''Rosa setigera'', commonly known as the climbing rose, prairie rose, and climbing wild rose, is a species of shrub or

vine A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...

in the

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), '' Sorbu ...

(rose) family native to central and eastern North America.

Description

''R. setigera'' has trailing or climbing slender stems that grow up to long. The plant grows either as a vine or forms a sprawling thicket. In open areas, the stems will arch downward after reaching a height of about , and where they touch the ground they will root. In areas with vegetation or other structures, the stems will tend to climb. The stems are green or brown with a reddish tint and have curved prickles. The leaves are alternate and compound, with 3 to 5 leaflets on each leaf. Each leaf is long, with leaflets that are long and wide. Leaflets are

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used ...

, with

serrate Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied ...

or doubly serrate margins. The fragrant flowers, blooming May to July, are usually pink, occasionally white, and appear either singly or in groups, or

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are ...

on stalks. Each flower, measuring about wide, has large petals and many

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

. The fruit appears later in the summer as bright red rose hips.

Distribution and habitat

''R. setigera'' is native in the United States from Texas and Nebraska in the west, Wisconsin in the north, New Hampshire in the east, and Florida in the south. It is also native to Ontario and is listed as a species of special concern because of loss of habitat. The plant can be found in areas with average to moist, well-drained soils, including forests and woodlands, roadsides, bluffs, streambanks, old fields, and pastures.

Ecology

The flowers bloom in the spring to summer, with rose hips following later in the summer. Bees pollinate the flowers, and various other insects feed on the plant. Birds and mammals eat the hips. ''R. setigera'' is the larval host for several species of moths, including ''

Paleacrita vernata ''Paleacrita vernata'', the spring cankerworm, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by William Dandridge Peck in 1795. It is found in North America from the Atlantic Ocean west to Alberta, Texas and California. Th ...

'' (spring cankerworm), '' Stigmella rosaefoliella'', and '' Coptotriche roseticola''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3442147 setigera Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of Canada