Book  (2012)  Page(s) 28.  
 
Rosier à feuilles rouges. Rosa rubrifolia glauca. Vill. Rosier luisants Rosa Lucida. 2e Série....
Rosier à feuilles de frêne
[synonyms]
rosa fraxinifolia Dum. C.
rosier turneps
rosa rapa Bosc.
 

Book  (2011)  Page(s) 93-94.  
 
[From "Banshee," the Rose That Still Baffles by Rev. Douglas T. Seidel, pp. 91-94]
...Pressed specimens of the actual garden flowers of 200 years ago may be found in the archives of Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences and in those of other great horticultural institutions on noth sides of the Atlantic, and these fragile artifacts point to "Banshee's" true identification. Photos of several of these were published in Britannia, Vol. 14, Number 2, April 1962. Lapeled Rosa rapa, the "Turnip Rose", by Swiss botanist De Candolle, it had earned its name because of its immense hips. The name had been published by Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc in 1809. His description sounds familiar:
"...very large hemispherical hypanthia (hips) covered with scattered pedicillate glands...the stems are armed with few prickles...the leaves composed usually of seven oval, dark green, glabrous, shining leaflets; the flowers red [today's pink] one and a half inches in diameter. It is probably originally from America. It's hypanthia (hips) approach the size those of the turbinate rose [R. francofurtana] and its leaves those of R. virginiana; however, they are neither as shining or as coriaceaous. ..It is cultivated with single, semi-double, and double flowers."
According to John Lindley in 1820, Rosa rapa was introduced by John  Fraser, Scotsman, resident of Charleston, and hybridizer of 'Fraser's Pink Musk', a rival of 'Champney's Pink Cluster'. Fraser made  seven trips between 1785 and 1807 to introduce New World plants to London's nursery trade. Contemporary readers will already be familiar with the name R. rapa from Redouté's exquisite plate, identified by Graham Thomas as the R. virginiana hybrid 'Rose d'Amour'. But the 'Turnip Rose' had produced a whole group of varieties. In 1838 Mrs. Gore could list 'Single-blossomed Turnip-Rose', 'Large-fruited Turnip-Rose', 'Turneps Bicolor', 'Rosa Compton', and the Virginiana hybrids known as "Luisantes" to the French and "Radiant Roses" in Britain....

Book  (2004)  Page(s) 220.  
 
R. virginiana 'Plena' (Rose d'Amour, St. Mark's rose). Origin USA. First noted 1820. Similar in many respects to R. virginiana but with shapely, semi-double, deep pink flowers. Autumn foliage not so colourful as in R. virginiana. 1.8m x 1.2m, Zone 5.

Book  (2003)  Page(s) 413.  Includes photo(s).
 
R. virginiana. ....There are a number of forms in cultivation, including Rosa virginiana 'Alba', an exceptionally handsome variety with pure white flowers. Rosa virginiana 'Plena is probably a hybrid of the species, though it is very ancient, being recorded from the mid 18th century. It has slightly duller leaves, less autumn colour, and fewer prickles than pure Rosa virginiana, but the buds are most elegantly scrolled and they open into exquisite rosettes. The flowers were once much valued as buttonholes. Rosa virginiana 'Plena'. syn 'Rose d'Amour'. Species hybrid. Flower size 6cm (2.4in). Scent slight. Flowering: once only. Height 3m (9.8ft). Spread 2m (6.6ft). Zones 5.

Book  (May 1998)  Page(s) 120-121.  Includes photo(s).
 
Rosa rapa flore semipleno ('Turnip Rose') Description... Flowers slow to develop and most abort... petals 4-5-seriate... In the classification of Rosae Turbinatae given here, the group is mainly founded, so far as can be judged, on the turnip-shaped form of the receptacle as seen immediately before the opening of the flowers -- a constant and invariable character. The flowers of all roses of this Section rarely open well; mostly they open very badly...

Book  (Sep 1996)  Page(s) 53.  
 
Rosa virginiana.......There are two double forms, probably hybrids - Rosa virginiana 'Plena' (R. 'Rose d'Amour'), also known as 'St. Mark's Rose', and a shorter-growing form of this variety called 'Rose d'Orsay'.

Website/Catalog  (1983)  Page(s) 39.  
 
Rosa virginiana plena.  (Rose d’Amour) (St. Marks Rose).  An interesting  semi-vigorous almost thornless shrub, with double, deep pink, fragrant flowers produced for a long period from mid summer onwards. Our stock now replenished from Wisley with authentic material. Int. prior to 1820.  H. Shade tolerant.  (R) 6 x 4’.

Rose d’Orsay (Virginiana).  We have grown this rose erroneously as ‘Virginiana Plena’ for a number of years. It differs only slightly from the latter by being less vigorous and more inclined to sprawl if untethered. Of uncertain origin. H. Shade tolerant.  (R) 4 x 3‘.

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

Rosa Virginiana plena (Rose d’Amour) (St. Marks Rose) An interesting semi-vigorous almost thornless shrub, with double deep pink fragrant flowers, produced for a long period from mid Summer onwards. Introduced prior to 1820. H. Shade tolerant. (C) 4 x 3’.

Magazine  (1981)  Page(s) 1.Vol 3,No.4.  
 
Editor:  .....after a season of old roses such as I have never had before.  A few are still in full bloom as I write. 
It is planned that R.virginiana plena  will be tried in our garden next year.  This is also known as St. Mark's Rose.

Book  (1981)  Page(s) 268.  
 
[R. virginiana] 'Plena'. Growth more compact, but otherwise habit and foliage similar to the type; flower buds very attractive; flowers clear pink, with broad, orbicular outer petals, inner ones acute, somewhat darker, faintly scented, July-August (= R. rapa Bosc; R. lucida var. plena Hort, ex Rehd.). 1768.