A rose is a rose is a . . .

Sibbaldia procumbens 6.26.20.jpg

Sibbaldia procumbens, June 26, 2020

Common & scientific name
Sibbaldia, Sibbaldia procumbens

Family
Rose, Rosaceae

Location
Linkins Lake trail, 11,700’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
At first glance Sibbaldia doesn’t look like it belongs in the Rose family: its three-part leaves are clover ( Pea)-like, and its tiny, greenish-yellow flowers hardly call to mind our showy Wild rose, Rosa woodsii.

Upon closer inspection, however, one finds they do indeed have 5 petals and 5 sepals (the green, leaf-like parts enclosing and protecting the bud/flower), and their leaves are reminiscent of Wild strawberries (in the Rose family). Indeed, upon further consideration, only Rosa woodsii REALLY looks like a rose proper—it’s a wonderfully variable family.