Shrub up to 3(-4) m tall. Twigs yellowish-brown. Prickles uniform, usually in pairs at the base of leaves, straight, patent or often ascending, flowering stems often unarmed. Leaves variable in shape, 5-25 cm long, leaflets 9-11, simply or doubly serrulate, (10-) 20-50 (-70) mm long, elliptic or lanceolate, rarely obovate, acute or obtuse at apex, dull green above, green and sometimes glaucous beneath, often suffused with red, often becoming brown wh en drying, the terminal leaflets with more than 8 lateral veins. Flowers with bracts, solitary or 2-3 (-5) in fascicles, 30-50 (-70) mm in diameter, normally red. Pedicels as long or longer than fruit, thin, often with stalked glands. Sepals entire, long, dilated at apex, erect or ascending in fruit, persistent. Styles densely pubescent, forming compact head. Orifice broad. Fruit variable in size, usually oblong-ovoid, with distinct neck, densely covered with stalked glands, rarely smooth, red wh en mature.
Fl.Per.: August
Type: ‘Hab. In Gossain Than, Wallich‘.
A-7 Chitral: Ziarat to Lowari Pass, M. A. Siddiqi & M. A. Rahman s.n. (RAW), B-6 Nehr Gah, on way to Lowari Top from D ir, c. 1000 ft, M. Qutabuddin & S. Hayat 379 (RAW), B-7 3 miles from Nasan on way to Saiful Maluk, K. Akhter & M. Qaiser 328 (KUH), About 3 miles from Naran on way to Balakot, K. Akhter & M. Qaiser 306 (KUH), Between Changla Gali and Nathiagali, K. Akhter & M. Qaiser 99 (KUH), Hazara: Above Dunga Gali, R. R. Stewart s.n. (RAW), Kazara Dist., Kagan valley, Naran, Ch. Shaukat Ali 33 (RAW), Kagan valley, Kagan, S. M. A. Kazmi s.n. (KUH), 3 miles from Nathiagali on way to Munu, M. Qaiser & A.Ghafoor 2054 (KUH), Above Dunga Gali, c. 8500 ft, R. R. Stewart s.n. (RAW), Hazara: between Naran & Saiful Maluk, S.M.A.Kazmi 2207 (KUH), Between Shogran and Sari Hazara, S.M.A.Kazmi 2188 (KUH), Swat: Bishigram, 11000 ft, R. R. Stewart & M. A. Rahman 25034 a (RAW), Swat: above Utrot, 8000-9000 ft, R. R. Stewart M. A. Rahman 25263 (RAW), Swat: Kalam, 8000 ft, R. R. Stewart 24689, 24690 (W), NWFP. Dist. Mansehra, Mundi, Guzzara forest, Siran valley, M.Qutabuddin 323 (RAW), B-8 W. Kashmir, Keran, 6000 ft, R. R. & I. D. Stewart 17506 (RAW), Kashmir: near Taubat, 7500 ft, R. R. & I.D.Stewart 17898 (RAW).
Distributioin: Afghanistan, Pakistan (northern areas), Kashmir, India (Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bengal) Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, S. W. China.
Characteristic species owing to leaves with acute serrulate leaflets, but sometimes difficult to distinguish from Rosa webbiana s.l. It seems that both species hybridise occasionally.
Fruits are rich in vitamin C and are edible (S. D. Brandis, l.c.). Flowers are used for the extraction of perfume (Chadha et al., Wealth India 9: 68. 1872).
