A Brief Study of Hulthemia Petal Color Distribution

For anyone already reading this blog, it is clear that the characteristic defining difference between regular roses and Hulthemia rose hybrids is the darker blotch seen at the base of the petals in the Hulthemia hybrids.  The blotch though, has several variations, all of which have the potential for offering new distributions of color on rose petals.

Several different distributions of color can be seen in the photo below.  This is by no means a complete representation of the various color distributions that are possible with the Hulthemia hybrids, but it does show a range of the possibilities.

All of these have at least a hint of the blotch, but on closer look, it can be seen that besides the obvious difference in color of the petals, there are also different distributions of the blotch color and accompanying petal coloration patterns.  To more easily discuss these differences, I have repeated the above photo of Hulthemia petals with numbers attached to each of the petals and copied it below.

Probably the most classic representation of the blotch is seen in petal 19.  There is a good solid blotch that goes all the way to the base of the petal and it has a distinct outer edge about 1/3 of the way to the petal edge.

Variations on this pattern include those with a lighter coloring just outside the blotch zone.  The lighter color really helps to accentuate the blotch.  Examples of this variation are petals 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 21.   You might include petal 7 in this group, and you would probably be right.  I think it is a bit different though because it also has a fairly larger separation from the blotch and the petal base.  The blotch that remains is barely visible, but it is there.  Others that have a "cut-off" zone of the blotch from the petal base include petals 1, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 24, and 25.  You might throw in a few others with more subtle "cut offs".  This effect is less noticeable on more mature seedlings.

Another variation is a kind of "streaking" of the blotch out to most of the rest of the petal.  Examples of this pattern can be seen in petals 3, 5, 17, 22, and 25.  Not seen in these examples is another more gradual blending of the blotch as it fades (rather than "streaks") out further on the petal. This can be seen in the photo below of petals from J93-3.

Finally, some of the petals are showing more of the blotch going outward along the center of the petals simulating the appearance of a "line" (I will mention more about this in a later post), examples include petals 1, 3, 5, and 11.

For the fun of it, I included petal 23 in this photo.  As seen in an earlier post, it is possible to combine striping with the blotch.

The last 2 photos show the streaking effect in better detail.  In these seedlings the blotch is not as dramatic as in the more classic type Hulthemia blotch.

Hulthemia Petals - Front and Back

Here are more Hulthemia petals coming from some of the new 2011 seedlings.

As is seen above, the reverse is almost always lighter than the top side of the petal.  Additionally, I have never seen the blotch pigment on the reverse side.  I am hoping that it will be possible though, so will continue to keep my eyes opened for it!  I think that a reverse blotch would be especially nice on otherwise typical exhibition type blooms.

The Effect of Petal Count on Hulthemia Bloom Presentation

Just like regular roses, Hulthemias come in all types of bloom forms - there are singles, to semidoubles, all the way up to hundred petal types.  In working with these, I have seen that the single petal blooms, those having 5 petals, provide the clearest, unobstructed view of the blotch.

While those with many petals, can hide the blotch altogether.

In these, the blotch is only visible by removing the petals.

For me, the most attractive presentation of the blotch is seen in semidouble style blooms, where there are only 10 to 20 petals.

What do you think?

Hulthemia with Unusually Shaped Petals

This seedling was a happy surprise!  It's always a special treat getting something that I have never seen before. It's like finding a different, but pleasant flavor in a box of chocolates that you have never tasted. The petal shape reminds me of a chrysanthemum.  So far the plant appears to be quite clean (no powdery mildew), and since it has a good blotch, it will probably be a "keeper" among this years new seedlings.

What do you think?