Article (newsletter)  (Jul 2012)  Page(s) 44-46.  
 
R. rugosa (Fig.1. a. gorgeous, intense, sweet fragrance)...
The main components of fragrances emitted from seven highly fragrant roses were as follows: citronellol (13.2%), geraniol (8.5%), nerol (4.2%) and 2-phenylethanol (57.7%) in R. rugosa.....
Since R. rugosa and R. davurica var. alpestris were similar to damask rose in their fragrance compositions (Table 2), we classified them into the Damask-like group. However, the qualities of the fragrances of these three roses were felt to be different. While damask rose emitted an elegant scent with intense sweetness combined with what might be described as transparent gorgeousness, R. rugosa gave off a fragrance which impressed us simply as gorgeous, intense, and sweet.....
In an attempt to ascertain whether or not plants of the same species growing in different habitats may reveal different fragrance compositions, we made a comparative study of the fragrances obtained from R. multiflora plants in the habitats in Kisarazu, in Inba Pond area, and in Akita, and those from R. rugosa plants in their habitats in Niigata and in Hokkaido (Table 4). The result was that there was hardly any difference in the substances composing their fragrances, though some slight difference was found in their ratios.

Website/Catalog  (20 Sep 2011)  Includes photo(s).
 
Shakespeare said, " A rose would be a rose by any other name." And, while this might be true, there is only one Rosa rugosa, known as mei gui hua (玫瑰华) in Chinese medicine. This is one of nine species of rose covered in the Grand Dictionary of Chinese Medicinals and one of many used around the world.
Mentioned first in the Materia Medica for Food, published in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as sweet, slightly bitter, warm and non-toxic....
Posted on September 20, 2011 by thomas....

Article (magazine)  (2009)  Page(s) 30.  
 
R. rugosa Thunb. Source TAMU [Collection at Texas A. M. University] Chromosome Number 14

Article (magazine)  (2008)  Page(s) 597-607.  
 
This study examined native populations of Rosa blanda and introduced, naturalized populations of Rosa rugosa along the St. Lawrence River estuary in Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada. Using both observable physical characteristics and genetic analysis, the researchers found that R. rugosa and R. blanda do hybridize freely. Their first-generation offspring look like a mixture of the two parent species and are probably fertile. The St. Lawrence River estuary is home to distinct types of R. blanda, such as R. rousseauiorum and R. williamsii, which might be threatened by hybridization with R. rugosa. R. rugosa's greater height, showier flowers, and greater abundance, the authors think, may make R. rugosa more attractive to pollinators, giving it a reproductive advantage over the native species rose. The authors conclude that the introduced R. rugosa may threaten native R. blanda and alter the dry coastal ecosystem of the St. Lawrence River estuary. The authors recommend more study to learn whether Rugosa hybrids planted in gardens are also a threat.

Website/Catalog  (2006)  
 
Hama-Nasu (Shore Aubergine) syn. =Hama-Nashi (Shore Pear) R. rugosa Thunb.
Murray. Syst. Veg. ed. 14:473 (1784)
Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu
R. rugosa is distributed in the northern parts of Japan, mainly in coastal areas. This is the prefectural flower of Hokkaido, and there are some famous sights featuring Rugosa flowers on this island. We can also see this rose in Honshu, north of Chiba Prefecture on the Pacific coast, and north of Shimane Prefecture on the Japan Sea coast. When we visit the south end of its natural habitat in Chiba Prefecture in Kuju-Kuri Town, we can find a small area dominated by R. rugosa under conservation by the town....
The author has seen naturally growing R. rugosa in many different places. In Sado Island in the Sea of Japan, she saw a bush growing by the sea as if clinging to the rocky beach. On a beach in Hokkaido facing the Okhotsk Sea, it was blooming on a sandy stretch swept by cold winds. A beach which is constantly sprayed with sea water would not allow even this rose to survive, but it does not seem to mind a harsh wind from the sea. The author saw this rose beautifully in bloom where few other plants were seen growing.
It is famous as an ancestral rose of Hybrid Rugosas in European countries, and for long years, Japanese people have enjoyed its sweet fragrance, and also used petals and fruits of this rose for sweet preserves. In Akita Prefecture, the bark and roots of R. rugosa are sources of important dyes for dying traditional fabrics called 'Akita Ki-Hachijo' (Checkered Yellow Cloth from Akita).

Book  (2006)  Page(s) 116-117.  Includes photo(s).
 
Hama-Nasu (Shore Aubergine) syn. =Hama-Nashi (Shore Pear) R. rugosa Thunb.
Same text as on website

Magazine  (2000)  Page(s) 887-902.  
 
Anthocyanins in flowers of genus Rosa, sections Cinnamomeae (=Rosa), Chinenses, Gallicanae and some modern garden roses by Mikanagi, Saito, Yokoi, Tatsuzawa
Cy 3-sophoroside was detected in large amount in some taxa of section Cinnamomeae: e.g., R. moyesii and its related cultivars, and R. rugosa cv. Salmon Pink.

Book  (Feb 1999)  Page(s) 16-17.  Includes photo(s).
 
Beach Rose (Rosa rugosa) One of Taylor's 50 Best Roses. Description, vital statistics, and care advice... a familiar sight along the New England coast. Some call it the beach rose because it thrives in harsh seaside conditions... Shear a hedge or windbreak each spring... Because of its dense habit and its thick, prickly stems, R. rugosa makes an impenetrable hedge...

Book  (Dec 1998)  Page(s) 58.  Includes photo(s).
 
R. rugosa ('Hedgehog Rose', 'The Japanese Rose') China and Japan, pre-1854

Book  (Nov 1998)  Page(s) 16.  
 
R. rugosa Native to China, Japan, and Korea... the stamens of R. rugosa are cream-colored... hips: large, red, tomato-shaped, reputed to be richer in Vitamin C than those of any other rose...