Rosa rugosa, rugose rose, mei gui, mei gua hua (flower bud), ramanas rose, Turkestan rose, Japanese rose, Kartoffel rose, rosier du japon

Rosa rugosa, Rugose or beach rose, among its many common names, is ubiquitous in coastal New England, familiar to anyone who has visited the Maine coastline in summer. An alien species from East Asia, introduced to Western horticulture in 1845, in China, the fresh and dried fruit are eaten, and the flower petals, collected in the early morning are sweetened and used in pastry filling. The dried flowerbud is the Chinese medicinal herb, meiguihua, used in prescriptions to regulate blood circulation and digestive pain. The rosehips, some of the largest produced by a rose, are considered a source of vitamin C. The fruits are rather dry and filled with hard seeds. Images 15-26 include the iconic Portland Headlight, commissioned by George Washington.



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