Book  (1 May 2003)  
 
from the description of Rosa giraldii Crépin:
Rosa nanothamnus Boulenger (Bull. Jard. Bot. État 13: 206. 1935), described from Xinjiang, is very similar to R. giraldii and differs only in having larger prickles, equaling or longer than the largest leaflets, and crenate leaflet margins. Further study is needed to ascertain whether R. nanothamnus should be treated as a separate species or a fourth variety of R. giraldii.

Article (magazine)  (2002)  Page(s) 358-359.  
 
Dwarf Rose (Rosa nanothamnus Bouleng.). This species grows on stony slopes of the mountains. It is a xero-mesophytic, divaricate-branching shrub, 1.5 to 2.5 m high with thin, straight thorns widened at the base. Compound leaves have five to nine orbicular or obovate leaflets, 1.5 cm long, with both sides mostly pubescent. Pinkish-white flowers are borne in inflorescences of two to three. Red fruits are globular or ovate, with thin glandular-bristles.

Article (magazine)  (2002)  Page(s) 355.  
 
R. nanothamnus (Dwarf rose). Distribution: Dzhungarskei, Talasskei Alatau, Karatau. Use: Ornamental, honey plant.

Book  (1996)  Page(s) 112.  
 
R. nanothamnus Central Asia. Pink, solitary or in 2-3s on short stalks, red, ovoid or globular fruit. Very small, leathery leaflets. Pointed prickles, uniform and fine. Spreading bushes (after Saakow). Raised from seed by B. Müller, Palmengarten.

Book  (1988)  Page(s) 23.  Includes photo(s).
 
Rosa nanothamnus Boulenger (R. webbiana var. microphylla Crép.) A dwarf, very prickly shrub up to 50 cm high, with long straight spines. Leaflets usually 5 (-9), ovate or obovate, 3-15 mm long, glabrous or pubescent. Flowers solitary up to 3.75 cm in diameter. Hips globose or ovoid, 10-12 mm long, sepals persistent. Native of central Asia, from Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai to Afghanistan and Kashmir, on dry rocky hillsides. Requires full sun and exposure to flower well. This is a dwarf, small-leaved form of R. webbiana.

Website/Catalog  (1982)  Page(s) 36.  
 

Rosa webbiana A shrub more important for its bottle-shaped red fruit than its flowers of rosy pink. This shrub produces arching shoots to some 6 feet, with the fruit hanging like lanterns, from September onwards. 1879. F. W. H. Shade tolerant. (S) 7 x 7’.

Book  (1976)  Page(s) 177.  
 
Botanical roses on the territory of the USSR, whose independence requires precising...
R. housi-mordoncia Vass. - according to Kotschkarewa a synonym of R. nanothamnus Bouleng.

Book  (1976)  Page(s) 187-188.  
 
Endemische Wildrosenarten der Flora der UdSSR, die für den Zierpflanzenanbau Bedeutung erlangen könnten...
Sektion Cinnamomeae DC
R. nanothamnus Bouleng.
Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat Brux. IX (1935) 206.
(R. kulikalonica Fedtsch., R. maracandica Juz. non Bge., R. olygacantha Sumn., R. tytthothricha Sumn., R. angreni Sumn., R. nummularia Sumn., R. olygophylla Sumn., R. infracta Sumn., R. crenata Sumn., R. retinervis Sumn., R. botyroides Sumn. R. vitaminifera Sumn., R. scoparia Sumn., R. singularis Sumn., R. uzbekistanica Sumn., R. micrantha Sumn., R. opaca M. Kult., R. ambliophylla M. Kult., R. nudiflora Sumn., R. leiophylla Sumn., R. longipedicellata Sumn. - nach Vvedenski und Pasii, 1955)
Büsche: 1,5 bis 2,5 m, stark gespreizt; Triebe gekrümmt, Rinde an alten Zweigen zimtbraun, an jungen Trieben bräunlich-zimtfarben oder grünlich-braun. Viele einheitliche Stacheln, an jungen Trieben paarweise, fein, 1 bis 1,4 cm lang, ahleförmig.
Blätter: 5 bis 7 Blättchen; Blättchen lederartig, bläulich, rund oder eiförmig, 0,5 bis 1,2 cm lang und 0,5 bis 0,9 cm breit, an der Spitze abgestumpft (eingeschnitten), Oberseite, Unterseite seltener behaart, manchmal nur an der Mittelader, manchmal an den Adern fein drüsig.
Blättchen: am Rand im unteren Drittel drüsig, weiter oben mit 4 bis 5 (6 bis 7) einfachen doppelgesägt-gezähnten und drüsigen Zähnchen. Stiele kahl und dicht drüsig.
Blüten: einzelständig oder 2 bis 3 zusammen, auf kurzen Blütenstielen. 3 bis 6 (8) mm lang. Kelchblätter lanzettlich, zugespitzt oder etwas verbreitert, 9 bis 13 mm lang, auf beiden Seiten behaart, aussen drüsig, fallen nicht ab, an den Früchten nach oben gewunden; Blütenkrone rosa, ungefähr 3 cm breit.
Früchte: länglich-eiförmig oder kugelförmig, rot, drüsig oder kahl.
Auf steinigen hängen der mittleren Gebirgsregion.
Verbreitungsgebiet: UdSSR, Mittelasien: Tienschan; Fergana-Rücken; Pamir-Alai; Bez. Taschkent, Fergana, Samarkand, Kaschka Dar, Surchan Dar. Afghanistan.

