Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina
Gasquet rose
(c) Walter Siegmund, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina (Gasquet rose) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Key features: serpentine substrate specialist, dwarf habit, few rounded leaflets.
Gasquet rose is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges in full sun chaparral and dwarf forest on ultramafic substrates at elevations of 400 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pink to pale flowers typically 3 to 4 centimeters wide with delicate, loosely clustered petals. Growing 1 to 6 meters tall with spreading, somewhat arching branches, it forms a graceful, open woodland shrub. Its compound leaves feature 5 to 7 leaflets, with the terminal leaflet widely elliptic and 4 to 20 millimeters long, characterized by a distinctively rounded or obtuse tip. The fruit develops as an irregularly ovoid to ellipsoid structure 4 to 8 millimeters wide, containing 1 to 4 achenes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species. Key features: serpentine substrate specialist, dwarf habit, few rounded leaflets.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Full sun in chaparral, dwarf forest on ultramafic substrates
Elevation: 400-1500 m
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina blooms Apr-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Camellia: Rosa has compound leaves with multiple leaflets; Camellia has single undivided glossy leaves.; vs Carpenteria: Rosa has thorny stems and compound leaves; Carpenteria is thornless with simple opposite leaves.; vs Hibiscus: Rosa has compound leaves and thorny stems; Hibiscus has simple palmate leaves, thornless.; vs Dahlia: Rosa is woody with thorns; Dahlia is herbaceous without thorns.; vs Cistus: Rosa has compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets; Cistus has simple undivided leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina native to California?
Yes. Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina bloom?
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina belong to?
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina is in the Rosaceae family, genus Rosa.
Is Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina rare or endangered?
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, state rank S2.
What habitat does Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina grow in?
Rosa gymnocarpa var. serpentina grows in Full sun in chaparral, dwarf forest on ultramafic substrates.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.