Cover ARTICLE
by Rudolph Henny
Possibly some of the finest plants to originate from the Barto collection in Junction City, Oregon were a small group, that is still unidentified today. The plants were not from the largest group represented at the garden, but were the most sought after in later years. Gardeners who were fortunate enough to obtain plants years ago, were of the opinion that the species was
R. campylocarpum elatum
. As the plants matured many names were affixed, and since variation was extreme, names of species as
R. campylocarpum elatum
yellow;
R. campylocarpum elatum
, pink and apricot, and
R. souliei
were used. Finally in later years the group was referred to as the Barto R. Penjerricks. All the individuals of the group were of the same high quality as the hybrid R. 'Penjerrick', but all had slightly smaller corollas. Gardeners familiar with species and visitors from abroad usually would not attempt positive identification, though many suggestions were forwarded.
In Mr. and Mrs. James's article "Our Visit to Some British Gardens" mention was made of this group. Mr. James informed me that the group growing there was unmistakably the same as the Barto R. Penjerricks. The species was seen at Bodnant, still growing under the collectors number K. W. 5659, and the James's notes of the plants show that it was listed there as probably in the R. souliei series. Mr. and Mrs. James add the following addendum to their notes of this group of plants. "These notes were made from labels on the plants and if they were not correct we will still have to keep at the identification." Both Mr. and Mrs. James were aware at the time that K. W. 5659 is listed in the collector numbers as
R. hirtipes
.
Apparently no serious effort has been made in Britain to identify this group or possibly since the variation is so great amongst the individual members no distinct species is to be arrived at.
The photograph by Frank Burke, was taken of a selected form of the species asexually propagated three years ago, and is a small plant in comparison to many as they are today.