U.S. patent number PP16,358 [Application Number 10/789,360] was granted by the patent office on 2006-03-21 for petunia plant named `sunpurple`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., Suntory Flowers Limited. Invention is credited to Takuro Ishihara, Kazunari Iwaki, Shinya Miyano, Kiyoshi Miyazaki, Kenichi Suzuki.
United States Patent |
PP16,358 |
Iwaki , et al. |
March 21, 2006 |
Petunia plant named `Sunpurple`
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a new and distinct variety of Petunia plant
named `Sunpurple` having a decumbent growth habit and long stems.
`Sunpurple` has abundant branching, and great profusion of blooms,
the whole plant remaining in bloom for a considerable period of
time. The flowers are single and medium size, the petals having
vivid reddish purple color. The bottom and the outside color of the
corolla throat is deep reddish purple. The plant exhibits high
resistance to heat, cold, rain and diseases.
Inventors: |
Iwaki; Kazunari (Omihachiman,
JP), Ishihara; Takuro (Higashikurume, JP),
Miyazaki; Kiyoshi (Hikone, JP), Suzuki; Kenichi
(Ibaraki, JP), Miyano; Shinya (Katori-gun,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Suntory Flowers Limited (Tokyo,
JP)
Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc. (Tokyo, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
34887261 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/789,360 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050193455 P1 |
Sep 1, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/356.22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/356 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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PP6899 |
July 1989 |
Tsuda et al. |
PP6914 |
July 1989 |
Tsuda et al. |
PP6915 |
July 1989 |
Tsuda et al. |
PP9322 |
October 1995 |
Tachibana et al. |
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Foreign Patent Documents
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PBR 13924 |
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Jun 2002 |
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JP |
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PBR 14542 |
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Sep 2002 |
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JP |
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Other References
"1999-2000 Seed & Plant Catalog" 1999 Ball Horticultural
Company, USA. cited by other .
"Suntory Collection 2004" 2003 Moerheim New Plant bv. cited by
other.
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Primary Examiner: Bell; Kent
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christie, Parker and Hale, LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. A new and distinct variety of Petunia plant named `Sunpurple`,
substantially as herein illustrated and described.
Description
Botanical classification: Petunia hybrida.
Varietal denomination: `Sunpurple`.
BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of
Petunia plant, which originated from crossing a seedling of a
Petunia variety called `Red Madness` (unpatented) as the female
parent and a Petunia wild species called `70-200` (unpatented) as
the male parent.
The Petunia is a very popular plant that is used for flower bedding
and potting in the summer season. There are only a few Petunia
varieties that do not have an upright growth habit and that have a
high resistance to rain, heat, and diseases. The Petunia plants
such as REVOLUTION series, `Revolution Purple pink` (U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 6,915), `Revolution Brilliant pink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No.
6,914), `Revolution Brilliantpink-Mini` (U.S. Plant Pat. No.
6,899), and `Revolution Blue vein` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,322) are
decumbent type plants having long stems, a lower plant height,
abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, rain and
diseases. However, there are only a few Petunia varieties having a
decumbent plant shape, a great profusion of flowers, vivid reddish
purple petals and a high resistance to rain, heat, and diseases.
Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety
having vivid reddish purple petals together with the above
features.
The female parent `Red Madness` used in the crossing to produce
`Sunpurple` is a cultivar having compact and spreading growth habit
with medium size single flowers, the petals having a strong red
color.
The male parent `70-200` used in the crossing to produce
`Sunpurple` is a strain of wild Petunia species having decumbent
growth habit with much branching. It has small size single flowers,
the petals having vivid reddish purple color.
In April 2000, crossing of `Red Madness` as the female parent and
`70-200` as the pollen parent was conducted at Yokaichi, Shiga,
Japan. In August 2000, 80 seedlings were obtained from that
crossing. These seedlings were grown in pots in glasshouses and
were evaluated. One seedling was selected in view of its growth
habit, flower size and color in October 2000. That seedling was
propagated by cuttings and a trial was carried out by flower
potting and bedding from April to September 2001. The botanical
characteristics of that plant were then examined, using similar
varieties `Sunripami` (unpatented) and `Sunrovein` (U.S. Plant
patent application Ser. No. 10/789,408) for comparison. As a
result, it was concluded that this Petunia plant is distinguishable
from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and uniform
and stable in its characteristics. The instant plant reproduces
true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. The
new variety of Petunia plant was named `Sunpurple`.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance
with the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,
England (R.H.S.).
SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
This new variety is unlike any Petunia commercially available
variety known to the inventors, as evidenced by the following
unique combinations of characteristics. 1. Decumbent growth habit
with long stems. 2. Abundant branching and great profusion of
blooms. 3. The flowers are single and medium size. The petal color
is vivid reddish purple (near R.H.S. N74A). 4. The plant has a high
resistance to cold, heat, rain and diseases.
The new variety `Sunpurple` differs from the similar variety
`Sunripami` in the following points. 1. The leaf of `Sunpurple` is
longer than that of `Sunripami`. 2. The leaf of `Sunpurple` is
thinner than that of `Sunripami`. 3. The flower of `Sunpurple` is
larger than that of `Sunripami`. 4. The bottom color of the corolla
throat of `Sunpurple` is deep reddish purple (near R.H.S. 72A),
while that of `Sunripami` is moderate purple (near R.H.S. 83B). 5.
