rosa lævigata) with the large white coffee flowers, not tonic.
Rosa cymona climbing not tonic with many small white flowers in corymbes

Notes and references of the article

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