识别
Rosa chinensis 是株型多变的灌木，小叶三至五枚，花单瓣或半重瓣，颜色从浅粉到深红。Trees and Shrubs Online 称它“本质上是一类园艺月季”，是中国园林长期选育的结果；植物智以“月季花”为其中文名。
命名与异名
Jacquin 于 1768 年发表 Rosa chinensis。欧洲文献里同一植物还被称为 Rosa semperflorens、Rosa indica 等；下表列出 WCVP 记录的同模式异名、误用名，异名全表可以展开查看。
| 名称 | 发表出处 |
|---|---|
| Rosa chinensis Jacq. | Observ. Bot. 3: 7 (1768) |
| Rosa bengalensis chinensis (Jacq.) Pers. | Syn. Pl. 2: 50 (1806) |
误用名（别的植物名被用来指这个种）：Rosa indica auct. non Lour.
异模式异名 51 个
| Rosa bengalensis Pers. | Syn. Pl. 2: 50 (1806) |
| Rosa bengalensis odorata Wallr. | Ros. Pl. Gen. Hist.: 107 (1828) |
| Rosa bengalensis odoratissima Wallr. | Ros. Pl. Gen. Hist.: 107 (1828) |
| Rosa chinensis f. spontanea Rehder & E.H.Wilson | C.S.Sargent, Pl. Wilson. 2: 320 (1915) |
| Rosa chinensis f. viridiflora (Lavallée) C.K.Schneid. | Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 546 (1905) |
| Rosa chinensis prol. indica (Koehne) R.Keller | P.F.A.Ascherson & K.O.R.Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 6(1): 45 (1900) |
| Rosa chinensis prol. semperflorens (W.M.Curtis) R.Keller | P.F.A.Ascherson & K.O.R.Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 6(1): 45 (1900) |
| Rosa chinensis semperflorens K.Koch | Dendrologie 1: 273 (1869) |
| Rosa chinensis subsp. indica Koehne | Deut. Dendrol.: 281 (1893) |
| Rosa chinensis var. coccinea Yu Y.Yang & L.Luo | Rosa China: 435 (2024) |
| Rosa chinensis var. devoniensis Rehder | L.H.Bailey, Cycl. Amer. Hort. 4: 1551 (1902) |
| Rosa chinensis var. erubescens Yu Y.Yang & L.Luo | Rosa China: 439 (2024) |
| Rosa chinensis var. indica (Koehne) Rehder | L.H.Bailey, Cycl. Amer. Hort. 4: 1551 (1902) |
| Rosa chinensis var. longifolia (Willd.) Rehder | L.H.Bailey, Cycl. Amer. Hort. 4: 1551 (1902) |
| Rosa chinensis var. minima (Sims) Voss | Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 257 (1894) |
| Rosa chinensis var. multijuga Yu Y.Yang & L.Luo | Rosa China: 441 (2024) |
| Rosa chinensis var. persicina Yu Y.Yang & L.Luo | Rosa China: 437 (2024) |
| Rosa chinensis var. pubescens Yu Y.Yang & L.Luo | Rosa China: 433 (2024) |
| Rosa chinensis var. semperflorens (W.M.Curtis) Koehne | Deut. Dendrol.: 281 (1893) |
| Rosa chinensis var. spontanea (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) T.T.Yu & T.C.Ku | Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 37: 423 (1985) |
| Rosa chinensis viridiflora Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 3: 562 (1893) |
| Rosa diversifolia Vent. | Descr. Pl. Nouv.: t. 35 (1801) |
| Rosa diversifolia var. viridiflora Lavallée | Hort. Franç. 1856: 218 (1856) |
| Rosa indica Lindl. | Ros. Monogr.: 106 (1820) |
| Rosa indica pumila Thory | P.J.Redouté & C.A.Thory, Roses 1: 115 (1817) |
| Rosa indica var. bengalensis K.Koch | Hort. Dendrol.: 122 (1853) |
