Has anybody done any more work on ’Charles Lawson’?
Brent Dickerson has written “discovered amongst some Roses from the Continent, and its origin is a mystery.”

I have downloaded photos of my rose which is a common foundling all over Australia. I believe some of the study names in Australia have been the “Brooks’ Rose” (WA); . “Sturt Valley Road”, “Sturt Valley Rose”, Lucindale Cemetery Rose”, Echunga Roadside Thornless Rose” (SA); and “Campbelltown Rose”, “Cemetery Rose”. and “Appin Public School” (NSW)

The bud seems to be a darker pink with the main flower colour a lilac lavender pink. The bloom form is flat, with a swirl of many petals usually held tightly cupped by the outer petals, before they unfold and the flower expands. Lee Sherman’s photo shows this cupping beautifully. There is a prominent yellow-green pointel. The flowering is a long one from spring (October) to early summer (December). Rain can ball most of the blooms. The bloom pedicel is stiff and there is an abrupt changeover in the stalk to a prickly pedicel. It seems almost as though there is moss in its background and I recall a previous comment from someone that it may be a form of the Banshee Rose.

My roses are almost thornless,with the few prickles being at the base of the bush and which are almost-straight with only a slight downward curve. I seem to have a memory of one coming to me from a local person which was quite thorny but I gave this one away, because at that time I was finding them everywhere. (I currently have six plants from four different Western Australian sites in my garden.) Brent Dickerson quotes Singer as writing: “Branches dark green; thorns unequal, numerous, bristling, the larger ones being hooked…."

The rose sets no hips and the mummies are retained until the following spring.

The bush has lax green canes of perhaps eight feet, gently arching over and the soft leaf texture is pale green, darkening with age.
The stipule is edged with glands and hairs. It has an excellent perfume.