Years ago, I heard the phrase ‘guard petals’ and asked about it on the old rec.gardens.roses chat site.
I got a good answers, linked below.
When I saw your bud shot, the phrase guard petals came to mind as the explanation of why the first row of petals was markedly different from then next.
Well that would certainly describe what I’m seeing and the ‘prone to colour flaws’ seems quite fitting too with the green/white striping. The bud has started to unfurl and I’m hoping a nice hot day tomorrow will see it completely open. Is this ‘guard petalling’ a variable trait or is it uniformly expressed on every flower on plants showing this trait?
You have an exciting rose there. I would enjoy following the course of this rose, so keep up posted. If the future buds also show teh same striped/variegated sepals, I would really pursue it.
They don’t unfortunately and the flowers really look to be a dead ringer for green ice at this stage. I will take another photograph this afternoon when I get home from work.
Well, the bud is mostly unfurled now and … it’s not pretty. I’m hoping that future more mature flowers are substantially better 
Looks to have a vegetative centre like a lot of ‘Green Ice’ flowers do. Maybe the petals will flatten more as they age…
Another pic
Better one of the whole plant. Pot is a 75mm (diametre) tube stock pot for reference sake.
Not much hope for fertility there now but that could change as it ages.
Any sign of any reproductive parts Simon? Maybe the blooms will refine a bit in future blossoms. If nothing else it’s unique as the only descendant of Green Ice that I’ve heard of. For that alone I’d keep it.
No reproductive parts on this flower yet, however, looking at the ‘Green Ice’ parent plant some of the flowers develop stamens, some develop stamens and stigma and others don’t develop any so it appears to be a variable characteristic. The stamens on ‘Green Ice’ are hard to find. You have to pull all the petals off to find the short green stamens (that don’t look like they have any pollen on them) distributed through the petals at their base. So I’ll keep this seedling going (at least until autumn/winter when my ‘Green Ice’ parent might set more OP hips 
) and pot it on to bigger pots to see how it goes. I’m hoping the flower above is suffering from ‘first flower syndrome’ and will improve as time goes on. This reverse reflexion of the petals might be attractive (in a cactus dahlia type of manner) if there were more of them…
Sure is a healthy looking plant.
Got the macro extension tubes out to get a good close-up of the central pip (uncropped).
Simon, I love your photography - excellent! Your seedling appears very clean.
Jim Sproul
Aside from its shortcomings, the foliage is attractive and I think it’s too cute to be true…just like those baby bunnies, eh Simon?
rotflmao!
I am simply in awe of your photographic skills.
I see some of my china roses (Rouletti among them) have a tendency to curl up their petals in a similar way when the weather is not sunny or when it’s cooler than they want it to be.
I’m realy curious in the next flowers and what the different will be. By the way Simon, are your parents dutch?
Regards,
Timo
It’s actually not looking too bad on day three… days are fine and temps are warm at about 27 degrees Celcius right now.
Simon, if the petal count increases, I don’t think that plant would be at all unattractive. I rather like the novelty of the quilled petals and think it could be rather pretty, particularly if the foliage you show continues to be so healthy.
I agree with Philip. This one looks like a keeper.
Yes Tim, my father is Dutch. I’ve never been to Holland nor do I know any of the Dutch language and was born in Sydney… BUT… I do blame my obsession for all things gardening on my dutch heritage
Day four and I think this is as good as it’s going to get. I am really liking it 
Can’t wait for more flowers now…