| Rosa indica var. humilis Ser. | Mél. Bot. 1: 44 (1818) |
| Rosa indica var. longifolia (Willd.) Lindl. | Ros. Monogr.: 106 (1820) |
| Rosa indica var. minima Bean | Trees & Shrubs Brit. Isles 2: 430 (1914) |
| Rosa indica var. pumila (Thory) Lindl. | Ros. Monogr.: 106 (1820) |
| Rosa indica var. semperflorens (W.M.Curtis) Ser. | A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 601 (1825) |
| Rosa indica var. vulgaris Thory | P.J.Redouté & C.A.Thory, Roses 1: 51 (1817) |
| Rosa laurentiae Tratt. | Rosac. Monogr. 1: 105 (1823) |
| Rosa lawranceana Sweet | Hort. Suburb. Lond.: 119 (1818) |
| Rosa longifolia Willd. | Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 2: 1097 (1799) |
| Rosa monstrosa Breiter | Hort. Breiter.: 425 (1817) |
| Rosa nankinensis Lour. | Fl. Cochinch. 1: 324 (1790) |
| Rosa nanula Hoffmanns. | Verz. Pfl.-Kult.: 108 (1824) |
| Rosa rouletii Correvon | Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 72: 342 (1922) |
| Rosa semperflorens W.M.Curtis | Bot. Mag. 8: t. 284 (1794) |
| Rosa semperflorens carnea Redouté | P.J.Redouté & C.A.Thory, Roses 1: t. 19 (1817) |
| Rosa semperflorens carnea Rössig | unknown publication |
| Rosa semperflorens minor Andrews | Roses Monogr. 2: t. 73 (1826) |
| Rosa semperflorens simplex Andrews | Roses Monogr. 2: t. 74 (1805-1828) |
| Rosa semperflorens var. longifolia (Willd.) Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 5: 356 (1878) |
| Rosa semperflorens var. manettii Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 5: 357 (1878) |
| Rosa semperflorens var. minima Sims | Bot. Mag. 42: t. 1762 (1815) |
| Rosa semperflorens var. molinerii Spin | Jard. St. Sebastien, ed. 1818: 33 (1818) |
| Rosa semperflorens var. viridiflora Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 5: 357 (1878) |
| Rosa sinica L. | J.A.Murray (ed.), Syst. Veg., ed. 13.: 394 (1774) |
| Rosa sinica var. typica Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 5: 327 (1878) |
分布
WCVP 记录本种原生于 2 个 TDWG 植物地理区划，另有 22 个区划为引入或归化。
中国中北部中国中南部
引入或归化
Alabama阿萨姆BelgiumBulgariaCook Is.GreeceGuatemalaGulf of Guinea Is.印度Inner MongoliaItalyKazakhstan朝鲜半岛老挝尼泊尔Pakistan昆士兰UzbekistanVanuatu越南西喜马拉雅Western Australia
历史图谱与图上名称
图版上印的是当时的名字。下表按 WCVP 的异名与误用名记录，把每张图的原名对应到现行的种或亚种。
| 图上原名 · 出处 | 现行单元 | |
|---|---|---|
 | Rosa semperflorens（正文） Curtis's Botanical Magazine · 284 · 1794 | Rosa chinensis Jacq. WCVP 异名：Rosa semperflorens W.M.Curtis |
 | Rosa Indica Choix des plus belles fleurs · 122 · 1827–1833 | Rosa chinensis Jacq. 图上名称为误用名（WCVP：Rosa indica auct. non Lour.） |
传入欧洲与连续开花
它对现代月季最重要的贡献是连续开花：同一枝条上一茬接一茬地开花。中国月季在十八世纪末陆续传入欧洲：粉色中国月季 1789 年经 Joseph Banks 到达英国，‘Slater’s Crimson China’约 1791 年引入，‘Parsons’ Pink China’1793 年见于商品记录，‘Hume’s Blush Tea-scented China’在 1810 年前引入，‘Parks’ Yellow’1824 年采自中国。粉色中国月季通过两条谱系，成为大多数现代园艺月季的祖先之一。