Rosa

Rosa spp. ("So many roses have been introduced into the Parks that it is not unusual to find highly-bred varieties escaped and growing unattended in the woods and other areas," Hamilton (l943).) A species of the genus Rosa was reported for Goat Island on Sept. 19, 1877 (J. D. Hooker's American Journal). On labels of specimens of the genus Rosa in the Clinton Herbarium (BUF) at the Buffalo Museum of Science are annotations by Eileen Whitehead Erlanson, who published papers on the native species of the genus during the 1920-1930's. She did her taxonomic work at the University of Michigan. Voss ((1985) wrote that he followed her advice ina paper to "treat intermediate forms under the species they most nearly resemble rather than to disregard them under the category of unnamed crosses." This advice in the list provided seems to apply mostly to shrubs here called Rosa canina and Rosa eglanteria (see below) which seem to hybridize along the Niagara River.

Rosa acicularis Lindley x blanda = R. housei Erlanson

Ontario: Navy Island, north west and northern river margins, west bank; note no stipitate-glandular stipules, Eckel, July 15, 1998 (BUF).

Rosa blanda Ait. MEADOW ROSE. "Goat Island," Day (1888). Ontario, Queen Victoria Park, Panton (1890). Ontario, Niagara Parks System, Cameron (1895). Ontario: Niagara Falls, Wm. Scott, July 5, 1898; Niagara, W. J. Potter, 1908, Heimburger (1955). "... abundant in the grasslands opposite the Glen," Hamilton (l943).

New York: Goat Island on the Niagara River, crest woods overlooking the plunge pool, the Maid of the Mist pool. P.M. Eckel 8809303 Sept. 1, 1987(BUF); old woodland remnant, crest of gorge above Lewiston, Eckel, June 16, 1988 (BUF).

*Rosa canina L. DOG ROSE.

New York: Below overpass by the Lower Arch RR Bridge, site of old homes, garden escapes. At the gorge crest. P. M. Eckel 880798 June 16, 1988 (BUF); base of escarpment, Lewiston, several miles S of Lewiston near the Power Project. Eckel, June 16, 1988 (BUF); Scovel's Knoll, old ornamentals on top, Eckel, June 16, 1988 (BUF); Buckhorn Island, NW sector, N of marsh, beside grassy road, edge of river, Eckel, Oct. 22, 1997 (BUF); Buckhorn Island, Weedy thickets grassy meadow along Wood's Creek parking. P. M. Eckel 060904 June 6, 1995 (PME); Lewiston. Bluffs of the Niagara River gorge overlooking the river and Queenston at its N terminus beside Robt Moses Pkwy. Escarp. top, dense weedy shrubs, Lonicera tartarica, Ligustrum vulgaris P. M. Eckel s.n. June 19, 2001 (BUF).

Ontario: Navy Island, 43*03'N, 79*01'W, just south of Niagara Falls. Central woods, Quercus rubra, Qu. palustris, Carya ovata, C. laciniosa. Tall shrub in dense Crataegus field in center. P. M. Eckel with R. H. Zander s.n. Sept. 21, 1998 (BUF).

Shrubs growing on the bluffs of the Niagara River gorge seem to be hybrids of Rosa canina and R. eglanteria. Most floras consulted for the genus Rosa uniformly protest the ease with which species of the genus hybridize with one another. Shrub specimens collected and identified here as Rosa canina are placed in that category by the fat, ellipsoid fruit with the wall of the hypanthium conspicuously thickened around the orifice. Such fruit is very conspicuous on these shrubs, abundant in the gorge at its northern terminus (Artpark hiking and fishing areas) as well as the bluffs overlooking Niagara Glen on the Canadian side. There is a large population of this shrub on Navy Island, Ontario. They differ from published accounts of Rosa canina by the glands scattered along the leaf and stipule edges and midveins, by the double teeth on the leaf margins and other characters. Rosa eglanteria is copiously both glandular and pilose, the latter on the lower leaf surface. While Rosa canina specimens have scattered glands, they are not dense. Descriptions of Rosa micrantha seem to fit these specimens, but that species has glabrous styles with leaves showing an acute base (those at Niagara are obtuse and the styles are pilose). The epithet refers to dogs, their meanness, due to the thorns on the stems as large and vicious as a dog's tooth.

Rosa carolina L. DWARF or CAROLINA ROSE. "Wet grounds, near Clifton, Ontario," Day (1888). (As Rosa parviflora Ehrt.), "Goat Island," Day, (1888). Ontario, Queen Victoria Park, Panton (1890). Ontario, Niagara Parks System (and as Rosa humilis), Cameron (1895). (As R. humilis) Queenston, Wm. Scott, May 28, 1898 (TRT), Heimburger (1955). Ontario: Whirlpool, Niagara R., Wm. Scott, June 4, 1898 (TRT 19000), Heimburger (1955). (As var. glandulosa Farwell.), "DeVeaux College wood, above Whirlpool. Ontario: Niagara Glen," Zenkert (1934). "... between the Whirlpool and Queenston," Hamilton (l943).

