Rose Tranquillity

Maybe not one of the most fragrant white roses but among the healthiest and resistant to unfavorable weather conditions. Has exquisite, beautifully rounded flowers, with neatly placed petals making up perfect rosettes. The buds are lightly tinged with yellow but as the flowers open, they become pure white. Has very strong growth, quickly forms a large, attractive bush with dark green, glossy, and healthy foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION
Throughout the specification below, the colour references and/or values are based upon The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2015) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY
The following description is of 1 year-old rose plants of the new variety grown outdoors in Albrighton, Britain in the month of July. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER
‘Tranquillity’ has recurrent blooming habit. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:
The flower buds are about 2 cm long and 2.3 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. They have globular form.

When sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow (RHS 1D) and dark purple (RHS 58A). When half blown, the upper and the lower sides of the petals are white (RHS 155C).

The sepals on the upper surface are of medium brown green colour (RHS 147C) and the colour of the lower surface is medium green (RHS 144A). They have a length of 2.3 cm and the width of 10 mm in average. The sepals have a lanceolate shape; the surface texture is downy on the upper surface and smooth on the lower. There are three lightly appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The colour of the receptacles is medium green (RHS 143A), they have funnel shape and smooth surface; they are broad, with length of about 8 mm and width of about 10 mm.

Peduncle is strong and medium sized, averaging about 7 cm in length; has rough surface and medium green colour with some reddish tints.

Bloom:
Flowers are large, with average open diameter of about 9 cm. They are borne in small clusters of 1- 4 blooms, having rounded shape. Flowers positioned on strong stems, the average length is about 8 cm and diameter is about 5 mm.

When they first open, the form is cupped, turning to a flat rosette as the flower fully opens. The number of petals under normal conditions is 110 on average.

The upper sides of the petals are white (RHS 155C) with same white colour of the reverse sides of the petals and their base. The variegations is not observed on the flowers.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is white (RHS 155C) and remains the same at the end of the third day.

Petals:
The petals of ‘Tranquillity’ have smooth texture and surface. They are obovate, slightly incurved, with entire margins, however some petals are notched and have weak undulation; the base shape is obtuse, and the apex shape is rounded. The length of the petals is 2.4 cm, and the width is also 2.4 cm on average. Petals arrangement - imbricated.

The number of petaloids varies from 4 to 6. They have white colour (RHS 155C) while anthers and filaments have light yellow colour (RHS 4D). The length of petaloids is about 10-25 mm, of anther is about 2 mm and the filament has 4 mm length on average. Petals hang on and dry on the plant.

Variety has good lastingness of flowers, on the plant about 8 days; as a cut flower - not tested.

Fragrance:
The fragrance is light, with light apple character.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens is 45 on average, with average length of 6 mm.

Anthers have dark yellow colour (RHS 15A), length of 2 mm, and arranged in regular form around the styles.

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (RHS 14C), the average length is about 4 mm.

The colour of the pollen is dark yellow (RHS 15A).

Pistils number is average, there is two distinctive lengths are observed, the length of the first one is about 4.8 mm and of the other one is about 7.8 mm.

Styles have the length of 4 to 7 mm and light yellow green colour (RHS 154D).

Stigmas are medium brown green (RHS 39B) and have length of about 0.8 mm.

Hips – not observed yet.

PLANT
‘Tranquillity’ forms quite large, upright and bushy plant with vigorous growth habit.

When mature its height can vary from 125 cm to 180 cm, and the width can be from 90 cm up to 175cm.

Forms very attractive and healthy plant with dense attractive foliage.

Foliage:
The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 3 to 5 (including terminal leaflet). They have medium size, about 14 cm long and 12 cm wide.

The amount of foliage on the plant is abundant, the number of leaves per flowering stem is 8 on average.

Th new foliage has dark brown green colour (RHS 146B) on the upper side, the colour on the lower side is medium brown green (RHS 146C).

Old foliage is dark brown green (RHS 147A). on the upper side and dark brown green (RHS 146B) on the lower side.

Leaflets:
Leaflets are glossy, about 6 cm long and 4.5 cm wide. Their shape is broadly oval, with rounded base shape and acuminate apex. They have leathery texture, serrated edges, and the type of serration is single.

Petiole has medium green colour (RHS 143A) and smooth surface texture; the length is 4.5 cm and the width is 18 mm on average.

Petiole rachis has smooth underside and medium brown colour (RHS 174A).

Stipules are smooth with a glandular margin and have medium brown green colour (RHS 146C). The length is 2.6 cm on average.

Auricle is sword-shaped, medium brown green (RHS 146C), has length of 6 mm and the width of 2 mm in average.

Veins have the same colour as the leaves. Venation pattern - reticulate.

Wood:
The new wood has brown red colour (RHS 178B) and smooth bark surface. The old wood is dark brown green (RHS 146B), the bark is smooth with some rough patches.

Stems:
Mature stem has length 60 cm and diameter 8 mm on average; internode distance is about 8 cm. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

No pubescence present on the stems.

Prickles:
The quantity of prickles on the main canes from base and on the laterals from the main canes is few. The number per stem length is about 3 per 10 cm, on the laterals from main canes is about 2 per 10 cm.

The prickles have deep concave form, length of about 6 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (RHS 182B), when mature is medium brown (RHS 177D).

Small prickles:
Small prickles are not observed on the main stems and on the laterals from the main stems.

Disease resistance:
This variety showed very good resistance to mildew, blackspot, botrytis and rust. Pest resistance - not tested.

The variety shows good resistance in zones USDA 6 and higher, require winter protection in more colder climates.

The name was given to the relation of the pure white flowers of this variety.

English Shrub Rose

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY
The primary objective of the breeding of this variety was to grow a rose with a vigorous upright growth that is very healthy with dark green foliage that is almost thornless, and that produces beautifully rounded flowers with neatly placed petals making a perfect rosette, with buds that are lightly tinged yellow, but with flowers that open to become pure white, and that produce a light apple fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
Among the features which distinguish ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ from other presently available and commercial rose cultivars is the following combination of characteristics: pure white rosette shaped blooms, a light apple fragrance, and dark green musk rose foliage with almost thornless stems.

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding as performed in greenhouses at Bowling Green Lane in Albrighton, Britain showed that the foregoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ may be asexually propagated by budding. The budding successfully occurred on the plant/rootstock Rosa cv. ‘Dr. Huey’ in the United States, and on the plant/rootstock Rosa dumetorum cv. ‘Laxa’ in the United Kingdom.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics: - whereas the seed parent has smaller pink flowers and is less disease resistant, ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ bears white flowers that are very healthy.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics: - whereas the pollen parent bears pink semi-double flowers, ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ bears very full blooms of pure white.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR
The closest commercially available cultivars to the ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ are the ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ and ‘Ausrelate’ / ‘Lichfield Angel’.

‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ may be distinguished from the ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ variety by the following combination of characteristics: ‘AUSprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ has a more arching growth habit and is taller (making a climber of up to 2.4 m), whereas ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ makes a more upright shrub reaching 125 - 175 сm. In addition, the blooms of ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ are more cupped than those of ‘AUSnoble’, which flatten to form rosettes.

Likewise, the ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ may be distinguished from the ‘Ausrelate’ / ‘Lichfield Angel’ variety by the following combination of characteristics: ‘Ausrelate’ / ‘Lichfield Angel’ bears blooms of an apricot color with a fragrance that has strong notes of clove, whereas ‘Ausnoble’ / ‘Tranquillity’ has pure white blooms with an apple fragrance.

USDA zone 6 and warmer