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Genus: | Rosa L. |
Rose
A rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance.
The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plant's fleshy edible fruit, which ripens in the late summer through autumn, is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.
The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin, rosa, which was borrowed from Oscan, from Greek rhodion (Aeolic wrodion), from Old Persian wurdi "flower" (cf. Avest. warda, Sogdian ward,Parthian wâr).
Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The French are known for their rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose petals. In the United States, this French rose syrup is used to make rose scones and marshmallows.
Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products and some makeup products.
The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous but a few (particularly in South east Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.
The flowers of most species of roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.
While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifoliahave densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.
Species:
Some representative rose species
Cultivation:
Roses are propagated by grafting or rooting cuttings. Cultivars are selected for their flowers, growth habit, cold and/or disease resistance, and many other factors. They may be grafted onto a rootstockthat provides sturdiness, or (especially with Old Garden Roses) allowed to develop their own roots. Roses require 5 hours of direct sunlight a day during the growing season. Following blooming and exposure to frost roses enter a dormant stage in winter.
Budding is considered as the best method for propagating rose plants. They are planted in the circular pits about 60- 90 cm across and 60 -75 cm deep. Remove all the broken and bruised leaves while planting the plant. The best time to plant the Rose plants rests between September to October. The rose plant needs cutting from time to time. It requires manures and fertilizers at the time of planting.
Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. In the early 19th century the Empress Josephine of France patronized the development of rose breeding at her gardens at Malmaison. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Roses thrive in temperate climates. Those based on Asian species do well in their native sub-tropicalenvironments. Certain species and cultivars can even flourish in tropical climates, especially when graftedonto appropriate rootstocks.
Culture:
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isisand Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States, as well as being the symbol ofEngland Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire andLancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively), of Alberta (the wild rose) inCanada, and of Islamabad Capital Territory in Pakistan. It is the state flower of four US states: Iowaand North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York (Rosa generally).Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.
Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy: it is used as a symbol by British, Irish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch, Bulgarian and other European labour, socialist or social democratic parties, mostly adopted in the period after World War II.
The White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
A bouquet of red roses is often used to show love. It is used as a Valentine's Day gift in many countries.
On St George's Day in Catalonia people offer dark red roses as gifts, especially between lovers. TheVirolai, a hymn to the Virgin of Montserrat, one of the black Madonnas of Europe, begins with the words: "Rosa d’abril, Morena de la serra..." (April rose, dusky lady of the mountain chain...). Therefore this virgin is sometimes known as “Rosa d’abril”. The red rose is thus widely accepted as an unofficial symbol of Catalonia.
Uses:
Roses are best known for their flowers. Roses are popular garden shrubs, as flowering shrubs. They are also grown as cut flowers, as one of the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers.
A few roses are grown for scented foliage (such as Rosa rubiginosa, ornamental thorns, Rosa sericea or their ornamental fruit Rosa moyesii).
Roses are also of great value to the perfume industry. An attar of roses is distilled from the flowers.
The rose hip, the fruit of some species, is used as a minor source of Vitamin C. Roses may also be planted as hedging, and for game cover.
Gulkand made by the mixture of Rose petals and white sugar in equal proportion acts as the tonic and laxative. Hips, the fruit of roses are the good source of Vitamin C. Rose petals are used to make skin healthy and glowing. It cures dry and patchy skin. The rose scent has been used in pill making for centuries. Its herbal tea is used in the treatment of cold and cough.
Dried Rose petals called Pankhuri are used during the hot weather for preparing cool drinks. Roses are also used in the preparation of rose water and rose vinegar. Rose hips are sometime eaten. They are used for making herbal tea, jam and jellies. Rose plants are generally used for beautifying the gardens and walkways. Rose petals are used in cooking, which increases its flavour and make it even more delicious. Relaxing therapies with rose smells are used in candles, lotion, bath oils and perfumes.