Damask Rose
Rosa × damascena (Latin for damascene rose), more commonly known as the Damask rose,[1][2] or sometimes as the Iranian Rose, Bulgarian rose, Taif rose & "Emirati rose", Ispahan rose, Castile rose, and Đulbešećerka (Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans) is a rose hybrid, derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata.[3] DNA analysis has shown that a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, has made some genetic contributions to the Damask rose.[4]
The flowers are renowned for their fine fragrance, and are commercially harvested for rose oil (either "rose otto" or "rose absolute") used in perfumery and to make rose water and "rose concrete". The flower petals are also edible. They may be used to flavor food, as a garnish, as an herbal tea, and preserved in sugar as gulkand.
It is the national flower of Syria.[5]
In 2019, Damascus rose was inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as an element of Syrian cultural heritage.[1]
History
Rosa × damascena is a cultivated flower that is not found growing wild. Recent genetic tests indicate that it is a hybrid of R. moschata x R. gallica crossed with the pollen of Rosa fedtschenkoana, which indicates a probable origin in the foothills of central Asia[6] or Iran.[7]
The French Crusader Robert de Brie, who took part in the Siege of Damascus in 1148 at the Second Crusade, is sometimes credited for bringing the Damask rose from Syria to Europe.[8] The name of the rose refers to the city of Damascus in Syria, known for its steel (Damask steel), fabrics (Damask) and roses.
Other accounts state that the ancient Romans brought it to their colonies in England, and a third account is that the physician of King Henry VIII, named as Thomas Linacre, gifted him one circa 1540.[9] Although this latter claim is of dubious veracity as Linacre died in 1524, 16 years before the introduction of the rose to the royal garden took place.
There is a history of fragrance production in Kabul Province of Afghanistan from the Damask rose.[10] An attempt has been made to restore this industry as an alternative for farmers who produce opium.[10]
The flower, known in Hawaiian as Lokelani, is the official flower of the Island of Maui.[11]
Nirad Chaudhuri, the Bengali writer, recalls that Hindus in East Bengal did not cultivate it because it was "looked upon as an Islamic flower".[12]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rosa × damascena". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ↑ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ↑ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan. Search this book on
- ↑ *Harkness, P. (2003). The Rose: An Illustrated History. Firefly
- ↑ "A study on the relationships between Iranian people and Damask rose (Rosa damascena) and its therapeutic and healing properties". 2004.
The origin of Damask rose is the Middle East and it is the national flower of Iran.
- ↑ Triparental Origin of Damask Roses, Iwata H1, Kato T, Ohno S., Gene, Vol. 259, Issues 1-2, 23 December 2000, pages 53-9.
- ↑ Mahboubi, Mohaddese (2016-01-01). "Rosa damascena as holy ancient herb with novel applications". Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. 6 (1): 10–16. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2015.09.005. ISSN 2225-4110. PMC 4737971. PMID 26870673.
Rosa damascena Mill is the hybrid between R. gallica and R. Phoenicia and is the member of Rosaceae family with more than 200 species and 18,000 cultivars around the world. R. damascena as the king of flowers has been the symbol of love, purity, faith and beauty since the ancient times. It was originated from Iran and essential oil extracting from its flowers has been started since 7th century A.D.
- ↑ Selina Denman (25 May 2016). "The city gardener: the damask rose's history and appeal". The National News.
- ↑ Putnam, George Palmer (1878). The world's progress : a dictionary of dates. University of California Libraries. New York : Putnam. p. 387. Search this book on
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Afghan Rose Oil, An Attractive Fragrance for International Markets". Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "State flower and individual island flowers". Hawaii State Legislature. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ↑ Chaudhuri, Nirad (1987). The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian. London: Hogarth Press. p. 21. Search this book on
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