Articles
Japanese wild roses contributed to cultivated roses and the history of rose breeding in Japan
Article number
1434_5
Pages
35 – 40
Language
English
Abstract
The genus Rosa L. (Rosaceae) comprises about 150-200 species widely distributed in the temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere, and about 16 taxa grow in Japan.
Among these taxa, there are three Japanese species that have been involved in the establishment of modern cultivated roses, and two of these species have mainly contributed to major groups of modern roses. Rosa multiflora Thunb. is distributed in a wide area from south-west Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan.
It has transmitted the clustered flowering trait from the Polyantha group to the Floribunda group. Rosa luciae Rochber. et Franch. ex Crép. is distributed from Honshu to Kyushu in Japan, with its elongated shoots, which is a trait of the rambler roses.
In this way, Rosa luciae has been a major contributor to the climbing traits of rambler roses.
The introduction of roses from overseas to Japan is thought to have occurred with the return of envoys who had been dispatched to China in 7th, 8th and 9th centuries.
However, rose breeding using their introduced stock did not take place even during the Edo era (1603-1867), when breeding of various flowers was actively pursued.
It was not until after the Meiji era in 1868, when the country was opened to the west and western roses were introduced, that rose breeding began to take place.
During the Meiji era, new varieties were bred by selecting variations produced from seedlings and bud mutations, but it was not until the Showa era (1926-1989) that crossbreeding began.
Commercial breeding in Japan began in the 1930s, mainly due to two breeders, Kanjiro Okamoto and Seizo Suzuki.
The following is an overview of these two rose breeders and the Japanese rose breeding that followed.
Among these taxa, there are three Japanese species that have been involved in the establishment of modern cultivated roses, and two of these species have mainly contributed to major groups of modern roses. Rosa multiflora Thunb. is distributed in a wide area from south-west Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan.
It has transmitted the clustered flowering trait from the Polyantha group to the Floribunda group. Rosa luciae Rochber. et Franch. ex Crép. is distributed from Honshu to Kyushu in Japan, with its elongated shoots, which is a trait of the rambler roses.
In this way, Rosa luciae has been a major contributor to the climbing traits of rambler roses.
The introduction of roses from overseas to Japan is thought to have occurred with the return of envoys who had been dispatched to China in 7th, 8th and 9th centuries.
However, rose breeding using their introduced stock did not take place even during the Edo era (1603-1867), when breeding of various flowers was actively pursued.
It was not until after the Meiji era in 1868, when the country was opened to the west and western roses were introduced, that rose breeding began to take place.
During the Meiji era, new varieties were bred by selecting variations produced from seedlings and bud mutations, but it was not until the Showa era (1926-1989) that crossbreeding began.
Commercial breeding in Japan began in the 1930s, mainly due to two breeders, Kanjiro Okamoto and Seizo Suzuki.
The following is an overview of these two rose breeders and the Japanese rose breeding that followed.
Authors
Y. Ueda
Keywords
modern roses, crossbreeding, climbing roses, Floribunda, clustered flowering, Rose Trial
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