Rose hip utilization in Turkey

Turkey is one of the most important rose germplasm centers. About 25% of all rose species are native to Turkey. Flowers of some rose species, such as Rosa gallica and R. damascena, have long been used for rose oil and rose water production in Anatolia. Fruits (rose hips) of some other species also have economical value and are used for medicinal purposes. Most of the rose shrubs harvested for hips are derived from seed and show tremendous variability in terms of plant and fruit properties like growth habit, fruit shape, weight, length, color and diameter. At present, Turkey holds a rich gene pool of rose plants in different agro-climatic regions but these resources are threatened by genetic erosion due to the drastic increase in human population. Consequently, there is now a strong need for conserving the existing rose germplasm in Turkey. In this paper, species in the genus Rosa found in Turkey are listed; their distribution within the country is given, and their characteristics and uses are reported.