New York: Lewiston. Bluffs of the Niagara River gorge overlooking the river and Queenston at its N terminus beside Robt Moses Pkwy. Escarp. top, dense weedy shrubs, Lonicera tartarica, Ligustrum vulgaris. P. M. Eckel s.n. June 19, 2001 (BUF).

Ontario: (forma glandulosa (Crepin) Fern.), Niagara Glen, "low plants," Zenkert July 30, 1931 (BUF); Navy Island, dry embankment covered with stunted shrubs, west side; sepals deflexed, Eckel, July 15, 1998 (BUF).

*Rosa eglanteria L. SWEETBRIAR. (As Rosa rubiginosa L.), "Goat Island, Devil's Hole, Lewiston," Day (1888). Ontario, Queen Victoria Park, Panton (1890). Ontario, Niagara Parks System (as R. rubiginosa), Cameron (1895). (As R. rubiginosa) Ontario [U. of T.]: "Niagara Falls, Wm. Scott, June 25, 1898 ... Queenston, Wm. Scott, Sept. 7, 1898," (Heimburger (1955). "... scattered growth along the edge of the Glen," Hamilton (l943). ) "[Niagara] Glen," sight record, Yaki (1970).

New York: Buckhorn Island, NW sector, N of marsh, beside grassy road, edge of river, (Note eglandular pedicels, styles hirsute), Eckel, Oct. 22, 1997 (BUF); Buckhorn Island, gravelly road to seagull berm; amid Hypericum perforatum, Hieracium pilloselloides, Eckel, June 14, 1998 (BUF); Lewiston. upper railroad path at mouth of Niagara River gorge (N end) just S of Artpark, village Lewiston, calcareous bedrock with extensive shale-sandstone; planted in thickets; escaping. P. M. Eckel s.n. Sept. 23, 2001(BUF).

Ontario: Hydro Property near School of Horticulture, Spies, July, 1980 (NFO).

It is possible that these reports are actually Rosa canina (see discussion above under that species) hybridized with R. eglanteria.

*Rosa gallica L., French Rose

*Rosa micrantha Smith. SWEET BRIER. "Common at Ft. Erie, Ont., July (1882), Day (1882). "Goat Island," Day (1888). Ontario, Niagara Parks System, Cameron (1895). Ontario: Whirlpool, Niagara Falls, Wm. Scott, June 21, 1898, Heimburger (1955).

*Rosa multiflora Thunb. MULTIFLOWER ROSE. New York: Cayuga Island, Eckel (1991).

New York: Open, disturbed field N of Schoelkopf Geological Museum, by access road, top of old RR bed. P. M. Eckel 880928 Aug. 10, 1986 (BUF); Mainland shore of the Niagara Reservation above the American Falls, east of the pedestrian bridge. With Berberis shrubs and Lonicera tartarica.P. M. Eckel 909298 June 14, 1987 (BUF); old ornamentals near gorge crest by the Lower Arch RR Bridge, Eckel, June 16, 1988 (BUF); Lewiston. Along the shore of the Niagara River, planted grove, dense thicket at Artpark, probable source of a lot of escaped shrubs of this species. P. M. Eckel 880970 June 16, 1988(BUF); Scovell's Knoll, Eckel, July 30, 1988 (BUF); Lewiston. Bluffs of the Niagara River gorge overlooking the river and Queenston at its N terminus beside Robt Moses Pkwy. Escarp. top, dense weedy shrubs, Lonicera tartarica, Ligustrum vulgaris P. M. Eckel s.n. June 19, 2001 (BUF).

Rosa palustris Marsh. SWAMP ROSE.

New York: Lewiston. East of (behind) Niagara University: small Quercus palustris, Qu. bicolor wet remnant of woods. P. M. Eckel s.n. May 9, 1988(BUF); Buckhorn Island, NW sector, marsh, abundant, Eckel, Oct. 22, 1997 (BUF).

Ontario: Navy Island, northwest river margin, beach area, Eckel, July 2, 1998 (BUF).

*Rosa rugosa Thunb., RUGOSA ROSE

New York: Goat Island on the Niagara River. Planted. Thickets on east end of the island, with Lonicera tartarica, Rhamnus cathartica, Salix interior. Open, sunny, dolomite sub. P.M. Eckel Sept. 30, 1988 (BUF).

Rosa virginiana Mill. PASTURE ROSE.

New York: Goat Island on the Niagara River. Crest woods facing the Maid of the Mist Pool. Sparse. Note flared stipules (vs. R. palustris) P. M. Eckel 8809452 June 15, 1987(BUF); Top of Whirlpool (DeVeaux) steps, upper face of Niagara River gorge, dry area. P. M. Eckel s.n. July 1, 1988 (BUF).

Listed as rare in the Niagara Frontier Region by Zander and Pierce (1979). This species is distinguished from the more common Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) and Dwarf Rose (Rosa carolina) by the upwardly flaring rather triangular stipules at the base of the compound leaves. In the other two species the stipules are narrow and essentially parallel.

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