Breeding with sports for color?

If I wanted to use Westfield Star (a white sport of Ophelia) for crosses, will the progeny carry the genes and color of Ophelia or the mutations of Westfield Star? Aside from microscopic determination, how would one know if the sport were on the chimmera level versus the genetic level? Or am I just plain confused from long hours of reading? It would be nice if Westfield Star passed on all the good characteristics of the Ophelia clan but replaced peach coloring with white. Thanks for any input.

As plant and rose growth is organized in three layers usually sports are chimeras with one layer affected only. Rarely one layer interfere with another. Usually mutations affect the external one that produce petal epiderm and does not produce gametes.

In order to get a homogen three layer mutation you may resort on tissue culture from a single layer and regenerate a full plant.

A test is growing a root cutting from an ownroot plant. Roots layers settlement is different and root cuttings stems external layer is from an internal layer.

But some white are said to be dominant and it is easy to get more white seedlings than hoped for :wink:.

Amicalement votre

Pierre Rutten

Thanks for the clarification Pierre, that makes sense, and I’m glad I haven’t completely forgotten my biology.

On the subject of sports. What about double/single petal count sports (Souv. de la Malmaison versus Souv. de St. Anne’s), or climbing sports (Maman Cochet versus Cl. Maman Cochet), and lastly repeat-flowering sports (I can’t think of specific vareties but do recall running across once blommers that sported to remontance). What layers are involved and how does that affect inheritance? I suppose mossing is on the genetic level since Moore’s work with Cristata was so successful. Thanks.

New Dawn and Everblooming CL. Cecile Brunner(Heirloom sells this one) are remontance sports.