Book  (May 2003)  
 
Rosa graciliflora Rehder & e. H. Wilson
Shrub 4 meters tall, 9-11 leaflets, oval; flowers pink or deep red, solitary; 5 petals. Flowers July - August. Pine forests, slopes 330-4500 meters; Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.

Book  (1930)  Page(s) 49.  
 
Rosa graciliflora Rehd. and Wilson. 
"Grows quite stiffly and rather densely, attaining 4 to 5 feet, exquisitely graceful in effect with its small fine foliage, and enshrouded all over in May with a multitude of small apple-blossom flowers of pearly white with a pink flush." F. 84 and 774.

A pleasant little Rose in cultivation, but not particularly exciting. 

(1916)  Page(s) vol 2, p. 330.  
 
Rosa graciliflora Rehder & Wilson, n. sp. 
Frutex 2-4-metralis, gracilis; rami graciles, annotini fusco-purpurei v. purpurascentes, aculeis gracilibus sparsis saepe infraaxillaribus ad 1 cm. longis muniti, interdum fere inermes. Folia membranacea, 9-11-, rarius 7-foliolata, 4-10 cm. longa petiolo incluso; foliola breviter petiolulata, ovalia v. elliptica, apice rotundata, lateralia basi rotundata, raro late cuneata, terminale late cuneatum, argute dupliciter v. partim simpliciter serrata dentibus acuminatis apice glandulosis, 0.6-2 cm. longa et 0.4-1.3 cm. lata, supra laete viridia, glabra, subtus pallidiora, ad costam mediam sparse adpresse pilosa ceterum glabra, nervis vix elevatis obsoletis; petioli 1-2 cm. longi, ut rhachis glabri, sparse v. sparsissime stipitato-glandulosi et aciculis paucis rectis gracilibus ad 3 mm. longis muniti; stipulae 1-1.5 cm. longae, latae, margine glanduloso-ciliatae ceterum glabrae, auriculis triangularibus acuminulatis patentibus. Flores rosei v. pallide rosei, 3.5-4 cm. lati, in apice ramulorum lateralium solitarii; pedicelli graciles, 1.5-3 cm. longi, glanduloso-setosi, apicem versus glabrescentes, basi ebracteati; receptaculum ovoideum v. oblongo-ovoideum, glabrum; sepala ovato-lanceolata, integra, sensim in acumen longum apice foliaceum et glanduloso-serrulatum producta, tota 1.5-2.5 cm. longa, post florationem patentia; petala orbiculari-obovata, rotundata v. leviter emarginata, sepalis subaequilonga; stamina numerosa, antheris ochraceis ovalibus; capitulum stigmatum sessile v. fere sessile; styli pilosi. Fructus desideratur.
Western Szech'uan: northeast of Tachien-lu, Ta-p'ao-shan, woodlands, alt. 3300-4500 m., July 4, 7, 1908 (No. 3583, type); west of Tachien-lu, Cheto-shan, alt. 3800 m., July 25, 1908 (No. 3583a); same locality, 1911, John R. Muir.
This Rose has no close relationship with any other Chinese Rose. It somewhat resembles R. Sweginzowii Koehne, but differs in the slenderer pedicels, in the entire sepals and chiefly in the absence of the bracts at the hase of the pedicel. By the latter character the species is removed from the group of Cinnamomeae and must be referred to the Pimpinellifoliae. From R. spinosissima Linnaeus it differs chiefly in the doubly serrate leaflets and in the elongated receptacle. The fruit is unknown.