Magazine  (Sep 2020)  Page(s) 19. Vol 42, No. 3.  Includes photo(s).
 
Hillary Merrifield.  Francis Dubreuil and Barcelona. 
For many years, a black-flushed crimson rose originating from the Europa-Rosarium, Sangerhausen has been sold around the world as the Tea Francis Dubreuil, (Dubreuil, 1894). Recently it has been equated in the United States with the Hybrid Tea Barcelona (Kordes, 1932). The discovery by Patricia Routley of a named plant of Barcelona in a country garden in South Western Australia has raised doubt about this assumption. The garden was established in 1959-60 by the mother of the present owner, David Martin. Mrs Martin drew up a numbered plan of her garden giving the position of all the roses she planted. Most are still in the positions given on the plan. No. 41, Barcelona, is one of these and was purchased at Dawsons nursery, Perth, about 1960. This gives it an excellent provenance. More information and photographs can be found on HelpMeFind under “David Martin’s No. 41”.
Barcelona was introduced into Australia by Hazlewood in 1934 not long after its release in Europe. It was a popular rose that was recommended by rose societies around the country through the 1930s, 40s and 50s. In Western Australia it remained on nursery lists until the early 1970s.
The original Francis Dubreuil was offered by nurseries in Australia up to the mid-1940s but no plants are known to have survived. The Sangerhausen rose that is presently being sold here as Francis Dubreuil was imported by the Rumseys in 1981.
In order to discover whether the Francis Dubreuil in commerce today is identical to Barcelona, Lynne Chapman, Billy West and I decided to grow this rose and Martin’s Barcelona side by in our gardens in different parts of Perth. For almost two years, their appearance and behaviour over the seasons and in different weather conditions have been studied and their botanical details recorded.
A table was drawn up to compare the observed botanical features of the two roses and, from the literature, those of the original Tea Francis Dubreuil and Kordes’ Barcelona. This comparison shows that the present Francis Dubreuil is not the original rose and is not a Tea nor the same as Barcelona, and because we do not know its identity, we have given it the study name of “Not Francis Dubreuil”. Martin’s Barcelona seems to be the same as the Kordes’ Barcelona.
When we started this experiment, we had two aims. One was to find out if “Not Francis Dubreuil” was the same as Barcelona, and we have found that it is not. The other was to see if Martin’s Barcelona was correctly named. We usually hesitate to identify a rose unless it matches early descriptions and plates in the literature, is the same as a reliably named specimen in an established garden and has a verifiable heritage. Martin’s Barcelona has met all these requirements and we feel confident that it is the original Kordes rose.

The main differences between Barcelona and “Not Francis Dubreuil” (NFD)
Inflorescence: The flowers on Barcelona are held on long strong stems, NFD’s are shorter.
Flower life: Barcelona’s flowers last for a long time but those of NFD are short lived.
Bud: The bud on Barcelona shows a flat top as it opens and this is not seen in NFD.
Flower size: Barcelona has a bigger flower and can reach 12 cms in diameter and those of NFD are medium and 7-9 cms.
Flower shape: Flower shapes are not the same when fully open, Barcelona’s is a shallow cup, while that of NFD is a more rounded cup.
Petal numbers: Barcelona can have up to 100 petals and NFD’s are usually around 30-42.
Flower colour: Both are dark red roses with black shading in varying degrees on the inside of the petals but this is much more obvious in NFD. The colour of Barcelona is very variable, ranging from dark to vivid crimson with a hint of blue through to lighter red and occasionally a pinkish colour. It can age to a quite attractive purple (which was noted early on in Australia by Hazlewood). NFD’s colour is stable and does not blue.
Receptacle: Barcelona has a large flared or rounded cup and NFD ‘s is a small slender cup which looks smooth but has bands of stalked glands at top and base.
Stamens: Barcelona’s filaments are creamy yellow and those of NFD are pink.
Fragrance: The sweet old-rose fragrance of Barcelona is moderate to strong and has a hint of cloves.  The fragrance of NFD is strong and damask-like.
Leaves: The new leaves of Barcelona can be a quite dark purple-red, whereas those of NFD are red brown.
Bush: Barcelona has thick strong canes like a Hybrid Tea and its growth habit is upright and angular, while NFD is lower-growing, bushier, with quite dense foliage.
Disease susceptibility: Barcelona is very prone to mildew. NFD can mildew occasionally under certain weather conditions. .

Magazine  (2019)  Page(s) 49. Vol 41, No. 1.  
 
Margaret Furness.  Tea, Noisette and China Mislabels in Australia.
The rose grown everywhere as Francis Dubreuil is not correct, and not a Tea (it smells too good!). Better to call it “Not Francis Dubreuil”. Americans say it’s Barcelona, HT, but we have a named Barcelona in WA which is different.

Book  (2005)  Page(s) 20.  
 
location E:141, Barcelona, Kordes Sons 1932, HT, dark red, large, double, strong fragrance, medium height

Website/Catalog  (2000)  Page(s) 119.  
 
p119  Barcelona    HT.  rrr-fff.  1.  [Very recurrent, very fragrant.  Growing 1 :  Low spreading angular HT type.]    Kordes. 1932    Provenance: Huntington.   Deep blackish crimson, cupped flowers open wide, brightening to clear red with a very spicy scent.  Ed Wilkinson recently bought to our notice that this same rose is currently being distributed as the old tea rose 'Francis Dubreuil'.    
 

Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 40.  
 
Barcelona Hybrid Tea, crimson, 1932, ('Sensation' x 'Templar') x 'Lord Charlemont'; Kordes. Description.

Book  (1966)  Page(s) 111.  
 
Miss Marjorie Pegler, Quilpie, Queensland. Rose Growing in Inland Australia. We have an elderly bush of 'Barcelona' which is tolerated only because of the extraordinary sweetness of its perfume, as the flowers are poor in shape and infrequent.

Website/Catalog  (1960)  Page(s) 11.  
 
BARCELONA (Kordes 1932). Rouge carminé foncé velouté, extra double. O[dorante]. + [conseillées pour fleurs coupées de plein air.]

Book  (1958)  Page(s) 24.  
 
Barcelona. HT. (Kordes, '32.) (sensation X Templar) X Lard Charlemont. Bud long pointed; fl. large, dbl. (75 petals), fragrant (spicy), crimson; long, strong stem. Fol. dark. Very vig.

Article (newspaper)  (8 Jan 1953)  Page(s) 51.  
 
Twelve excellent roses are Signora Puricelli, C. H. Rigg, Talisman, Phoebe, President Hoover, Barcelona, Charles Gregory, Josephine Speicker. Hinrlch Gaede, Heinrich Wendland, Golden Dawn, Comtess Vandal, Crimson Glory and Dequese Penaranda.

[From an article 'The Home Gardener' by ''Geum" in reply to an unincluded question from K.H.W of Wagin, Western Australia.]

Book  (1953)  Page(s) 162.  
 
Barcelona Kordes' Sons 32, very well filled, black-crimson, up to 5, 12 cm, good fragrance, 50 cm high, well-branched, best of the very dark red hybrid teas. Hardy. Floriferous, Cut rose. Some mildew.