[From The Rose: An Encyclopedia of North American Roses, Rosarians, and Rose Lore, by Sean McCann, p. 108: Ralph Moore] is aiming toward a fully crested moss miniature like Rosa centifolia cristata (often called 'Chapeau de Napoleon'), the original plant of which was found on a convent wall in France in 1827.

He once talked to [McCann] about his efforts to get the fully crested moss rose in miniature. Imagine, he said, this beautiful green bud with fresh parsleylike growth on a thornless rose. I asked how far he was toward reaching this goal. He spread his arm toward a bench holding mossed roses he had been working on for twenty years. "Another ten years, that's thirty years in all; not bad to see a dream come true," he said.

[From Miniature Roses: Their Care and Cultivation, by Sean McCann, p. 132:] There is still a long way to go to achieve the full mossiness that existed in the first roses, the almost bristle-like growth that exuded its own strange fragrance, but Moore believes that breeders 'now have the know-how and the materials... all that is needed is the patience and the time to accomplish the goal'. And that goal is for a double, well-formed flower of a good clear colour with well-crested buds on a neat bush.

[Tip: to find out more about Miniature Moss roses, click on "Selection Lists", "Roses by Class", and select "Mini Moss".]