QBARS - v14n4 Cover Article

Cover Article

The illustration on the cover of the Bulletin is R. fortunei . The name R. fortunei during the last decade has been misapplied to a group of plants here on the west coast that encompasses plants not only in the series, but even hybrids. To this day no one plant here can be identified positively as the true R. fortunei . The plant shown on the cover is one of the Barto R. fortunei group, and comes close to meeting the descriptions of the original plant. This plant is now twelve feet in height, but does not have the hardiness attributed to R. fortunei . R. fortunei was grown in the Barto collection in the early 1930's under several numbers, but this plant was selected un-flowered, and has been to this day called R. fortunei , by all who have seen it. Some years ago I was given cuttings of what is supposed to be the true R. fortunei in Golden Gate Park. Several of these plants have bloomed in recent years, and do not meet in several ways the type descriptions. Sad to state it has been typical to name plants R. fortunei if they have somewhat near the typical foliage, and fragrant white or pale pink bloom of R. fortunei when at best they perhaps only belong to the series. The transparency was loaned to the Society by the editor.