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Rosa stylosa Desv., Short-styled Field-rose

Account Summary

Native, very rare, or possibly a mis-identification. European temperate.

24 July 1986; Northridge, R.H. & Forbes, R.S.; Gubbaroe Point, Lower Lough Erne.

July to August.

There are just two records of this climbing rose in the Fermanagh Flora Database, both made by RHN and the current author (RSF). The second record was made by RHN on 17 August 1992 at a rath (a prehistoric circular fort earthwork) 0.5 km N of Cullen Hill, which itself lies 1 km N of Monea village. Unfortunately, there are no voucher specimens for either of these records, so their presence and status is very insecure and it requires further investigation.

In B & I, R. stylosa is a rare species of semi-shaded wood margins and hedgerows on well-drained, lime-rich soils. In Ireland, the New Atlas hectad map indicates that it is confined to the southern half of the country. Of the eleven VCs listed in the Cen Cat Fl Ir 2, the nearest to Fermanagh is Co Offaly (H18). At the same time, in FNEI 3, Paul Hackney recorded plants with prominently conical discs atop the hip, collected by him near the Carnlough River. The British Rosa experts Graham and Primavesi saw the vouchers and considered that these were probably derived from hybridization with R. stylosa. The southerly lie of R. stylosa is also reflected in its British distribution; Stace in the New Flora of the BI (1997) described it as, "B & I south of a line from Co Dublin to E Suffolk, but now rare." Having said that, the previously very confused rose taxonomy, stemming from the reproductive biology of the plants, has made the whole genus under-recorded and this is especially the case in Ireland.

R. stylosa was considered an unremarkable Dog-rose of no garden interest by Praeger (1934 f), who re-established the native status of the species in Ireland, a situation first doubted by Isaac Carroll in Cybele Hibernica (1866), where he suggested records of it on rocks at Myrtle-hill, near Cork city were perhaps planted. Praeger (1934 f) quoted one of his rose experts working in Ireland, a Mr Phillips, who wrote in correspondence to him, "R. stylosa seems to always occur in small quantity under circumstances and in habitats similar to those in which native species such as R. agrestis [= R. sepium] and R. rubiginosa occur in their outlying stations." Praeger (1934 f) also reckoned that its British range, which he described as, "England south of the Wash-Severn line", and its Continental range (Germany and France), suggests that this western species should be considered native in Ireland, a position that is now very widely accepted.

An indication of the extent of variation within R. stylosa is given by the fact that Sell & Murrell (2014) recognise and name eight varieties within the species.

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.