Rosalyne

Strawberry

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Viva Rosa' and 'Serenata'

Summary: 'Rosalyne' is an ornamental strawberry variety with flat habit while for the reference varieties it is flat globose. 'Rosalyne' has moderate plant vigour while for 'Serenata' it is strong. The flowers produced by 'Rosalyne' are large to very large in size with petals that are broader than long while those of 'Viva Rosa' are small with petals that are equally long as broad. 'Rosalyne' produces fruit that is equally long as broad while for the reference varieties the fruit is longer than broad. The band without achenes on the fruit for 'Rosalyne' is absent to narrow while it is medium in size for 'Viva Rosa'. Glossiness of 'Rosalyne' fruit is moderate while it is strong for 'Serenata'. 'Rosalyne' has darker red fruit flesh with a finer texture and weaker acidity than the fruit of the reference varieties. 'Rosalyne' is resistant to leaf spot disease (Mycosphaerella fragariae (Tul.) Lindau) while the reference varieties are moderately resistant.

Description:

'Rosalyne' is a fully ever bearing, ornamental strawberry variety which flowers and produces fruit continuously during the summer; starting very early until first frost in the fall. Plants are flat in habit and have moderate vigour. The leaves are medium green on the upper side with weak interveinal blistering. There are three leaflets present. The terminal leaflet has a flat to cupped profile and is longer than it is broad. The terminal leaflet has an obtuse shaped base and the teeth at the margin are acute to obtuse in shape. The petiole has moderate to dense pubescence with the hairs positioned outwards. 'Rosalyne' produces many, medium thick to thick stolons which have dense pubescence.

The large to very large sized flowers are positioned beneath, level with and above the foliage. The calyx is smaller, in diameter, than the corolla and the inner calyx is slightly larger than the outer calyx. The flower petals are touching to overlapping. The petal length/width ratio is broader than it is long.

The fruiting truss is erect and medium in length. The fruit is as long as it is broad and very small to small in size. The fruit is conical in shape. The achene band is absent to narrow and the unevenness of the fruit surface is strong. The fruit of 'Rosalyne' has slightly uneven red skin colour with moderate glossiness. The achenes are inserted level with the fruit surface. The calyx is set mostly level with the fruit and the calyx segments are mostly clasping. The calyx is the same size to slightly larger than the fruit in diameter with weak to moderately strong adherence to the fruit. The fruit flesh is medium firm and an uneven to slightly uneven, medium red colour. The fruit has medium to strong sweetness, weak acidity and a fine texture.

'Rosalyne' is resistant to leaf spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae (Tul.) Lindau) disease and moderately susceptible to leaf scorch (Diplocarpon earliana (Ell. & Ev.) Wolf) disease.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Rosalyne' (experimental number SJ09620-76) originated from a controlled cross between the female parent, variety 'Fern' and the male parent, a cross between SJ9616-1 x Pink Panda. The cross took place in 1994 at the Horticultural Research and Development Centre of the Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada research station in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. It was first planted in 1995 and selected in 1996. The selection criteria for 'Rosalyne' was winter hardiness, and long duration of flowering and fruiting during the growing season. It was evaluated for several years at a site in l'Acadie, Quebec and also tested at a commercial nursery in Lavaltrie, Quebec from 1998 to 2000.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Rosalyne' were conducted in matted rows at the Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada experimental farm in l'Acadie, Quebec in 2001. The trials consisted of 4 replicates per variety. The plants were planted in rows approximately 4 metres long and 50 to 70 cm wide, spaced 30 cm apart.