Rare Roses In Nature

Over 2000 years ago, the Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, wrote about rare roses with uniquely beautiful structures. In the late 18th century, the German author and poet, Goethe, was also inspired by these unusual blooms when he realized they could help explain the evolution of flowers. He outlined his hypotheses on the genetic basis of floral organ development in his influential 1790 work, "The Metamorphosis of Plants." Although it took nearly 200 years for his theories to be scientifically supported, his work helped inspire future scientific breakthroughs.

From the ancient thinkers through the poets of the eighteenth century to the scientists of today, the unique genetic variations behind the distinctive and beautiful flowers we adore continue to inspire and inform us of the diversity and complexity of our world. May we recognize and embrace this diversity in our own genome.

The two DNA variations depicted in the Rare Rose Series are double flowers and phyllody.

The Rare Roses numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 are double flowers, where the central male and female reproductive organs of the flower that would be there in a wild rose are now replaced by multiple petals. The Rare Roses numbered 4, 6, 8-12 are examples of phyllody. Phyllody is where floral organs develop as leaf-like organs. Sometimes this gives rise to flowers that are entirely green, but in some cases, only the reproductive organs show this conversion.

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