Alpine Garden: Rosa pulverulenta

UBC Accession #36630-0653-2003
Section: Asia Minor
Photo by Daniel Mosquin
July 30, 2004
(Canon 300D)

 

Same plant, different light and angle
Photo by Daniel Mosquin
August 5, 2004
(Canon 300D)

 

Originally posted as Rosa hemisphaerica, but has been re-identified as above.

 

Hi,

This may be asking a lot but would it be possible to have someone take photos of the foliage of R. pulverulenta showing the glandular trichomes, and to describe the scent of the foliage?

Thanks.

 

Hi, for what purpose?

 

Well, I' am an amateur rose breeder and am using R. glutinosa (R. pulverulenta) in my breeding program. It happens that there are two 'R. pulverulentas', one of Turkish/Afghani origin which is ostensibly the one that has become nativized on the Mediterrainian, and the other from the Caucasus Mountains and relatively undocumented. So, I am wondering which you have and whether it differs from the one I have and, if so, how so.

There are not a lot of cultivars of R. pulverulenta out there and so if it happens to be the one also known as R. glutinosa it would be informative as well to see what variability there is.

In either case the foliage should be scented.

 

Hi,

I finally had a chance to do this today.

Ok - foliage: uncrushed, it has a slight soapy smell. Crushed, it has a scent reminiscent of blueberry dancing atop what I'd consider a typical crushed Rosaceae foliage smell.

Attached is a scan of the leaf surface.

 

Sounds like a wine tasting.

 

Thanks very much Daniel. I appreciate your effort.

That is a great photo. My cultivar smells like mint and the leaves are not quite as glandular as this one is. Very interesting.