Mountain Rose

Mountain Rose
	Mountain rose ( Rosa pendulina )
Systematics
Order :	Rose-like (rosales)
Family :	Rose family (Rosaceae)
Subfamily :	Rosoideae
Genre :	Roses ( pink )
Subgenus :	pink
Type :	Mountain Rose
Scientific name
	Rosa pendulina
	L.

The mountain rose ( Rosa pendulina ), also called alpine rose , alpine dog rose , mountain rose or hanging fruit rose , is a type of plant from the genus of roses ( Rosa ) within the rose family (Rosaceae). It is common in the mountains of Central , South and Southeast Europe. The alpine rose must not be confused with the alpine rose ( rhododendron ).

Description and ecology

The mountain rose grows as a deciduous, compact shrub with loosely branched branches and reaches heights of 0.5 to 2 meters. The branches are mostly thornless, only in the lower part and on young branches there are straight, bristle-like spines. Rosa pendulina is hardy to −33 ° C ( USDA zone 4 ).

Rose hip in late autumn

Rosa pendulina

The 10 to 12 centimeter long leaves are divided into a petiole and a leaf blade. The imparipinnate leaf blade consists of seven to eleven thin, 2 to 6 centimeters long leaflets. The size of the individual leaflets increases significantly towards the tip of the leaf. The leaf margin is serrated twice. The upper side of the leaf is dull bluish green, the lower side lighter and sparsely hairy.

The flowering period extends from May to July. The flowers are almost always single. The hermaphroditic flowers are radial symmetry and five-fold with a double flower envelope . The simple sepals are conspicuously erect after flowering (anthesis) and do not fall off before the fruit ripens. The five pink to bright dark purple petals are lighter in the middle.

The hanging fruit ( rose hip ) is egg-shaped to elongated bottle-shaped with a length of up to 2.5 centimeters, rarely spherical and it ripens red-orange in color. The fruit ripens from August. The rose hips are eaten by ravens , crows , waxwings , pine jays , black grouse and foxes .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28.

Occurrence

The distribution area includes the mountains in Central and Southern Europe as well as the Balkans to Northern Greece . In the Alps, it rises to around 2000 meters in the area of the tree line.

The alpine rose prefers open bushes in a sunny location, rock corridors , tall herbaceous corridors , dwarf shrub heaths and alpine grass mats. It occurs particularly in the Alnetum viridis, but also in other societies such as the associations Calamagrostion, Tilio-Acerion, Erico-Pinion or Berberidion.

Taxonomy

The first publication of Rosa pendulina was in 1753 by Carl von Linné . Rosa pendulina is a very variable species that is closely related to the cinnamon rose , Rosa majalis . It has been described by many synonyms , especially Rosa alpina .

Medicinal plant

The rose hips of Rosa pendulina found in folk medicine similar use as false fruits of dog rose , Rugosa Rose and Wine Rose . They contain flavonoids , vitamins B1 and B2 as well as C ( ascorbic acid ), tannic acids , tannins , pectin , sucrose , carotenoids (β-carotene, effective as provitamin A), geraniol , saponins , up to 0.02% essential oil , flavonol glycosides, Anthocyanins , vanillin and quinic acid . They are used as dietary supplements in case of vitamin C deficiency or when there is an increased need, e.g. B. used for colds. The Commission E has published a monograph negative due to the rapidly decreasing vitamin C content in the drug, the European Pharmacopoeia requires a minimum content of ascorbic acid. If kidney stones are present, higher doses should be avoided.

literature

Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (= Steinbach's natural guide ). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 .
Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald, Raimund Fischer: Excursion flora of Austria . Ed .: Manfred A. Fischer. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart / Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3461-6 .
Bruno P. Kremer: Shrub trees. (= Steinbach's nature guide), Niedernhausen, 2002. ISBN 3-576-11478-5 .

Individual evidence

↑ Mountain Rose. In: FloraWeb.de.
↑ ^a ^b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 . Page 570.
↑ Frank Herfurth: Our medicinal plant: Roses - Rosa var - Part 2. In: Paracelsus Magazin , issue 4/2014.
^ Entry on rose hips in Pharmawiki , accessed on January 28, 2017.