Rosa spinosissima × R. mollis (R.
× sabinii Woods)

Native, very rare.

July 1949; MCM & D; shore of Lough Melvin.

This hybrid was determined by the rose referee Mr N.Y. Sandwith after the plant was collected by Meikle and his co-workers, "on sandy ground by lake shore at Garrison" (Carrothers et al. 1950). It is an erect, freely suckering deciduous shrub that is usually accompanied by its parent species in hedges and in rocky grassland. Otherwise, and indeed more typically, in coastal parts of B & I it is found in scrub on sand-dunes, a substrate resonating with the sandy, but stony Fermanagh upper lakeshore habitat (T.D. Dines, in: Preston et al. 2002).

R. mollis (Soft Downy-rose) is the most similar of the downy roses to R. spinosissima in its general habit and appearance, and of the five native roses with which R. mollis crosses, the frequency of R. × sabinii occurrence in Britain is second only to that of the hybrid with R. canina (R. × molletorum Hesl.-Harr.), the latter hybrid being one that is not recorded anywhere in Ireland (Stace et al. 2015).

In addition to this solitary Fermanagh record of R. × sabinii, there are a few historical records from NE Ireland, including one found by R.D. Meikle in 1946 at Lough Cowey, Co Down (H38) (Carrothers et al. 1949). Most of the Co Antrim (H39) records are from the 19th century onwards to the 1920s, while for Co Londonderry (H40) four coastal stations are given in the FNEI 3. The editors of the FNEI 3 state that R. × sabinii is frequently recorded in their area, but they go on to admit that in their view, "probably many of the hybrids found were actually R. spinosissima × R. sherardii (= R. × involuta Sm.)". The BSBI Roses Handbook lists only two Irish VCs with "non-directional" records of R. × sabinii (in which the maternal parent was not determined), originating from Cos Clare (H9) and Antrim (H39), and it maps neither of these (Roses Handbook, Map 8). Stace et al. (2015) do map these two Irish VCs and also include records from Connemara (H16 & H26).

Rosa spinosissima × R. rubiginosa (R. × biturigensis Boreau (= R. × cantiana (Wolley-Dod) Wolley-Dod))

Native, very rare.

22 July 1900; Praeger, R.Ll.; shore of Lower Lough Macnean.

Praeger made the solitary Fermanagh record of this vigorous hybrid on a brief visit to Fermanagh in connection with the fieldwork for his book, Irish Topographical Botany that appeared in print the following year. He described this rose as the only notable plant he found that morning on the lakeshore, which he also described as being, "singularly unproductive" (Praeger 1901a).

The name he gave it was Rosa involuta var. Nicholsonii Crépin, now recognised as the hybrid between R. spinosissima and R. rubiginosa and previously called R. × nicholsonii (Crépin) Wolley-Dod (R.D. Meikle in the 1975 Revised Typescript Flora). This hybrid has the very strong, erect branches, suckering habit and mixed armature with large curving prickles standing out among the general clothing of slender nearly straight prickles and acicles. It also displays the general leaf appearance of R. spinosissima, but like its other parent, the hybrid can grow much taller, reaching heights of up to 250 cm (Sell & Murrell 2014). The leaflets are small and more rounded than in Burnet Rose (R. spinosissima), and while they are only sparsely pubescent beneath, they are like other parts of the plant, dotted with the sticky, apple-scented glands of R. rubiginosa (R. Melville, in: Stace 1975; Roses Handbook; Stace et al. 2015).

The Roses Handbook lists non-directional records only of this hybrid from a mere three Irish VCs, W Galway (H16), E Mayo (H26) and Co Down (H38), making no mention of the Fermanagh occurrence. Likewise, the Hybrid Flora of the British Isles (Stace et al. 2015), maps only the records from the same three Irish VCs, neglecting the solitary old Fermanagh occurrence.

All of the remaining native roses of B & I belong to the Section Caninae of the genus. They are mostly pentaploid and three-fifths of their inheritable characters are passed to offspring unchanged in the female line (R. Melville, in: Stace 1975, p. 212). Hybrids are commonly formed; they are often partially fertile and thus are capable of further hybridisation of increasing complexity with each new generation. Add to this individual bush longevity and an ability of the flowers to self-pollinate if crossing fails and field roses can display a quite bewildering array of characters in a very wide range of combinations. It is not at all surprising that with the limited botanical manpower and expertise available, Irish roses remain a neglected area of work.