CROATIAN FLORA 2004 - DOG-ROSE (ROSA CANINA)

DOG-ROSE (WILD BRIAR) – Rosa canina L. In our country there are several rose sorts growing naturally, their area spreading between the sea coast and up to the high mountains. Among them the most frequent and best known sort is the Dog-rose or Wild Briar, also known as Dog-rose Berry with a range of local names. Worldwide, there are also tens of thousands of decorative forms of various garden roses. The Croatian dog-rose grows in the shape of degraded bushes or in groups, on sunny woodland margins, hedgerows, along fences, boundary lines and paths, on newly cleared land and degraded habitats. The Dog-rose is a deciduous shrub, up to several meters in height. The shrub has branches with strong downward-curved prickles. It flowers in spring and has pale pink or almost white flowers that exude a pleasing fragrant smell. The most important part of the rose is its fruit, the hip, which is egg-shaped, with a wonderful light-red colour, filled with numerous seeds – tiny nuts. The meaty pulp is sour-sweet and has a pleasant acidity and stinging taste. Petals are sometimes gathered for medicinal purposes, but the chief medicinal part of the Dog-rose is the fruit – hips, which are gathered at the time of ripening, while they are firm and light-red in colour. Hip jam is made from mature fruits. The Dog-rose fruit contains a high percentage of vitamin C and several sorts of acids, coloured volatile oils, sugars, iron, aluminium and other substances. On account of their contents, the hips are a veritable chemical plant. The use of hips rests on the awareness that it is highly healthy and a natural medicinal remedy rich in vitamin C. Its special value is the fact that the content of vitamin C does not get diminished by cooking it. Other active substances in the rose hip also have great importance, particularly for cleansing the digestive and urologic tracts.