1074 Rosa acicularis Lindl.

Within this widespread, polymorphic species two principal subspecies can be distinguished (Lewis in Brittonia 11:1, 1959), viz. subsp. acicularis in E. Europe and Asia and subsp. sayi (Schw.) Lewis in northern N. America. However, the two subspecies overlap, i. e. in northwestern N. America and E. Asia, respectively. The species s. lat. belongs to the circumpolar plants, with a gap in the north Atlantic area (Hultén, Circumpol. Il, p. 164 and map 155).