{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = Wild Rosa gallica Romania.jpg | image_caption = Wild ''Rosa gallica'' in Romania | genus = Rosa | species = gallica | authority = L. | synonyms = ''Rosa portlandica'' <small>Rössig</small><ref name="POWO">{{cite web |title=Rosa portlandica Rössig {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:733747-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=4 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref> }}

'''''Rosa gallica''''', the '''Gallic rose''', '''French rose''', or '''rose of Provins''', is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, native to southern and central Europe eastwards to Turkey and the Caucasus. ''Rosa gallica'' was one of the first species of rose to be cultivated in central Europe.<ref name=gobotany>{{Go Botany|genus=Rosa|species=gallica|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> It is a parent of several important cultivars.

==Description== ''Rosa gallica'' is a deciduous shrub forming large patches. The slender, straight prickles are various in size and frequency in this species.<ref name=gobotany/><ref name=clements1912>{{cite journal |last1=Clements|first1=F. E.|last2=Butters|first2=F.K.|last3=Rosendahl|first3=C. O.|title=Minnesota trees and shrubs: an illustrated manual of the native and cultivated woody plants of the State |date=1912 |journal=Report of the Botanical Survey|volume=9 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/61236#page/165/mode/1up |language=en}}</ref> The leaves are pinnately-compound, with three to seven bluish-green leaflets. The flowers are clustered one to four together, on glandular pedicels. Each flower has five or more petals, sometimes producing double corollas.<ref name=gobotany/> The flowers are fragrant and deep pink. The hips are globose to ovoid, 10–13&nbsp;mm diameter, and orange to brownish.

In the field of Food science, rose petal extract from ''Rosa gallica'' has been shown to have properties that reduce inflammation and wrinkling in human skin.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Myung-hee |last2=Nam |first2=Tae Gyu |last3=Lee |first3=Inil |last4=Shin |first4=Eun Ju |last5=Han |first5=Ah-ram |last6=Lee |first6=Pomjoo |last7=Lee |first7=Sung-Young |last8=Lim |first8=Tae-Gyu |date=2018-10-25 |title=Skin anti-inflammatory activity of rose petal extract (Rosa gallica) through reduction of MAPK signaling pathway |journal=Food Science & Nutrition |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=2560–2567 |doi=10.1002/fsn3.870 |issn=2048-7177 |pmc=6261181 |pmid=30510758}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Song |first1=Young-Ran |last2=Lim |first2=Won-Chul |last3=Han |first3=Ahram |last4=Lee |first4=Myung-Hee |last5=Shin |first5=Eun Ju |last6=Lee |first6=Kwang-Min |last7=Nam |first7=Tae-Gyu |last8=Lim |first8=Tae-Gyu |date=2020-08-23 |title=Rose Petal Extract (Rosa gallica) Exerts Skin Whitening and Anti-Skin Wrinkle Effects |journal=Journal of Medicinal Food |volume=23 |issue=8 |pages=870–878 |doi=10.1089/jmf.2020.4705 |issn=1557-7600 |pmid=32609563|s2cid=220307850 }}</ref>

==Gallica cultivar group== Cultivars of the species ''R. gallica'' and hybrids close in appearance are considered as a cultivar group, the Gallica Group roses. Their exact ancestry is usually unknown and other species may be involved. They are easily cultivated. The Gallica Group roses share the vegetative characters of the species: * forming low suckering shrubs, * flowers can be single, but most commonly are double or semidouble, * colours range from white (rare) to pink and deep purple, and * once flowering

==Apothecary's rose== Plants with semidouble deep pink flowers have been treated as either a variety, under the name ''R. gallica'' var. ''officinalis'',<ref name=RHS/> or as a cultivar, ''R. gallica'' 'Officinalis'.<ref name=PhillipsRix2004/> It is also called the apothecary's rose, the crimson damask rose, or the red rose of Lancaster.<ref name=RHSAZ>{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}</ref> It is the county flower of Lancashire. A cultivar ''R. gallica'' var. ''officinalis'' 'Versicolor', with striped pink blooms, is also known as ''Rosa mundi''.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=BBC plant finder - Rosa mundi|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3426.shtml|access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref>

