Variation among and within dogrose taxa (Rosa sect. caninae) in fruit weight, percentages of fruit flesh and dry matter, and vitamin C content

Important fruit traits were screened in a plant breeding program concerning a newly domesticated crop in Sweden of rose hips. The taxa Rosa dumalis subsp. coriifolia, R. dumalis subsp. dumalis, R. rubiginosa and R. villosa subsp. mollis, collected from 23 localities in Scandinavia, were investigated for fruit weight, percentage of fruit flesh, percentage of dry matter and vitamin C content. R. dumalis subsp. coriifolia, R. dumalis subsp. dumalis and R. villosa subsp. mollis had significantly larger fruits and a higher percentage of fruit flesh than R. rubiginosa. Analysis of intraspecific variation showed that R. dumalis subsp. coriifolia was the most variable taxon, followed by R. dumalis subsp. dumalis and R. villosa subsp. mollis, whereas R. rubiginosa showed the most restricted variability. A highly significant positive correlation was found between fruit weight and percentage fruit flesh which in turn showed a moderate negative correlation with percentage dry matter.