Rosa roxburghii

Description

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruits are aromatic and very spiny, they remain greenish even when ripe. The fruit is very rich in vitamins and has a sweet sour taste[3]. The fruit is up to 4cm long, but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds[K]. Some care has to be taken when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards. The seed is a good source of vitamin E, it can be ground into a powder and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be sure to remove the seed hairs. There are no material uses listed for Rosa roxburghii. The plant is rich in tannins and is used as an astringent. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.