Triparental origin of Damask roses

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Genetics
• Horticultural Science

Background:

• Damask roses are an important group of old rose varieties.
• They played a key role in 19th-century European rose improvement.
• Their precise origin and ancestry have remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the origin of Damask roses.
• To investigate the molecular relationship between oldest Damask varieties and their putative ancestors.

Main Methods:

• Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to assess genetic profiles.
• Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing of ribosomal DNA was performed.
• psbA-trnH spacer sequences were analyzed to determine chloroplast origin.

Main Results:

• All four oldest Damask varieties shared an identical RAPD profile, indicating a common ancestor.
• The triparental origin was identified, with *Rosa moschata*, *Rosa gallica*, and *Rosa fedschenkoana* as parental species.
• Chloroplast DNA analysis revealed that all Damask varieties inherited their chloroplasts exclusively from *R. moschata*.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the complex triparental origin of the oldest Damask roses.
• This genetic background explains specific morphological traits observed in Damask roses.
• Understanding the ancestry of Damask roses provides insights into historical rose breeding and genetics.