Article (magazine)  (1975)  Page(s) 59-66.  
 
Abstract from Blackwell Synergy website: "Rosa nanothamnus has uncertain affiliations within the genus Rosa. However, evidence is presented that its system of inheritance is of the distinctive and singular type found in the section Caninae .It is considered that this complex system is unlikely to have arisen purely by fortuitous hybridization but is, in fact, highly evolved. Species which share the canina-type system of inheritance are interpreted as a closely related group. Rosa nanothamnus is therefore placed in section Caninae.
Analysis of chromosomes at pachytene in meiosis in Rosa nanothamnus showed that there were 7 bivalents and 14 univalents. It is suggested that the genes which restrict chromosome pairing in this species, and presumably in the Caninae generally, affect synapsis of chromosomes rather than the formation of chiasmata."

Book  (1971)  Page(s) 348.  
 
R. nanothamnus Bouleng. in Bull. Jard. Bot. de I'Etat Bruxelles XIII, fasc.3 (1935) 206.- R. webbiana Crep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Belg. XIII (1874) 273, p. p., non Wall, ex Royle. — R. webbiana var. microphylla Crep., I.e., 276.- Ic: Bouleng., I.e.; 208, f . 2 (ram. florif.).
Shrub, dwarf, usually 15— 30 cm high, with very short flower -bearing branches; prickles erect, rarely curved, sometimes directed upward, remote or in pairs, often thin and abruptly broadened at base, the longest as long as or longer than the largest leaflets, often yellow; small pricklets absent, with the exception of turions which may bear strong prickles, in exceptional cases some branches with few prickles; leaves very small, 10—55 mm long; leaflets 5—9, remote, often approximate, sessile or petioluled, orbicular, ovate or obovate, sometimes truncate, 3— 15 mm long, glabrous or pubescent either on both sides or only beneath; teeth simple, sometimes some with 2—3 mucros; petioles glabrous or pubescent, somewhat glandular at times, with small erect prickles or without prickles; stipules connate, narrow, with triangular or acute divergent auricles, margin frequently glandular. Flowers often solitary, pedicels 1— 17 mm long, glabrous, smooth or glandular; sepals nearly always shorter than petals,
in bud not exceeding or slightly exceeding petals, entire or narrowing at base, mucronate, more or less broadened, with spatulate or foliate tip, dorsally glandular or glandular -hispid, rarely smooth, persistent; corolla 20— 35 mm in diameter; petals pink or white, barely incised; opening of disk one -third to two-fifths its diameter; style lanate -villous, stigma head flattened, capitate, conical or clavate; fruit globose or ovoid, sparsely glandular -hispid or smooth, 10—12 mm long, crowned by spreading or ascending sepals. June— July.
Centr. Asia: T. Sh., Pam.-Al. Gen. distr.: see (s. str.), probably endemic. Described from Fergana, Arslanbob. Type in in Brussels, cotype in Leningrad.
Note. Boulenger's delimitation of this species is much too wide. In his view species Nos. 23, 24, 25, 27, and 28 [R. maracandica, R. kuhitangi, R. bellicosa, R. hissarica, R. altaica] should all be included in R. nanothamnus.