U.S. patent number PP15,193 [Application Number 10/751,773] was granted by the patent office on 2004-09-28 for miscanthus plant named `gold bar`.
Invention is credited to Scott Christy, Maurice Horn, Michael Vern Smith.
United States Patent |
PP15,193 |
Smith , et al. |
September 28, 2004 |
Miscanthus plant named `Gold Bar`
Abstract
A new cultivar of Miscanthus, Miscanthus sinensis `Gold Bar`,
that is characterized by its densely banded creamy yellow and green
foliage, its short stature, its dense and upright plant habit, and
its late season bloom.
Inventors: |
Smith; Michael Vern (Scappoose,
OR), Horn; Maurice (Portland, OR), Christy; Scott
(Scappoose, OR) |
Family
ID: |
32991403 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/751,773 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/384 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
5/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/384 |
Primary Examiner: Grunberg; Anne Marie
Assistant Examiner: Para; Annette H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Aguirre; Penny J.
Claims
We claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of Miscanthus plant named `Gold Bar`
as herein illustrated and described.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of
Miscanthus sinensis and will be referred to hereafter by its
cultivar name, `Gold Bar`. `Gold Bar` represents a new cultivar of
Japanese silver grass, a cold hardy, perennial ornamental grass
grown for landscape use.
The inventors discovered and selected the new cultivar, `Gold Bar`,
in a cultivated area at their nursery in Scappoose, Oreg. `Gold
Bar` was discovered as a seedling produced by open-pollination of
Miscanthus sinensis `Strictus` (un-patented) and selected after
evaluation in a test bed for a period of seven years.
The new cultivar `Gold Bar` was selected for the unique banding
pattern of its leaf blades combined with its dense, bushy and
upright growth habit and its shorter height in comparison to
`Strictus` and other cultivars of Miscanthus known to the
inventors.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by
culm division in Scappoose, Oreg. in late winter of 2000 by the
inventors. The characteristics of this cultivar have been
determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in
successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent
the characteristics of the new cultivar. The new Miscanthus has not
been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The
phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in temperature,
day-length, light intensity, soil types, and water and fertility
levels without, however, any variance in genotype. The
measurements, observations, and descriptions that follow describe
plants that were grown outdoors in Scappoose, Oreg. and observed
for a period of seven years. These attributes in combination
distinguish `Gold Bar` from `Strictus` and any other selections of
Miscanthus known to the inventors. 1. The foliage of `Gold Bar`
exhibits a banding pattern of 12 to 17 creamy yellow bands while
the banding pattern of `Strictus` consists of 2 to 3 creamy yellow
bands per leaf blade of about 10 inches in length. 2. `Gold Bar` is
short in stature; reaching a height of about 4 to 5 feet while
`Strictus` reaches a height of about 7 to 8 feet. 3. The growth
habit of `Gold Bar` is upright with rigid culms and foliage that is
more dense and bushy in comparison to `Strictus`. 4. `Gold Bar`
blooms in mid to late October in the Northwest and may not bloom in
northern climates due to early frosts. `Strictus` blooms in
September. 5. `Gold Bar` has more densely banded foliage, is more
upright in habit, and has stiffer leaf blades than the Miscanthus
cultivars `Kirk Alexander` (un-patented) `Puenktchen`
(un-patented), and Miscanthus `Little Zebra` (U.S. Plant Pat. No.
13,008), three cultivars known to the inventors to have banded
foliage and short stature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall
appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Miscanthus.
The photograph on the top of the sheet illustrates the overall
habit and appearance of `Gold Bar` in October in Scappoose, Oreg.
as grown outdoors for seven years.
The photograph on the bottom of the sheet is of a plant as grown
outdoors in a one-gallon container and is a close-up view of the
banding pattern characteristic of the foliage of `Gold Bar`. The
colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the
photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values
cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the
colors of the new Miscanthus.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as
grown in an outdoor trial bed for seven years in Scappoose, Oreg.
The color determinations are in accordance with The 2001 R.H.S.
Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,
except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary
significance are used. Botanical classification: `Gold Bar` is a
cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis. Common Name: `Gold Bar` Japanese
silver grass or `Gold Bar` Porcupine grass. Parentage: Naturally
occurring seedling by open-pollination of Miscanthus sinensis
`Strictus`. General description: Blooming period.--Blooms in mid to
late October in the Northwest U.S. or not at all in shorter growing
seasons or when early frosts occur. Blooms are retained over the
winter if present. Plant habit.--Herbaceous, clump-forming,
ornamental grass with an upright, rigid form and dense, bushy
foliage. Height and spread.--Reaches up to 5 feet in height with a
spread of about 18 inches (at base) in 4 years of growing time.
