Rose Christopher Marlowe

Intense orange-red, rosette-shaped blooms, paling to salmon-pink. Pleasing tea fragrance with a hint of lemon. Healthy and free-flowering.
FLOWER
Observations made from plants commencing at one year of age grown in a garden environment at Albrighton, England.

Blooming habit: Continuous.

The flower bud: Has size about 4 cm long and 2.2 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When sepals first divide, bud color is medium green (Group 144A). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are pink (Group 52C); and the lower sides of the petals are light yellow orange (Group 22D).

Sepals have dark yellow colour (Group 14B) on the upper and the lower surface; their length is about 2.7 cm and the width is 0.8 cm. Shape - pointed. The surface texture - hairy edges. Upper surface is very hairy, the lower surface is smooth. There are three lightly appendaged sepals and three unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

Receptacle is medium green (Group 144B), pitcher shaped; medium sized, about 1.1 cm long and 0.8 cm wide; have smooth surface.

Peduncle’s surface is smooth and has medium green colour (Group 144B), strength - stiff.

Flower:
The flowers are medium sized, with average open diameter about 5.5 cm under normal conditions. Borne several together in flat clusters.

Stems’ strength is normal, average length is about 85 cm with a diameter of 0.5 cm.

When the flowers first open they have flat, rosette shape with the button-eye. As the flower ages the outer petals curl back. Number of petals under normal conditions: 70.

The upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 54B) at the outer part and slightly lighter (Group 54A) towards the base. The reverse sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 54B) at the outer part and light yellow orange (Group 19B) towards the base. The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 9B). The major color on the upper side is medium purple red (Group 54A). Variegations not observed.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is red pink (or salmon-pink, Group 52B); at the end of the third day – fades to medium blue pink (Group 54C).

Flowers have delightful moderate Tea fragrance with a hint of lemon.

Petals:
The petals are thick and leathery, about 33 mm wide by 36 mm long, round shaped with a smooth surface. Their margin reflexing and undulating; Apex has round shape and the base shape is pointed; edges slightly quilled; the petals arrangement is quartered.

Petaloids number is 14 under normal conditions, they are brown red (Group 180D) with spot of light yellow (Group 10C) at base.

Petals hang on and dry.

The flowers last on the plant for about 4 days, as a cut flower also about 4 days.

Reproductive parts:
Stamens number is 25 under normal conditions, they have length of about 0.5 cm. Anthers’ length is 0.1 cm, they are dark yellow (Group 14B), tucked in calyx. Filaments are light yellow green (Group 1C), about 0.5 cm in length. The pollen is medium yellow (Group 9C).

Pistils number is 20 in average under normal conditions, the length is 0.6 cm. Styles are medium yellow (Group 3C), 0.8 cm in length. Stigmas have medium yellow colour (Group 6B) and the length of 0.1 cm.

Hips - not observed.

PLANT
Christopher Marlowe forms medium sized and well branching, arching shrub. Mature plant height varies from 90 to 125 cm and has width of 90 cm in average.

Foliage: The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 7. They are medium sized, about 10 cm long and 8.2 cm wide ; the quantity is normal on the plant. New foliage has medium brown green colour (Group 137C) on the upper side and medium brown green colour (Group 138B) at the lower side. Old foliage is dark green (Group 139A) on the upper side and medium brown green (Group 138B) on the lower side.

Leaflets have size of about 4.2 cm long and 3.4 cm wide in average; they are broadly oval and pointed oval; the base shape is rounded. Apex shape is acuminate. They have leathery and smooth texture with serrated edges, the serration is small.

Petiole have medium brown green colour (Group 146D). Petiole rachis is smooth on the underside and has medium brown green colour (Group 146D).

Auricle shape - long point.

Stipules are about 1.5 cm long and serrated.

The plant has good resistance to mildew, blackspot, and rust under normal growing conditions. Pest persistence – not tested.

Vein color on leaves is dark brown green (Group 146B), venation pattern - branching.

Wood:
New wood has light green colour (Group 144B) with blush of medium brown (Group 176C), the bark is smooth. The old wood is dark brown green (Group 137D), the bark is smooth.\

Prickles:
Quantity on the main canes from base is ordinary (20 per 46 cm); on the laterals from main canes - ordinary (15 per 30 cm). Form - hooked downward; length is 0.6 cm in average. The colour when young is medium red (Group 42B), when mature medium red (Group 50A).

Small prickles:
Quantity on the main stalks – few, on the laterals – few; when young they are dark red (Group 45B) and dark red (Group 39B) when mature.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following is a detailed description of my new rose cultivar with color descriptions using terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart (2001), except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

Named after the playwright and contemporary of William Shakespeare.

English Shrub Roses

The objective to get new distinctive rose variety was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in the new variety and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties: 1. Unusual orange-red blooms, paling to salmon-pink. 2. Rosette-shaped flowers, outer petals reflexing a little. 3. Pleasing tea fragrance with a hint of lemon. 4. Free and continuous flowering.

Asexual reproduction of this new variety by budding, as performed at Albrighton, England, shows that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

Comparison with Parents
"AUSgold" \ "Golden Celebration"’ has large, cupped, golden-yellow flowers on a medium shrub compared with the orange-red blooms of 'AUSjump' / 'Christopher Marlowe'. The seedling parent has deep pink flowers and grows to 240 cm, about thrice the height of 'AUSjump' / 'Christopher Marlowe'.

Comparison with Similar Variety
«AUSlot» / «Sophy's Rose» (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,422) has rosette-shaped blooms that are crimson-pink in color, whereas 'AUSjump' / 'Christopher Marlowe' has orange-red blooms. 'AUSjump' / 'Christopher Marlowe'also has a hint of lemon in its fragrance.

Parentage:
Seed parent - unnamed seedling.

Pollen parent – ‘AUSgold’ \ ‘Golden Celebration’.

USDA zone 5 and warmer