U.S. patent number PP27,477 [Application Number 14/545,153] was granted by the patent office on 2016-12-20 for catharanthus plant named `suncatha 2439`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Suntory Flowers Limited. The grantee listed for this patent is Masahiro Yamada. Invention is credited to Masahiro Yamada.
United States Patent |
PP27,477 |
Yamada |
December 20, 2016 |
Catharanthus plant named `Suncatha 2439`
Abstract
A new and distinct cultivar of Catharanthus plant named
`Suncatha 2439`, characterized by its upright to outwardly
spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely
basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering
period; relatively small dark red purple-colored flowers; and good
garden performance.
Inventors: |
Yamada; Masahiro (Shiga,
JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yamada; Masahiro |
Shiga |
N/A |
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Suntory Flowers Limited (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
57016560 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/545,153 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160295766 P1 |
Oct 6, 2016 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/263.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/263.1 |
Primary Examiner: Grunberg; Anne
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Whealy; C. A.
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named `Suncatha 2439` as
illustrated and described.
Description
Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.
Cultivar denomination: `SUNCATHA 2439`.
CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS
Title: Catharanthus Plant Named `Suncatha 2460`
Applicant: Masahiro Yamada
Filed: Concurrently with this application having application Ser.
No. 14/545,156
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus
plant, botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter
referred to by the cultivar name `Suncatha 2439`.
The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding
program conducted by the Inventor in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan. The
objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely
branching and vigorous Catharanthus plants with numerous attractive
flowers.
The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination
conducted by the Inventor in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan in September,
2011 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified
as code designation FS22-9, not patented, as the female, or seed,
parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus
identified as code designation CL, not patented, as the male, or
pollen, parent. The new Catharanthus plant was discovered and
selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within
the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled
greenhouse environment in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan in February,
2012.
Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative
tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yame,
Fukuoka, Japan since February, 2012, has shown that the unique
features of this new Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced
true to type in successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all
possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural
practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in
environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity
without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are
determined to be the unique characteristics of `Suncatha 2439`.
These characteristics in combination distinguish `Suncatha 2439` as
a new and distinct Catharanthus plant: 1. Upright to outwardly
spreading and mounding plant habit. 2. Vigorous growth habit. 3.
Freely basal branching habit. 4. Freely flowering habit. 5. Long
flowering period. 6. Relatively small dark red purple-colored
flowers. 7. Good garden performance.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the
female parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ
primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower
petal color as plants of the female parent selection have
red-colored flower petals.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the
male parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ
primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following
characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller
flowers than plants of the male parent selection. 2. Plants of the
new Catharanthus and the male parent selection differ in flower
color as plants of the male parent selection have pinkish
lavender-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of
Catharanthus roseus `Suncatha 2460`, disclosed in a U.S. Plant
Patent application filed concurrently having application Ser. No.
14/545,156. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from
plants of `Suncatha 2460` in the following characteristics: 1.
Plants of the new Catharanthus and `Suncatha 2460` differ in flower
color as plants of `Suncatha 2460` have lighter red purple-colored
flowers. 2. Flowers of plants of the new Catharanthus have a less
distinct eye zone than flowers of plants of `Suncatha 2460`.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can also be compared to plants of
the Catharanthus roseus `Sunnichi Tarepa`, disclosed in U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 25,110. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new
Catharanthus differed from plants of `Sunnichi Tarepa` in the
following characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Catharanthus were
broader than plants of `Sunnichi Tarepa`. 2. Plants of the new
Catharanthus had shorter internodes than plants of `Sunnichi
Tarepa`. 3. Plants of the new Catharanthus had smaller leaves than
plants of `Sunnichi Tarepa`. 4. Plants of the new Catharanthus had
smaller flowers than plants of `Sunnichi Tarepa`. 5. Flowers of
plants of the new Catharanthus were darker red purple in color than
flowers of plants of `Sunnichi Tarepa`. 6. Plants of the new
Catharanthus had shorter peduncles than plants of `Sunnichi
Tarepa`.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall
appearance of the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true
as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of
this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the
color values cited in the detailed botanical description which
accurately describe the colors of the new Catharanthus plant.
The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective
view of a typical flowering plant of `Suncatha 2439` grown in a
container.
