Hybrid Floribunda rose plant named Wekuz

A new variety of Floribunda rose suitable for garden decoration, having flowers of rose pink coloration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid Floribunda 
rose. The plant is bushy, compact, rounded, and suitable for outdoor 
garden decoration. The new variety has as its seed parent an unnamed, 
unpatented red hybrid tea seedling and as its pollen parent the rose known 
as `Bridal Pink`, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,851). The varietal denomination 
of the new variety is `Wekuz`. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Among the features which distinguish the new variety Wekuz from other 
presently available commercial rose cultivars are the following 
combination of characteristics: abundant production of large well-formed 
flowers on a low compact plant habit, long-lived flowers of a relatively 
uniform and lasting old-rose pink coloration essentially as described and 
illustrated herein, and generally consistent performance in a wide range 
of climatic variation. Wekuz may be propagated by cuttings, budding, 
grafting, and tissue culture. 
Asexual propagation of the new variety as performed in Kern County and 
Upland, Calif., shows that the foregoing and other distinguishing 
characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted 
through succeeding propagations. 
COMISON WITH ENT VARIETIES 
The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent by the following 
combination of characteristics: whereas Wekuz is classed as a Floribunda, 
the seed parent is classed as a hybrid tea. Wekuz produces flowers of a 
deep pink coloration essentially as described and illustrated herein, 
whereas the seed parent produces flowers of a deep red coloration. The 
seed parent is a tall upright plant in habit, whereas the new cultivar has 
a significantly shorter rounded plant habit. 
The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the 
following combination of characteristics: wherein Wekuz produces flowers 
of a deep pink coloration essentially as described and illustrated herein, 
Bridal Pink bears flowers of a significantly lighter pink coloration. 
Wekuz produces flower buds that are pointed yet ovoid in shape and of 
medium length, whereas the flower buds of Bridal Pink are significantly 
longer and more pointed in shape. Whereas Bridal Pink has a 
distinguishable fragrance, the new seedling bears only a very light 
fragrance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY 
The following description pertains to rose plants of the new cultivar grown 
outdoors in August, 1991 in Upland, Calif. Phenotype may vary with 
differences in conditions of soil and climate. 
FLOWER 
The new variety bears its flowers sometimes singly, but usually three to 
four or more per stem. Flowers are usually borne in irregular rounded 
clusters on normal, short to medium length stems for the class. Outdoors, 
the plant blooms very abundantly and nearly continuously during the 
growing season. The flowers have a very slight tea fragrance. 
BUD 
The peduncle is of short to average length for the class, of average 
caliper, and usually erect. It is usually smooth, with few stipitate 
glands. Peduncle color is near to between Yellow-Green 146C and Green 
138A, with an occasional blush of near Greyed-Purple 183C. 
Before the calyx breaks, the bud is of medium to large size for the class, 
moderately short in length, and pointed to ovoid in shape. The surface of 
the bud bears some stipitate glands, usually with slender foliaceous parts 
extending beyond the tip of the bud equal to about 1/4 or more of its 
length. Bud color is near to between Yellow-Green 146C and Green 138A. 
The inner surface of the sepals has fine wooly tomentum; sepal margins are 
lined with some stipitate glands and numerous hairs. 
As the first petal opens, the bud is somewhat medium to large for the 
class, moderately short to medium length, and somewhat pointed to ovoid in 
form. The color of the outside surface of the newly opened petals is near 
to between Red-Purple 64C and Red-Purple 58C. The color of the inside 
surface of the newly opened petals is near to between Red-Purple 64D and 
Red-Purple 58D. The bud opens well and is not prevented from opening by 
wet, cold, hot or dry weather. 
BLOOM 
When fully open, the bloom is moderately large for the class, ranging from 
8 to 10 cms. in diameter. Petalage is double with 25 to 30 petals and 1 to 
5 petaloids arranged irregularly. When partially open, the bloom form is 
moderately cupped to high centered, and the petals are somewhat cupped to 
undulated with petal edges somewhat rolled outward. When fully open, the 
bloom form is moderately more cupped to full, and the petals are somewhat 
more loosely cupped to undulated with petal edges moderately reflexed 
outward. 
PETALS 
The petals are of a moderately heavy crisp substance and of moderate 
thickness, with inside surfaces somewhat satiny to velvety and outside 
surfaces moderately shiny to satiny. The outside petals are nearly round 
to broadly obovate in shape with apices very rounded. The inside petals 
are more nearly ovate to obovate in shape with apices moderately rounded. 
