This rose is not listed in the BSBI site, so it is not known which, if any, other Roses it will hybridize with. It may, or may not, grow wild.

It certainly looked as though it was growing wild, being in a hedrerow on top of the moors beside a track backing onto farmers fields. But as with all tracks, habitation is not far away.

The flower, having mauve petals with white centres, is reminiscent of those of Wood Crane's-bill.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : Leaves suffused through with a weak beetroot colouring making them a muddy green, or dark glaucous.

RUBIXANTHIN & CRYPTOXANTHIN  Rubixanthin is an orange-red Xanthophyll and carotenoid pigment that is isomeric with Cryptoxanthin both of which are present in the hips of many Roses, including probably Red-leaved Rose. Rubixanthin lacks a ring at the far end, which has been un-folded and now forms an extended linear section. It is also found in the flowers of the orange-red coloured French Marigold (Tagetes patula) which also grows wild in the UK. In the human body it is converted into Vitamin A, aka Retinal, which is one half of the molecule but with two extra OH moieties. Rubixanthin is not soluble in water, but forms deep-red needle crystals from a benzene methanol solution, and orange crystals from a benzene petroleum ether solution. Licensed as a food colourant called Natural Yellow 27 (E-number E161d) in Australia and New Zealand it is not licensed in the EU nor the USA. Rubixanthine should not be confused with Rhodoxanthin, another carotenoid.   Cryptoxanthin is isomeric with Rubixanthine and is present in the hips of many roses, and but unlike Rubixanthin, is almost symmetrical, apart from an OH group on one of the rings. It is also present in the flowers ofJapanese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) and other Physalis species as well as in the yolks of eggs, butter, orange rind, apples and papaya. It is identical to β-Carotene apart from the addition of the -OH group on the ring, and indeed, in the human body, it is converted into Vitamin A aka Retinol, and is thus considered as one of the provitamin A's. It too is used as a food colourant under the name E161c but is not approved for use within the European Union nor USA.