Inheritance of Rootability

General Discussion
1

Has anyone seen any papers on the inheritance of rootability. Any personal observations of dominance or segregation?

Ralph Moore raised presumed self-seedings of Old Blush that sometimes gave very nice miniatures that were difficult to root from cuttings. ‘Mr Bluebird’ was an exception. He also offered a couple of other suggestions.

http://bulbnrose.x10.mx/Roses/breeding/Moore/MOORE.html
All About Miniature Roses (Chap 18) Moore (1967)
This selection, Mr. Bluebird, grows readily from cuttings and has proven quite cold hardy.

[I observed a couple of specimens in Lexington, KY, where they apparently survived at least one cold and icy winter.]

http://bulbnrose.x10.mx/Roses/breeding/Moore/MooreRainbow1974.html
“To Touch a Rainbow” Moore (1974)
Floradora — used mainly for its vigor and color (this rose has R. roxburghii in it) and because it will root easily.
Golden Glow (Brownell) — a large-flowered climber with intense yellow color, sets seed well, roots easily (from R. wichuraiana ancestry).

It occurred to me that the early breeders of Bourbon roses seem not to have been looking at all the possibilities of that chance cross.

http://bulbnrose.x10.mx/Roses/Ehret/SPierreRose1773.html
Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
In Port-Louis of l’Isle de France; this June 10, 1769.
WE have here the rose bush which multiplies so easily that it is made into hedges. Its flower is neither so full nor so fragrant as ours; there are several varieties, among others a small species from China, which flowers all year round.

The “hedge rose” mentioned was the Rosa biflora of Aublet, one parent of the Bourbon rose. It might not be a waste of time to start again with, say, ‘Mr Bluebird’. And then select carefully for fragrance and rootabiity.

2

Almost everything Ive bred out of Rosa canina, even at the 5th generation, has been quite good at both rooting and developing a proper rounded root mass. But any of the Dog clan take a lot of patience in terms of breeding out the pillaring genetics. I had felt those two concepts would go hand in hand, but it is possible to retain the canina rooting without the hyper-vigorous August growth shoots the clan is known for.

Rosa wichurana also makes good rooting descendants, but sometimes too good, and there is also the issue of the prickles, downy, other secondary diseases, and trailing to breed out.