The names ''Rosa gallica'' f. ''trigintipetala'' or ''Rosa'' 'Trigintipetala' are considered to be synonyms of ''Rosa'' × ''damascena''.<ref>{{GRIN | ''Rosa gallica'' f. ''trigintipetala'' | 5352 | access-date = 2017-12-18}}</ref>

==Cultivation== It was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans and commonly used in mediaeval gardens. Until the 19th century it was the most important species of rose to be cultivated, and most modern European rose cultivars have at least a small contribution from ''R. gallica'' in their ancestry.<ref name=gobotany/>

''Rosa gallica'' is easily cultivated on well drained soil in full sun to semishade; it can survive temperatures down to −25&nbsp;°C.

The following cultivars and hybrids currently hold the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

* 'Beau Narcisse' (Mielles pre-1824)<ref name=":1">{{cite web | url = https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/beau-narcisse | title = ''Rosa'' 'Beau Narcisse' | publisher = David Austin Roses | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> * 'Charles de Mills' (pre-1790)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/91446/Rosa-Charles-de-Mills-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Charles de Mills' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 4 June 2021}}</ref> * 'Duc de Guiche' (pre-1810)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/61289/Rosa-Duc-de-Guiche-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Duc de Guiche' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> * 'Duchesse de Montebello' (Laffay 1824)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/59938/Rosa-Duchesse-de-Montebello-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Duchesse de Montebello' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> * 'Président de Sèze'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/98201/Rosa-President-de-Seze-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Président de Sèze' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> * var. ''officinalis''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/94206/Rosa-gallica-var-officinalis-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa gallica'' var. ''officinalis'' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> (sometimes listed as a cultivar 'Officinalis', rather than a variety) * 'Versicolor' ('Rosa mundi')<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/97997/Rosa-gallica-Versicolor-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa gallica'' 'Versicolor' (rosa mundi) | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref> * 'Tuscany Superb'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/96983/Rosa-Tuscany-Superb-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Tuscany Superb' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref>

Other notable cultivars include: * 'Cardinal de Richelieu' (Parmentier pre-1847; withdrawn)<ref>{{cite web|title=''Rosa'' 'Cardinal de Richelieu'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/94521/Rosa-Cardinal-de-Richelieu-(G)/Details | publisher = RHS}}</ref> – this rose was used as a starting point for genetic engineering to produce the first blue rose{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} * 'Complicata'<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/98520/Rosa-Complicata-(G)/Details | title = ''Rosa'' 'Complicata' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 28 June 2021}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> Image:RosaGallicaAlainBlanchard1UME.jpg|'Alain Blanchard' File:Rosa Complicata.JPG|'Complicata' Image:RosaGallicaOrnamentDeLaNature1UME.jpg|'Ornament de la Nature' Rose- Rosa Mundi.JPG|'Versicolor' (Rosa mundi) Rosa Tuscany Superb 2.jpg|'Tuscany Superb' </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=RHS>{{Citation |title=RHS Horticultural Database: ''Rosa gallica'' var. ''officinalis'' |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/hortdatabase.asp?ID=94206 |access-date=2011-07-24 }}</ref> <ref name=PhillipsRix2004>{{Citation |last1=Phillips |last2=Rix |year=2004 |title=The Ultimate Guide to Roses : a comprehensive selection |location=London |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4050-4920-7 |name-list-style=amp }}</ref> }}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Rosa&SPECIES_XREF=gallica&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Rosa gallica''] *Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan. *[http://www.physorg.com/news3581.html Article on the use of RNAi technology to produce a blue rose]

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gallica Category:Flora of Europe Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Plants with red flowers