Rosa hemisphaerica, also known as the sulphur rose, is a rose species with pale yellow flowers native to western Asia.[1] The wild form, known as Rosa raphinii, has single flowers with five petals. A double-flowered form was one of the first yellow roses introduced to European gardens; John Bellenden Ker Gawler stated in 1815 that the species had been cultivated in England for nearly 200 years.[2] The scent of the flowers has been described as unpleasant.[3]
The name Rosa hemisphaerica refers to the half-rounded fruit and ovaries, Latin "pomo hemisphaerico ... Germen hemisphaericum".[4]
Rosa hemisphaerica is a prickly shrub that grows to about high with grey-green leaves of five to seven leaflets. The hips are orange. It blooms only in the spring.[1]