Book  (1838)  Page(s) 150.  
 
Rosa spinosissima. Rosa Reversa. Shrub, armed with bristly thorns, almost even, down-bent. Leaves, doubly toothed, pubescent. Fruit, hispid. Flowers, white. This rose is found in the stony districts of the Matra mountains, in Hungary.

Book  (1836)  Page(s) 167.  
 
Rosa spinosissima. Rosier renversé. (Rosa reversa Lindley, Waldstein.) Arbrisseau à aiguillons soyeux, presqu'égaux, réfléchis; feuilles doublement dentées, pubescentes; fruit hispide; fleurs blanches. Ce rosier, dont Lindley fait une espèce, se trouve dand les endroits pierreux des montagnes de Matra, en Hongrie.

Book  (1826)  Page(s) 500.  
 
Rosa spinosissima. Reversa. Buisson épais, très-épineux; fleurs blanches, simples. Variété botanique.

Magazine  (1819)  Page(s) t. 431.  Includes photo(s).
 
ROSA spinosissima ; reversa.
Scotch Rose; with deflexed prickles.
ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA.
Nat. ord. Rosaceæ. Jussieu gen. 334. Div. II. Rosæ.
ROSA. Suprà vol. l.fol. 46.

Div. Rami impubes aculeati setis persistentibus intermixtis. Lindley MSS.
R. spinosissima, armis valdè inæqualibus, foliolis opacis nudis rotundatis, stipulis linearibus, sepalis (foliolis calycinis) inermibus integerrimis, disco obliterato. Lindley MSS.
Rosa spinosissima. Lin. sp. pl. ed. 2. 1. 705. Mill. dict. ed. 8. n. 2. Willd. sp. pl. 2. 1067. Smith fl. brit. 2. 537. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 3. 259.
Rosa spinis rectis, confertis foliis novenis glabris, pinnis et petiolis subspinosis. Hall. Helv. n. 1106.
Rosa campestris odora. Clus. hist. 1. 116.
(α) Common scotch rose. Engl. bot. 187. Miss Lawr. ros. t. 48.
(β) Striped-flowered scotch rose. Miss Lawr. ros. t. 15.
(γ) Red scotch rose. Miss Lawr, ros. t. 62.
(δ) Double scotch rose. Miss Lawr. ros. t. 63.
(ε) Tall scotch rose. Miss Lawr.ros. t.19.
(ζ) Marbled scotch rose. Miss Lawr. ros. t. 78.
(η) reversa, pumila, cæsis, floribunda, armis tenuissimis inferioribus deflexis, sepalis glandulosis fructû ovato nigra ovariis 40-50. Lindley MSS.
Rosa spinosissima. Jacq.fragm. 79. t. 124?
Rosa spinosissima nana. Andrews's roses?

(η) Fruticulus 2-pedalis compactus: rami stricti, teretes, impubes, novelli virides aculeis gracillimis rectis inæqualibus rubentibus setisque iniermixtis: adulti rufo-brunnei armis gracillimis innocuis valdè inæqualibus deflexis. Folia minima , densissimè conferta patentia cæsia; stipulæ lineares apice liberæ, glandulis rubidis ciliatæ; petioli impubes, glandulis minutis raris induti; foliola 3-9 omninò nuda ovata, simplicitèr v. duplicato-serrata, suprà subglauca, infra pallidiora, imbrIcata v. (rarò) distantia, convava, hinc sæpius contorta. Flores densissimè in ramis thyrsi instar solitariè congesti, odore debili, albi, medio flavescentes : bracteæ nullæ; pedunculi virides, nudi. Calycis tubus ovatus viridissimus nudus; sepala (foliola calycina) simplicia, petalis breviora, post anthesin reflexa, intùs tomentosa, extùs pilosiuscula, passim glandulosa v. setosa. Pet. concava, integra v. emarginata ; stam. luteo-brunnea numerosa. Discus obliteratus. Ovaria 40-50 pilis densis omninò tecta; styli inclusi liberi; stigmata ochrea massâ depressa. Fructus ovatus niger erectus sepalis persistentibus. Lindley MSS.

The present variety is supposed to be a native of Siberia; but we are unable to refer it to any thing of Pallas or
Gmelin. It is known in some gardens under the name of Rosa pimpinellifolia sibirica.
If the Rosa spinosissima, figured by Jacquin in his fragmenta, is our plant, it must be a native of Austria, but the prickles in his plate are all horizontal. Besides, there is a specimen in the Banksian Herbarium from Jacquin, which
is indisputably a different variety.
We are scarcely acquainted with a more charming shrub than this plant is in the spring, when it is adorned with a profusion of the most elegant white blossoms so closely disposed as almost to hide its delicate light blue foliage. The slender reflexed prickles distinguish it readily from all the varieties included under spinosissima; but the same character exists in Rosa myriacantha on the lower part of the shoots. This however is in other respects a very different species, and more nearly allied to Rosa involuta of our own highlands.
Were we disposed to be guided by those botanists whose aim is to multiply species, rather than reduce them, we
should have little difficulty in forming a specific character which would distinguish our plant much better from Rosa
spinosissima than many at present adopted are discriminated from each other ; but we confess ourselves disposed to hold that characters must be subservient to nature, not nature to them. That a character far from worthless might be put together, the phrase distinguishing our variety will demonstrate. In this is for the first time introduced a difference
obtained from the number of ovaria (germens) which are from 40 to 50 in the present variety, instead of from 15 to 20 and 30, as is usual in the common states of the spinosissima of the North of Europe.
We should observe that R. reversa of Waldstein and Kitaibel appears to be an essentially different plant, approaching more nearly to R. involuta of Sir J. Smith.
A little compact shrub of two feet in height: branches straight and firm, round, furless, when young green, with very slender straight unequal reddish prickles and intermingled bristles: when full grown reddish brown with very slender innocuous exceedingly uneven deflexed arms. Leaves among the least, most densely set together, spreading, light-blue; stipules linear, detached at the top, fringed with reddish glands; petioles furless, beset with minute thinly standing glands; leaflets 3-9, quite bare, ovate, simply or doubly serrate, slightly glaucous on the upper side, on the under paler. Lindley MSS.