# Midland Naturalist/Volume 01/The Distribution of the Genus Rosa in Warwickshire

The Distribution of the Genus Rosa in Warwickshire.
By James E. Bagnall.
"You rose-buds in the morning dew, How pure among the leaves sae green."
Burns.
The beauty of the English wild rose is such that even the most unscientific wanderer through our country lanes instinctively gathers, examines, (doubtless superficially,) and naturally loves it. But a wild rose is a dog rose to the casual observer and nothing more. If I were to tell these non-botanical collectors into how many species, varieties, and forms, critical botanists have split up the genus, and that one of my greatest pleasures has been that of hunting up these forms, they would probably think me in a fair way for a lunatic asylum. Unattractive as such studies must naturally be to the uninitiated, to me they have a charm I cannot express, and I would any day cheerfully walk many miles to see a rare rose or & rare bramble.
When I first commenced the study of the family, I had only the fifth edition of Babington's Manual as a text hook, which, excellent us it is in other points, scarcely seemed satisfactory in its treatment of this genus; hence if was that I bailed with pleasure the appearance of Mr. J. G. Baker's valuable monograph of the genus Rosa, published in Vol. XI. of the "Proceedings of the Linnean Society, 1869," (page 197.) Being thus provided with a good and complete guide, I recommenced the study of the roses of Warwickshire.
The sandy soils and neglected hedges of many parts of the county seem to favour both the growth and variability of the wild rose, and I soon found abundant materials for study. But before commencing to study this difficult genus in the field I obtained from the Rev. A. Bloxam a fairly complete fasciculus of the British roses, and during the winter of 1869–70 I carefully examined these, comparing each with the descriptions given in Mr. Baker's monograph. The knowledge thus obtained has served me much in my subsequent work, During the years that have since elapsed I have visited and collected specimens in nearly every available Warwickshire district, and the specimens collected have all been carefully compared with my type specimens and the descriptions in the monograph.
Many of the districts south of Warwick I lave visited in company with my friend, Mr. H. Bromwich, an excellent botanist, who has paid special attention to this genus, and has worked with great success most of the country around Warwick. In the neighbourhood of Harboro Magna, near Rugby, I have had the company, guidance, and instruction of that learned and veteran botanist, the Rev. A. Bloxam, who is Rector of the village. In my notes I quote some of Mr. Bloxam’s old stations, near Atherstone, a district worked by him in former days. The following list may, therefore, be considered as the result of the Rev. A. Bloxam's, Mr. H. Bromwich's, and my own observations, extending over many years. It is, I believe, a fairly complete list of the Warwickshire roses.
The nomenclature and classification adopted is that of Mr. Baker's monograph, in which he divides the genus into five primary groups, viz.: 1, Spinosissimæ; 2, Villosæ; 3, Rubiginosæ; 4, Caninæ; and 4, Systylæ. ​The Caninæ, which Mr. Baker considers to be only varieties of one species, are divided into three series, and each of these series into several varieties, by means of their fruit characters, the margination and clothing of their leaves, &c. My space is too limited to allow all these details ta be noticed, and I can only refer the student who wishes to make a special study of the genus to Mr. Baker's excellent monograph, or to Dr. Hooker's "Student's Flora of the British Islands."
In all cases in which I have seen and collected specimens in the stations cited I have indicated it by this sign (†); where I only posses or have seen dried specimens, thus {‡). The initials A. B. and H. B. alter a locality indicate that the plants have been found in these stations by the Rev. A. Bloxam or Mr. H. Bromwich, as the case may be; in all other cases the localities given are from my own note book.
Group 1.—Spinosissimæ.
Group 2.—Villosæ.
Group 3.—Rubignosæ.
Group 4.—Caninæ.
* "Leaves glabrous on both surfaces. Peduncles not bristly."
R. Canina, (L.)
** "Leaves glabrous above, hairy on veins beneath. Peduncles not bristly."
*** "Leaflets more or less hairy on both surfaces. Peduncles not bristly.”
**** "Peduncles more or less bristly and glandular.”
Group 5.—Systlæ.
* ↑ Abstract of Paper read before "The Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society."
* ↑ Mr. T. R. Archer Briggs refers the plant from this station to R. scabriuscula.
This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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