Looks like the stem of a rose. Climbs a tree in my backyard, but I'm new to gardening and have never seen these. Someone told me they were buds. Can anyone clarify this? Thanks.
Yes it is a rose, and what you have are rose hips (the fruit that develops after the flowers have died)
It can be really hard to identify a rose when it is flowering (thousands of varieties), virtually impossible when it's not flowering. Sounds like you have a variety of climbing rose though. Rose hips are an excellent source of vitamin C and are used in many folksy sort of things. An internet search will tell you all you need to know. Not very tasty eaten raw though.
If eating them, watch out for the nasty stiff bristles inside the hip. Make sure they're removed before eating the hip flesh. Though equally, I've never heard of greenish hips like these being considered good to eat, only the bright red ones.
CES, when it blooms again you can try and id your rose here. http://www.everyrose.com/everyrose/index.lasso Newt
