Rosa macrophylla
Lindley
Himalayan musk rose
(c) Siddarth Machado, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Siddarth Machado
(c) jcavicch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Rajendra Koranga, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Flowers
The bottle-shaped fruit, around 4cm long and occasionally up to 7cm, can be eaten raw or cooked. It is said to be very sweet when bletted — eaten overripe but before it begins to rot. Only a thin layer of flesh surrounds the many seeds, and care should be taken when eating the fruit regarding the known hazards. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E and can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement — be sure to remove the seed hairs before use.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate to subtropical plant. In Nepal it grows between 2100-3800 m altitude. They grow in open, rocky places. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.
Afghanistan, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Himalayas,* Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Sikkim, Tibet,
How to Identify
A shrub. It grows 2 m high. It has few prickles. The prickles are straight with a broad, expanded base. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are divided into 5-9 leaflets with an odd number. These are divided along the stalk without leaflet stalks. They have fine teeth and are hairy underneath. The flowers are large and occur singly. They are pinkish red and at the ends of branches. The fruit are very large. They can be 5 cm long. They are red, bristly and flask shaped. They are edible.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | — | — | — | — | 787 | — | — | — |
How to Grow
Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. Prefers light shade according to another report. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation. Grows badly with boxwood. A very ornamental plant. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation: Rose seed often takes two years to germinate, as it may need a warm period following a cold one to mature the embryo and reduce the seedcoat. One way to reduce this time is to scarify the seed and place it for 2–3 weeks in damp peat at 27–32°c until imbibed, then keep it at 3°c for the next 4 months until germination begins. Alternatively, green-harvested seed — fully developed but not yet dried on the plant — sown immediately may germinate in late winter, though this had not been fully tested as of 1988. Seed sown fresh in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; it may take 2 years to germinate. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough, plant out in summer if over 25cm tall, or overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in late spring. Half-ripe heel cuttings taken in July in a shaded frame, overwintered and planted out in late spring, yield a high success rate. Pencil-thick mature cuttings of the current season's growth, 20–25cm long, taken in early autumn and placed in a sheltered spot or cold frame, take around 12 months to establish but normally succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided during dormancy and planted directly into permanent positions. Layering takes around 12 months.
Medicinal Uses
A paste made from the fruit is ingested in the belief that it benefits eyesight. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and as a means of halting or reversing cancer growth.
Other Uses
Plants can be grown as a hedge.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Rosa macrophylla, the big-hip rose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to the Himalayan region. There are a number of cultivars, including 'Doncasteri', 'Glaucescens', 'Master Hugh', and 'Rubricaulis'. 'Master Hugh' has the largest hips of any readily available rose.
Other Information
The fruit are eaten especially by children.
Notes
There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.
Names & Synonyms
Amdoga, Ban-gulab, Bella, Benyl, Bhainsi kanda, Bhaunra kujoi, Breri, Dan-Kunja, Dandkunj, Dhur-kunj, Ghor sepala, Gulabi khwarach, Jangali gulab, Kesar, Kuja, Kunja bhaunra, Phelalo, Se ba, Seghu, Segoe, Segoe-fo, Shingari, Trind, Tumbi, Yal
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