Rosa persica J.F. Gmel. (Rosaceae) stands out in the genus Rosa L. because of its simple undivided leaves lacking stipules and the intensely yellow petals carrying a dark-brownish to blackish blotch at their base. This rose was first collected by André Michaux in 1784 when he travelled in Persia [now Iran] in 1783–1784. Johann August Carl Sievers who explored for the first time the Tarbagatai Mountains in the Russian Empire (now Kazakhstan) in 1793 recollected this odd little plant and subsequently named it R. berberifolia Siev. This paper clarifies the taxonomy and nomenclature of this rose setting it into the context of its discovery and adds to our understanding of how R. persica was introduced into cultivation in western gardens. A neotype is designated for that name.
