Agnes (HRg)
Peter Harris
but it will occasionally produce pollen which will give seed on a willing
tetraploid parent. I had one such seedling about 12 years ago from
Golden Showers x Agnes. It wasn't much and died prematurely, probably
from a neighbor's errant hoe, but to me it was an indicator of the
possibility of such crosses.
Peter Harris
Charleston, WV
Henry Kuska
Topaz Jewel. So far Topaz Jewel has been sterile for me.
Peter Harris
tried to find those that were willing. Golden Showers is about as willing
a parent as can be found. Drawbacks: seeds have very thick seed coats
and sometimes take 2 years to germinate, and relatively few seeds are
produced per hip (only up to 15 or so, with the average about 8-10) with
compatible pollens. As I recall, I got 3 hips from 12-13 pollinations
with Agnes pollen on Golden Showers in 1978 or 1979, and perhaps only 7-10
seeds total from those three hips, and only the one germination (1983).
The plant showed definite rugosa characteristics in the leaves. The
blossoms were small, with mostly vegetative centers, a few thin petals of
about the color of Agnes, and a usually defective ovary. In addition, it
was rather mildew-susceptible. The year it was cut off prematurely (1984)
was the year it was carrying a hip, however, self-pollinated. It did
repeat-bloom. I would try the pollination again on several trusty mothers
if I had the essentials. Right now I have neither Agnes nor several
trusty mothers. My guess is that the mixed ancestry of Agnes permits it
to throw occasional diploid/tetraploid (reduced) pollen. Maybe it would
work on some of the caninas that have had some discussion lately.
Anyway, it's worth trying. All that can be lost is pollen, etc.--and who
knows what might be gained?
Do you know anything about the Spotless series (Pink, Gold, and Yellow)
developed at Beltsville by Peter Semeniuk? I think the series was based
on colchicine-doubled rugosa. I had all three but have lost them (and
don't know where to find them, as my daughter would add). The Pink
wasn't bad as a garden rose. The Yellow was quite pale, and its leaves
were not particularly attractive. The Gold was quite attractive, and
probably the most disease-resistant of the bunch. It had very glossy
leaves and small blossoms that shattered quickly. I had a First Prize x
Spotless Gold seedling with a long bud and good yellow petals (good
color, but a bit thin) I hoped to use as a parent, but it died from
neglect when I had to move in order to take a job out of state. Perhaps
this series would be a willing intermediary for introduction of more
rugosa virtues to the rose lines available.
Peter Harris
