Rosa setipoda — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is rich in vitamin C. It is bottle-shaped and up to 5cm long, though only a thin layer of flesh surrounds the many seeds — care should be taken when eating it. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E; they can be ground into a powder and blended with flour or added to other foods as a nutritional supplement. Always remove the seed hairs before use.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. In central China it grows between 1,800-2,600 m above sea level. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. In Sichuan.

Asia, Australia, China,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 2.4 m high and spreads 1.5 m wide. It loses its leaves during the year. The stems are stout. The thorns are thick and well spaced. The leaves have an aroma when crushed. The flowers are single and in large clusters. They are pink. They have prominent yellow stamens. The fruit are long bristly red hips.

How to Grow

Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. An aromatic plant, the leaves, when bruised, are scented like the sweet briar whilst the flowers have an aroma like ripe apples and the stems have an aromatic perfume like pine trees. 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. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Rose seed frequently takes two years to germinate, as it may require a warm period following a cold spell to mature the embryo and break down the seedcoat. One approach to shorten this is to scarify the seed, then place it in damp peat at 27–32°c for 2–3 weeks to allow imbibition, followed by 4 months at 3°c, after which germination should begin. Seed harvested green — fully developed but not yet dried on the plant — and sown immediately may germinate in late winter, though this method had not been fully tested as of 1988. Seed sown fresh into a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; it may still take 2 years to germinate. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, and plant out in summer if they exceed 25cm, or overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in late spring. Half-ripe cuttings with a heel taken in July in a shaded frame and overwintered before planting out give a high success rate. Pencil-thick cuttings of mature current-season wood, 20–25cm long, taken in early autumn and placed in a sheltered spot outdoors or in a cold frame, typically take 12 months to establish but succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided during dormancy and planted directly into permanent positions. Layering also works but takes 12 months.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, C, and E, along with flavonoids and other bio-active compounds. It also provides a fairly good supply of essential fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated for its potential to reduce the incidence of cancer and to halt or reverse tumour growth.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

Deciduous shrub reaching 2.4m tall, hardy to UK zone 6. Flowers in July with seeds ripening August to October. Hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by bees, self-fertile. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with well-drained, moist conditions preferred. Grows in mildly acid to basic pH soils. Adapts to semi-shade or full sun.

Production

In China it flowers in May to June and fruits July to October.

Notes

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.

References (5)

Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1906:158. 1906
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1218
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 276
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
www.efloras.org Flora of China Volume 9