ROSA DAMASCENA / ROSA CANINA / ROSE FLOWER

Kingdom     Plantae

Division    Magnoliophyta

Class       Magnoliopsida

Order       Rosales

Family      Rosaceae

Subfamily   Rosoideae

Genus       Rosa

A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 90 species and . They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing or trailing with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles.

Rose flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia.Roses for the longest time have enjoyed the honor of being the most popular flowers in the world. The reason for popularity of the rose flower may be its wide variety in terms of color, size, fragrance and other attributes.

Some interesting facts about rose flower:

here are over 90 species of the rose.

We usually call the sharp spikes on the stem of a rose bush "thorns". But these are in fact technically prickles.

The flowers of most species of rose have five petals except for the species 'Rosa sericea' which has only four.

The name "Rose" is often used as a girl's name in English speaking countries.

For hundreds of years the rose has been widely recognized as a symbol of love, sympathy or sorrow.

The rose is most commonly used as an ornamental plant grown in the garden for its beautiful flowers.

The rose can be used in perfumes. The nice scent of the rose comes from microscopic perfume glands on the petals. Sometimes rose petals are also dried and packed for commercial use as decoration or for scent.

Because they're low-maintenance and nice to look at, rose shrubs (classified as a shrub even though some don't look like shrubs for example the climbing rose) are used as landscape plants for hedging (the thorns can discourage intruders) or planted on hillsides as a slope stabilizing method to stop soil erosion.

The fruit of a rose is called a rose hip. The berry-like hip are usually red in color but some can be dark purple or black.

Rose hips of some species are extremely rich in vitamin C, because of this the hip is sometimes made into jam, jelly, or brewed for tea. The hip also has minor medicinal uses, used in food supplements and can be pressed or filtered to make rose hip syrup. Hip seed oil is also used in skin products and makeup products.

Medicinal and cosmetic uses of Rose flower:

antidepressant ,antispasmodic ,aphrodisiac ,astringent ,antibacterial ,antiviral ,antiseptic, anti-inflammatory ,blood tonic cleansing, digestive stimulant ,expectorant ,increases bile production ,kidney tonic ,menstrual regulator.

Key Components :

volatile oil

vitamins and minerals (especially A, B, E, and K, potassium and iron)

Medicinal Parts

Flowers, petals, rosehips, root, root bark, essential oil

There are some 300 chemical constituents of which only about 100 have been identified.

Depending on the source, some rose teas are able to supply as much as 1000 mg. per cup. Recent studies now indicate that taking more than 2000 mg. of vitamin C per day changes the vitamin into a pro-oxidant that actually increases cellular damage caused by unstable free radicals. Other experts seem to think that this action takes place with as little as 1000 mg. of vitamin C per day.

The seeds of the Japanese rose are used in Oriental medicine as a diuretic and laxative.

Infusions of dried rose petals are used for headaches and taken after meals to aid digestion.

Steam inhalation of a decoction of rose petals, mint, and cloves help induce sleep.

Compresses soaked in infusions of the dried flowers make a good anti-inflammatory remedy for the eyes or any other inflamed area of the body and applied cool for headaches.

Rosehip tincture is an effective astringent for treating diarrhea or in relieving colic or as a component in cough remedies.

Rosehip syrup is used as a cough remedy or taken as a source of vitamin C.

Rosehip decoction is taken with other herbs to treat chronic diarrhea associated with stomach weaknesses.

Flower decoctions are taken with motherwort for heavy menstruation or combined with Chinese herbs for liver dysfunctions.

Tinctures from the petals are used for diarrhea or sluggish digestion. When combined with other herbs, they areused to treat irregular or heavy menstruation.

Gargles made from petal infusions, used alone or combined with sage, are used for sore throats.

Creams from the essential oil are used to treat dry or inflamed skin.

Lotions from the essential oil are combined with lady’s mantle tincture for vaginal itching.

Rosewater combined with equal amounts of witch hazel is used as a moisturizing lotion for skin prone to pimples or acne. (Rosewater is a by-product of the steam distillation of Bulgarian rose oil and is used as a skin remedy.)

A few drops of essential oil can be added to bathwater for depression, grief, or insomnia.

Massage oil is made by mixing a few drops of essential oil with a neutral oil and used to relieve stress and exhaustion or for sluggish digestion.

Traditional Uses

The dried hips of the wild rose are especially high in vitamin C, having three times that of citrus fruits, and have long been used to prevent scurvy.

The Chinese use the flowers as a qi or energy stimulant and blood tonic to relieve stagnant liver energies. They are also used for digestive irregularities or with motherwort for heavy menstruation.

The Damask rose blooms for only a couple of weeks, during which time the petals are collected and steam distilled to produce true Bulgarian rose oil used in about 96% of all women’s perfumes. Medicinally, it is an important nervine used for depression and anxiety.

The cabbage rose is used to produce French rose oil, which differs significantly in its chemical composition from Bulgarian rose oil and has a reputation as an aphrodisiac.