Rose St Cecilia

“St Cecilia is an ideal English Rose where space is limited, for it manages to be both short and elegant at the same time. It bears its nicely cupped flowers widely spaced in open sprays; the stems are slightly arching so that the flowers bend forward to reach out to you in the most pleasing manner. The flowers are of medium size and pale buff-apricot turning almost white - a more attractive shade than words might convey. The combination of poise of flower and elegance of growth make it an excellent garden plant. Its foliage is not very plentiful, but is in just the right quantity to complement the general character of the rose. It has an unusually powerful myrrh fragrance. Unfortunately, it may be vulnerable to rust in certain districts where it would then require spraying.” - David Austin.
PLANT DESCRIPTION
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following is a detailed description of the new variety, color terminology being in accordance with the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd (1963).

Plant
Very universal rose, has strong, twiggy, bushy growth that is ideal for a position towards the front of a border. It can be both formed as a short or a large shrub. Height varies from 100 to 180 cm (3’-5’).

Branches:
Young stems have greyish green colour (29D7). Texture is smooth; thorns: 2-5 per node, 1-3 mm long, brownish red (10C7) at base fading to greyish yellow( 1B4) with numerous red glandular hairs.

Old stems have parrot green colour (30E8), rough texture; thorns are numerous, red glandular hairs and numerous thorns 1-7 mm, have claret colour (11D8).

LEAVES
Stipules:
Length is about 20-25 mm, width 6-8 mm, angle of wingtips to petiole.45°, greyish yellow (1B5). Margins are linear or slightly convex, finely toothed with red tipped glandular hairs, mid rib has greyish red colour (10D5). Width is medium.

Petiole:
General description: The length is 80-95 mm, upperside color is parrot green (30E8), groove margins and nodes tinged with brownish violet (11D7). Groove sparsely lined with red glandular hairs; the underside is greyish yellow (2B4) with pale pink tinge (10A2). Hair/thorns are occasional, with red glandular hairs.

Leaflets:
Number on a leaf is about 3, 5, most often 7. The shape is ovoid with rounded base and cuspidate apex, serrate, texture is leathery dull. General effect of foliage: medium density and dull.

Color of the young foliage on the upperside is deep green (30E8) with violet brown (8D5) mid rib and margins; the underside is greyish green (29D6) with violet brown blush (11E5) and margins. Adult foliage is dark green (28F8) on the upperside and greyish green (28E6) on the underside.

INFLORESCENCE
Number of flowers per stem is about 2-5, mostly 4.

Peduncle have length is about 40-60 mm, has deep green colour (30D8) and sparse red tipped glandular hairs.

Sepals:
Upperside color is deep green (29D8) with faint pinkish brown blush on outer sepals. Outer margins have long enisform protrusions of red tipped glandular hairs. Inner margins are densely tomentose. Underside color is medium green (29D6), outer sepals slightly ridged and dented. Sepal length is about 30 mm.

Bud shape is round with long cuspidate tip, the length is about 33 mm and max. width 13 mm. Color when opening is fraise (11C7) fading to shell pink (8A3).

The flower shape is globular, with rounded sides, flat top and base. The average diameter is about 70 mm.

Color when opening. Upperside: Outer petals: pastel yellow (3A4) at base changing pale pinkish white (9A2). Inner petals: Basal tip yellow (3A6) fading through pastel yellow (3A4) to orange white (5A2). Underside: Outer petals: Basal tip is pastel yellow (3A4) fading through pale orange (5A3) to pale pinkish white (9A2). Inner petals: Basal tip light yellow (3A5) fading through pastel yellow (A4) to reddish white (8A2).

Color when blooming. Upperside and most of petal: Basal tip is yellow (2A6) fading through pale yellow (2A3) to very pale pinkish white (9A2). Underside and most of petal: Basal tip is yellow (2A6) fading through pale yellow (2A3) to pinkish white (9A2).

Coloring when finished blooming. Upperside: Outer petals: Basal tip is pastel yellow (2A4) fading to very, very pale pinkish color (10A2). Inner petals are white (almost white). Underside: Outer petals: As for outer petal but a slightly darker pinkish color (10A2). Inner petals are white (almost white).

Length of season of blooming at location of production: from June to October.

Fragrance: fragrance is very strong and both remarkable and unusual; an English Rose myrrh character with lemon and almond blossom.

Flowers have average lastivity on the plant – about 8-12 days under normal conditions; as a cut flower about 7-9 days under normal conditions.

Petals
On the outside have rounded margins, they are smooth and slightly irregular at top. The base is shouldered and cuneate with the petal deeply cupped. Middle and inside: oblong, top broad, round, margin irregular. Base is acute. Petal is slightly cupped, their texture is silky.

Number of petals on the flower is about 95-100 in average under normal conditions, where inner 6-8 petals resemble stamens grown together to in turn resemble petals petaloid.

Self cleaning quality is good, petals drop off cleanly and quickly leaving a tidy looking rose.

Reproductive organs:
Stamens number is about 110.

Anthers are normal, bright golden yellow (3A6).

Filaments are yellow (2A5), of irregular heights.

Pistils number is 125-135 average.

Stigmas is normal, pale orange/yellow (3A5).

Styles are pale green (1B4) at base, changing to yellow (1A5), of irregular heights, hairy.

Receptacle has deep green colour (29D8), the texture is smooth, glabrous. Has height of about 8-10 mm and width of about 10-12 mm, goblet shaped.

THE DEVELOPMENT
Vegetation: Vigorous.

Blooming: Abundant and continual.

Aptitude to bearing fruits: None.

Resistance to frost: Good.

Resistance to disease: Good.

David Austin in 1987 dedicated this rose to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

English Shrub Roses

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Primary features of this new variety which connote a distinctive advance over existing types are the vigorous abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months taken with the perfection of the fully double flowers of an old-fashioned shape. It is also noted that the unusual and pleasing petal colouration intensified in colour darkness with blossom, age and exposure.

Variety denomination (in accordance with the UPOV Convention): Ausmit.

Type: Hardy, outdoor, bush, seedling, for cut flowers and garden decoration.

Class: Shrub rose.

Propagation. The variety holds its distinguishing characteristics through succeeding propagations by budding.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by budding has taken place at a nursery in Albrighton, Nr. Wolverhampton, England and it was derived as follows: - Female parent (seed parent) - ‘AUSwife’ / ‘Wife of Bath’. - Male parent (pollen parent) - Unnamed seedling.

USDA zone 5 and warmer