Hardiness.--Zone 4 to 9. Culture.--Grows best in fertile, moist
soil in full sun. Tolerates wet soils and light shade in climates
with high temperatures. Diseases and pests.--No susceptibility or
resistance to diseases or pests that affect Miscanthus has been
observed. Root description.--Fibrous. Growth and propagation:
Propagation.--Culm division, best divided in spring when in active
growth. Time required for root development from a single
division.--A two to three culm division planted in a bark-based
media will fully develop roots in a 6 inch deep 4 inch square
container in 2 to 3 months when grown outdoors under standard
summer temperatures and natural lighting in the Northwest U.S.
Growth rate.--Slow to moderate. Culm (stem) description:
General.--Cylindrical, flattened, completely enclosed by leaf
sheaths in a fan-like arrangement. Culm aspect.--Rigid and held
erect, none are cascading. Culm color.--146B. Culm size.--About 1/2
to 3/4 inch wide, up to 4 to 5 feet in height on mature plants.
Culm surface.--Glabrous with very fine white hairs. Internode
length.--Varies from about 7 to 8 inches from the base of the culm
to the first ligule and to about 1 to 3 inches for the more distal
internodes. Internode length decreases gradually from the base to
the apex of the culm. Ligule.--Membranous, about 1/8 to 1/16"
inches in width and 161B in color with very fine white hairs,
encircles the entire culm. Foliage description: Leaf
shape.--Linear. Leaf division.--Simple. Leaf base.--Sheathed. Leaf
apex.--Acute. Leaf aspect.--Emerging leaves are erect, leaf blades
diverge from leaf sheath at ligule at up to a 30.degree. angle from
center of culm. Blades are concave in respect to the culm. Leaf
venation.--Parallel, mid rib is raised on upper surface but not
conspicuous, color matches the color of the leaf blades. Leaf
margins.--Entire, with sharp short bristles that are not visually
noticeable. Leaf persistence.--Foliage dries but is persistent
throughout the winter. Leaf attachment.--Sheathed. Leaf is sheathed
from the base of culm and the blade extends out from the culm at a
ligule. Leaf size.--Up to about 12 inches in length, about 1/4 inch
in width tapering to a point at the apex. Leaf surface.--Glabrous
on upper and lower surface. Leaf number.--About 23 to 27 per culm.
Leaf arrangement.--Alternate, 2 ranked. Leaf surface.--Glabrous on
upper and lower surface, bristles on margin. Leaf color and banding
description.--Banding is composed of alternating green and creamy
yellow bands. Banding is typically limited to the leaf blade but
occasionally banding occurs on the sheath. There are about 12 to 17
creamy yellow bands per leaf blade measuring 10 inches in length.
Bands most frequently extend the entire width of the leaf blade and
height of the bands range from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. Creamy yellow
coloration ranges from 10B to 10C, green bands are 137A in color.
Banding pattern and colors on the lower surface match those of the
upper surface. Flower description: General description.--Compact
panicle, composed of numerous slender, pubescent racemes, cascading
to one side, spikelets arranged in two equal pairs, 2 flowers per
spikelet. Number of inflorescences.--Typically only about 3 per
plant (18 inches wide, 4 years old) and often they do mature in the
growing conditions in the Northwest U.S. Lastingness of
inflorescence.--Panicles are persistent from fall through winter.
Fragrance.--None. Panicle size.--Approximately 6 to 8 inches in
length and 4 inches in width. Panicle color.--Emerges a coppery red
over white (effectively 178A, greyed red) and changes to a beige
color during plant dormancy (effectively a color intermediate
between 199D and 156A). Spikelet size.--About 1/8 inch in length
and 1/16 inch in width (excluding hairs). Spikelet hairs.--Emerging
from the base as a ring, long, up to 1/2 inch in length, very fine,
155D in color. Reproductive organs: Androecium.--Anthers;
cigar-shaped, 1/16 inch in length, color is 187C, basofixed on very
short filament. Pollen is moderate in quality, 14C in color,
longitudinally dehiscence. Gynoecium.--Pistil; 1, 2 plumose
stigmas, stigma color is 187C. Ovary; 1-locular, superior, minute,
not easily quantifiable in size and color. Caryopsis.--Does not set
viable seeds.
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