The Raging Reproduction of the Rangler Rose

During the life cycle of Rosa multiflora, there are both sexual and asexual stages. The three processes that the organism can use are as follows: seeds, root sprouts, or layering from the branches (canes). So which is a form of sexual reproduction and which of asexual? Also, if there are three possible ways in which the species can reproduce, what determines which method should be used?

Seed development is Rosa mulitflora's only form of sexual reproduction. When conditions are favorable, this is the reproduction process that is preferred. In order to form a new rose bush, the seeds are dispersed through gravity, birds, and mammal distribution. The birds and mammals eat the red rose hips which hold the seeds that create the new

rose bush. After researching the dispersal of the plant's seeds, it has been proven that birds are the most successful of the seed "scatterers." This is evident by the fact that the most prevalent locations in which new rose seedlings are found are right under popular bird perch sites.

Root sprouts are an example of one of the two processes in which Rosa mulitflora is able to reproduce asexually. When sexual reproduction cannot be performed due to harsh conditions, the asexual vegetative buds create root development which, in turn, produces the foundation of the offspring. This type of reproductive strategy is beneficial because this allows the new bush to maintain local adaptations in order to thrive in the area.

The last method of reproduction that Rosa multiflora possesses is done asexually through the layering of the tips of the arching branches (canes) of the plant. In other words, a new rose bush is produced when the branches touch the ground and then come in contact with the soil. The contact initiates the growth of new roots that will become the base of the offspring. Like the other form of asexual reproduction, this process occurs when conditions are unfavorable for the formation of flowers and fruit so the plant cannot reproduce sexually. Also like the production of new rose bushes using root sprouts, asexual reproduction caused by the connection of the branch to the soil creates offspring that continue to express the same adaptations as the parental plant. Therefore, they are able to survive and prosper in their environment.

Continue on to see how the multiflora rose interacts with its neighboring species by clicking on Interactions with Other Species, or click here to return to Roses in the Media .