The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view
of a typical flowering plant of `Suncatha 2439`.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The aforementioned photographs and following observations,
measurements and values describe plants grown during the late
summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi,
Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial
production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures
averaged 25.degree. C. and night temperatures averaged 15.degree.
C. Plants were four months old when the description and photographs
were taken. In the following description, color references are made
to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition,
except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are
used. Botanical classification: Catharanthus roseus `Suncatha
2439`. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.--Proprietary selection
of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-9, not
patented. Male, or pollen, parent.--Proprietary selection of
Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not
patented. Propagation: Type.--By vegetative cuttings. Time to
initiate roots, summer.--About two weeks at temperatures about
30.degree. C. Time to initiate roots, winter.--About three weeks at
temperatures about 25.degree. C. Time to produce a rooted young
plant, summer.--About five weeks at temperatures about 30.degree.
C. Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.--About six weeks
at temperatures about 25.degree. C. Root description.--Fibrous;
white in color. Rooting habit.--Freely branching; medium density.
Plant description: Plant and growth habit.--Upright to outwardly
spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit, about
four basal branches each with about 13 secondary branches
developing per plant; vigorous growth habit. Plant height.--About
33 cm. Plant diameter.--About 59.7 cm. Lateral branch description:
Length.--About 28.1 cm. Diameter.--About 3.7 mm. Internode
length.--About 6.9 mm. Strength.--Strong. Aspect.--Upright to
outwardly. Texture.--Pubescent. Color.--Close to between 70C to
71C. Leaf description: Arrangement.--Opposite, simple.
Length.--About 2.7 cm. Width.--About 1.1 cm. Shape.--Elliptic.
Apex.--Acute. Base.--Obtuse. Margin.--Entire. Texture, upper
surface.--Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface.--Pubescent.
Venation pattern.--Pinnate; reticulate. Color.--Developing leaves,
upper surface: Close to 138A. Developing leaves, lower surface:
Close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;
venation, close to 144D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:
Close to N137C; venation, close to 137C. Petioles.--Length: About
3.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:
Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144D tinged
with close to 70B. Flower description: Flower arrangement and
habit.--Single salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils;
freely flowering habit with numerous flowers developing per plant;
flowers face mostly upright to outwardly. Fragrance.--None
detected. Flowering habit.--Plants begin flowering about two to
three weeks after planting; long flowering period, in the garden,
plants flower continuously from the early summer to late autumn in
Japan. Flower longevity.--Individual flowers last about two to
three days on the plant; flowers not persistent. Flower
buds.--Length: About 2.9 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape:
Cylindrical. Color: Close to 65C. Flower diameter.--About 2.3 cm.
Flower length (depth).--About 2.5 cm. Diameter of eye zone.--About
3.9 mm. Tube length.--About 2 cm. Tube diameter, at the
base.--About 1.2 mm. Corolla.--Arrangement: Five petals in a single
whorl fused at the base into a tube. Petal length from throat:
About 1.15 cm. Petal width: About 5.3 mm. Petal shape:
Oblanceolate. Petal apex: Acute. Petal margin: Entire; weakly
undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,
glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth,
glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close to 72A;
towards the throat, close to 71 A. Petal, when opening, lower
surface: Close to 84D. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to
72A; towards the throat, close to 71A; color does not fade with
development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 76D;
towards the tube, close to 75A; color does not fade with
development. Throat: Close to 148C. Tube: Close to 147D tinged with
close to 84C. Calyx.--Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with
five sepals fused towards the base. Sepal length: About 1.7 mm.
Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate to narrowly
deltoid. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,
upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature and
mature, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, immature and mature,
lower surface: Close to 144A. Peduncles.--Length: About 1.1 mm.
Diameter: About 0.9 mm. Angle: Upright to outwardly. Strength:
Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.
Reproductive organs.--Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Stamen
length: About 1.6 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly elliptic. Anther size:
About 1.3 mm by 0.3 mm. Anther color: Close to 155D. Pollen amount:
Scarce. Pollen color: Close to NN155D. Pistils: Quantity per
flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm. Style color: Close to
145D. Stigma shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close
to 145B. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Seeds and fruits.--Seed and
fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new
Catharanthus. Garden performance: Plants of the new Catharanthus
have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate
wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 5.degree. C. to
about 35.degree. C. to 40.degree. C. Pathogen & pest
resistance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed
to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Catharanthus
plants.
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