The following description and color values are from observation of flowers 
on a plant grown outdoors in Upland, Calif. in the month of August. Colors 
may be modified by being washed or shaded with other colors. 
NEWLY OPENED FLOWER 
The outside surface of the outside, intermediate and inner petals is near 
to between Red-Purple 64C and Red-Purple 58C. 
The inside surface of the outside petals is near to between Red-Purple 65A 
and Red 55C. The inside surface of the intermediate petals is near to 
between Red-Purple 64D and Red-Purple 58D with some fading toward the 
petal edges of near to between Red-Purple 65A and Red 55C. The inside 
surface of the inner petals is near to between Red-Purple 64D and 
Red-Purple 58D. 
The general color effect of the newly opened flower is between Red-Purple 
64D and Red-Purple 58D. 
THREE DAY OLD FLOWER 
The outside surface of the outside and inner petals is near to between 
Red-Purple 64D and Red-Purple 58D. 
The inside surface of the outside petals is near to between Red-Purple 65A 
and Red 56A. The inside surface of the inner petals is near to between 
Red-Purple 65A and Red 55C. 
The general color effect of the three day old flower is near to between 
Red-Purple 65A and Red 55C. 
On the spent bloom, the petals usually persist, fading to near to between 
Red-Purple 65C and Red 56B. 
In August, blooms on the bush growing in the garden generally last from 
four to five or more days. Cut roses grown outdoors and kept at normal 
indoor living temperatures generally last five or more days. 
MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 
Stamens are average to many in number and are arranged regularly about the 
pistil. The filaments are of medium length, most with anthers. The anthers 
are of average size for the class and all open approximately at the same 
time. Anther color is near Greyed-Orange 167C when immature and near Brown 
200C at maturity. Pollen is moderate to abundant and near Yellow-Orange 
22D in color. 
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 
Pistils are average in number (approximately 60). The styles are somewhat 
uneven, moderately short to average in length, somewhat thin to average in 
caliper, and somewhat loosely bunched. Stigma color is near Yellow 13D. 
Ovaries are usually all enclosed in the calyx. 
Hips on this variety when grown in Upland, Calif. are of somewhat short to 
average in length, ovoid to globular in form, and near Greyed-Orange 168C 
in color when ripe. The hip surface is very smooth with moderately thick 
fleshy walls. The sepals fall away soon. Seeds are somewhat average in 
number (approximately 12 to 15), and usually medium in size. 
FOLIAGE 
The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to five leaflets and are 
borne abundantly. The leaves are moderately large for the class, somewhat 
heavy in texture, and somewhat matte in finish. The leaflets are shaped 
moderately oval to ovate with somewhat acute to acuminate apices and 
moderately round to acute bases. Their margins are usually irregularly 
serrate. 
The upper surface of the mature leaf is near to between Green 136A and 
Yellow-Green 147A. The undersurface of the mature leaf is near to between 
Greyed-Green 194A and Yellow-Green 147B. The upper and undersurface of the 
young leaf is near to between Yellow-Green 146A and Yellow-Green 146B, 
sometimes lightly suffused more toward the leaf margin with near to 
between Greyed-Red 178A and Greyed-Purple 183A. 
The rachis is average in caliper and moderately grooved with few stipitate 
glands on the edges of the upper side. The underside of the rachis is 
somewhat smooth with a few small prickles. 
The stipules are short to medium in length with moderately narrow width 
somewhat short straight points that usually turn out at an angle of more 
than 45 degrees. 
The plant displays an average degree of resistance to powdery mildew and 
blackspot as compared to other commercial varieties grown under comparable 
conditions in Upland, Calif. 
GROWTH 
The plant is bushy, compact, rounded, and of medium height habit for the 
class with very full branching. It displays very vigorous growth and the 
canes are of somewhat medium to heavy caliper for the class. 
The major stems are near Yellow-Green 148D. They bear few large prickles 
which are medium length for the class. The prickles are almost straight 
with a medium length somewhat broad base; prickle color is near 
Greyed-Orange 165A. The major stem bears no small prickles and no hairs. 
The branches are near to between Yellow-Green 147B and Green 137B. They 
bear some large and few small prickles which are medium length for the 
class. The prickles are almost straight with a medium length somewhat 
broad base; prickle color is near Greyed-Yellow 162C. There are no hairs. 
The new shoots are near to between Yellow-Green 146A and Yellow-Green 146B, 
often moderately suffused with near to between Greyed-Red 178A and 
Greyed-Purple 183A. They bear several large and small prickles which are 
medium length for the class. They are almost straight with a medium length 
somewhat broad base; pirckle color is near Greyed-Purple 183C. There are 
no hairs.