The outside color of the corolla throat of `Sunpurple` is deep
reddish purple (near R.H.S. N79B), while that of `Sunripami` is
strong purple (near R.H.S. 83D). 6. The apex shape of the petal tip
of `Sunpurple` is obtuse. That of `Sunripami` is rounded. 7. The
flowering time of `Sunpurple` is later than that of
`Sunripami`.
The new variety `Sunpurple` differs from the similar variety
`Sunrovein` in the following points. 1. The plant height of
`Sunpurple` is lower than that of `Sunrovein`. 2. The leaf of
`Sunpurple` is longer than that of `Sunrovein`. 3. The leaf of
`Sunpurple` is thinner than that of `Sunrovein`. 4. The petal color
of `Sunpurple` is vivid reddish purple (near R.H.S. N74A), while
that of `Sunrovein` is vivid purplish red (near R.H.S. 71B) with
deep purplish red (near R.H.S. 71A) vein. 5. The bottom color of
the corolla throat of `Sunpurple` is deep reddish purple (near
R.H.S. 72A), while that of `Sunrovein` is moderate purplish red
(near R.H.S. 64A). 6. The outside color of the corolla throat is
deep reddish purple (near R.H.S. N79B), while that of `Sunrovein`
is light purplish pink (near R.H.S. 62C).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH
The depicted plants had been produced by the use of cuttings and
were photographed during July 2003 at an age of approximately 6
months while growing outdoors in 15 cm pots at Yokaichi-shi,
Shiga-ken, Japan, under typical outdoor conditions for that
region.
FIG. 1 is a photograph of a typical plant of the new variety of
Petunia plant `Sunpurple`.
FIG. 2 is a photograph of flowers and leaves of the new variety of
Petunia plant `Sunpurple`.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY
The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of
Petunia plant named `Sunpurple` at an age of 4 months, at Yokaichi,
Shiga, Japan, are as follows. Plant: Growth habit.--Decumbent.
Plant height.--Approximately 12.3 cm. Spreading area of
plant.--Approximately 33.2 cm. Blooming period.--April to late
October in the southern Kanto area, Japan. The plant shape does not
change throughout this period. A typical flower commonly lasts
approximately 5 days on the plant when experiencing a temperature
of approximately 20.degree. C. Stem: Length.--Approximately 30 cm.
Thickness.--Approximately 2.5 mm. Pubescence.--Present and typical
for the species. Branching.--Abundant. Internode
length.--Approximately 2.2 cm. Color.--Near R.H.S. 144A (strong
yellow green). Leaf: Whole shape.--Elliptic. The apex shape is
acute, and the base shape is attenuate. Margin.--Entire.
Length.--Approximately 6.4 cm. Width.--Approximately 3.5 cm.
Color.--Upper side color is near R.H.S. 144A (strong yellow green).
Bottom side color is near R.H.S. 146C (moderate olive green).
Thickness.--Approximately 0.2 mm. Pubescence.--Sparse. Petiole:
(Indistinct). Length.--Approximately 3.0 mm.
Diameter.--Approximately 1.0 mm. Color.--Near R.H.S. 144B. Buds:
Shape.--Cylindrical. Length.--Approximately 4.5 cm.
Diameter.--Approximately 7.0 mm. Color.--Toward apex, Near R.H.S.
N77B; base, near R.H.S. N79B; venation, near R.H.S. N92A. Flower:
Facing direction.--Slanted upward. Type.--Single.
Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb.
Diameter.--Approximately 7.4 cm. Depth.--Approximately 5.8 cm.
Throat diameter.--Distal end, approximately 1.5 cm. Tube
diameter.--Proximal end, approximately 4.0 mm. Petals: Whole
shape.--Very broadly obtrullate. Apex shape.--Obtuse.
Width.--Approximately 4.0 cm. Length (from the
throat).--Approximately 3.5 cm. Margin.--Entire, undulated.
Color.--Upper side of the petal, near R.H.S. N74A; underside of the
petal, near R.H.S. N78A with near N92A venation. Upper color of the
corolla throat.--Near R.H.S. N90B with N92A venation. Bottom color
of the corolla throat.--Near R.H.S. 72A. Outside color of corolla
tube.--Near R.H.S. N79B. Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and
5 normal stamens. Color of pistil is near R.H.S. 150C (light yellow
green). Color of stamen is near R.H.S. 157C (light yellow green).
Peduncle.--Approximately 1.3 mm in diameter and approximately 1.9
cm in length. Color -- Near R.H.S. 144B. Surface -- Pubescent.
Calyx.--Medium. 5 sepals fused at the base. Sepals: Shape.--Narrow
elliptic. Apex shape.--Rounded. Base.--Fused. Margin.--Entire,
undulated. Surface.--Pubescent. Length.--Approximately 2.5 cm.
Width.--Approximately 6.0 mm. Color.--Upper surface, near R.H.S.
144A; lower surface, toward apex, near R.H.S. 144A; base, near
R.H.S. N77A. Physiological and ecological characteristics.--High
resistance to cold, heat, rain and diseases. Moderate resistance to
pests.
This new variety of Petunia plant is most suitable for flower
bedding and potting, particularly in hanging pots or planters, and
is excellent for use as ground cover. Pinching of old blossoms will
enhance the formation of new blossoms.
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