Rosa spinosissima × R. canina (R.
× hibernica Templeton)
Account Summary
Native, very rare.
1882; Barrington, R.M.; Muckinish or White Island, Western Lower Lough Erne.
This appears to be a very rare hybrid between a very common and a rather common rose. Barrington's record was only tentatively identified by his expert referee, Mr J.G. Baker at K. Barrington wrote of it, "An imperfect specimen of a rose gathered on the shore of White Island [, which] Mr. Baker was unable to identify.", but he added, "See if R. hibernica, which species should be looked for." (Barrington 1884). The Fermanagh Flora Database listing of this plant suggests that a voucher exists for this record in DBN, a suggestion RHN and the current author (RSF) greatly doubt.
However, there seems no reason to doubt the other (second) 1947 Fermanagh record determined for Meikle and his co-workers by Mr N.Y. Sandwith, which was described as being, "plentifully, [in a thicket] by the shore of Fardrum Lough, near Drumcose" (Carrothers et al. 1949). The distribution map in Stace et al. (2015) plots Irish records of R. × hibernica from Cos Down (H38), Antrim (H39) and Kerry (H2), but for some reason does not include Fermanagh.
The existence of this rose hybrid was first discovered in 1795 by the Belfast naturalist John Templeton and in the FNEI 3 a handful of old records are listed from Cos Down (H38), Antrim (H39) and Londonderry (H40). In Fermanagh, R. × hibernica should still be sought in the Carrickreagh and Drumcose areas, for it is known to be long persistent elsewhere in NE Ireland, eg near Holywood, Co Down, where it was first recorded by Templeton in 1795 and persisted there until sometime around 1954 when John Harron saw it, although the site was subsequently destroyed (Kertland & Lambert 1972).
The suckering branches of R. × hibernica bear a mixture of straight narrow-based prickles and acicles (from R. spinosissima) and curved prickles (from R. canina). The hips are ovoid, somewhat urn-like, or small and poorly developed (Sell & Murrell 2014). In Ireland, the plant is confined to Cos Down (H38), Antrim (H39) and Fermanagh (H33) and although scattered records exist in England, N Wales and Scotland, they are very few in number and almost all pre-date 1950 (Roses Handbook, Map 6; Stace et al. 2015).
Growth form and preferred habitats
A small, much branched, usually pale greyish-green, summer annual therophyte up to 10 cm tall, with digitately or palmately lobed leaves, this sexually reproducing form of Aphanes is very much more local than the apomictic A. arvensis (Parsley-piert). It is greener and more slender than the latter, flowers from April to October and has even smaller fruits than A. arvensis s.s., showing no constriction between the upper and lower parts, and the sepals are convergent (New Flora of the BI 2019, p. 277, Figs 1, 2). It is less common than A. arvensis s.s. and appears to be confined to short turf, mossy areas on acidic sandy or gravelly soils, or dry rocky ground, eg on roadsides, along tracks and in quarries and sand-pits. It is not as confined to well-drained soils as A. arvensis, but is more definitely a plant of acidic conditions (Garrard & Streeter 1983). In Fermanagh, these conditions are also found locally on or near lakeshores and on river banks.
Fermanagh occurrence
The limited number of records that have accumulated in the Fermanagh Flora Database (18 finds in 14 tetrads) are mainly the work of RHN, facts that strongly suggest this rather insignificant-looking little species is under-recorded. Otherwise, as the tetrad map shows, it appears to be very local around the Tempo area, with very few (six or seven) records elsewhere in the county.
Additional to the first record are the following: Poll Beg District, NW of Boho, 11 June 1978, M.J.P. Scannell, DBN; all the remaining records involve RHN – Knockennis, 3 km NE of Brougher Mountain, 7 July 1988; Pubble Bridge, Tempo River, 1 October 1988; fen at Feddan Bog, 8 June 1992; fields at Largy Lough, 13 August 1992; sand pit at Pubble Bridge, 11 September 1994 & 20 August 1999, with RSF; Drumcreen, Ballinamallard River, 16 April 1995; roadside Ballyreagh, 5 km NW of Tempo, 31 December 1995, with HJN; roadside at Tempo, 13 April 1996; Tully, W of Edenmore, 21 June 1997, with RSF; N of Many Burns Bridge, Many Burns River, 3 May 1999; Pubble Forest, 1 December 2001; sandpit at Pubble Bridge, 28 August 2004, with RSF; Agnaglack, 20 April 2009, with HJN; Gublusk Bay, Lower Lough Erne, 28 February 2010; Killyreagh House near Tamlagh, 10 June 2010.
British and Irish occurrence
The New Atlas map shows the species widespread throughout both islands, but much more thinly scattered in Ireland, yet with a slightly greater presence in the south and the sunny south-east corner, both areas which attract more visitors and where the local recorders are more energetic than the norm (Preston et al. 2002). Thus the mapped distribution of A. australis across the whole of Ireland suggests probable under-recording in comparison with the situation in Britain.
European and world occurrence
It stretches northwards from a scattered presence in Spain and Portugal through W Europe to S Sweden and eastwards to NE Poland, the Carpathians and the Adriatic. Very local in the Balkans and present only on the W Mediterranean Isles (Minorca, Mallorca, Sardinia and Sicily), but also recorded on Madeira (Press & Short 1994; Sell & Murrell 2014). Beyond Europe, it occurs in Morocco and Algeria and is introduced in E & S parts of N America (Hultén & Fries 1986, Map 1156).
Threats
None.