Hurst, who at that time was researching into plant genetics at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, named the rose after Reginald Cory. Cory was a major benefactor to the Botanic Gardens

According to Thomas, R. roxburghii was the seed parent, R. macrophylla the probable pollen parent.

The New Plantsman 1(1) 10-13 (March 1994)
Rosa roxburghii: the species, its forms and hybrids
Graham Stuart Thomas
p. 13
In 1926 Dr Hurst raised from open-pollinated seed from Kew a seedling of R. roxburghii which was subsequently named 'Coryana' in 1939. It is thought that the other parent might well have been R. macrophylla Lindl. Its name commemorates a great benefactor of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Reginald Cory. Like R. micrugosa it inherited the good bushy habit and small leaves of the former species and is also apt to hide its flowers under the rich greenery, and has peeling bark. The flowers are borne with a horizontal poise as in R. macrophylla and are of rich dark pink with yellow stamens: they open wide and flat. It is a handsome shrub and, in common with R. x micrugosa the chromosome number is 2n=14.