U.S. patent number PP27,478 [Application Number 14/545,155] was granted by the patent office on 2016-12-20 for catharanthus plant named `suncatha 224`.
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 |
PP27,478 |
Yamada |
December 20, 2016 |
Catharanthus plant named `Suncatha 224`
Abstract
A new and distinct cultivar of Catharanthus plant named
`Suncatha 224`, 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 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: |
57016424 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/545,155 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160295768 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 224` as
illustrated and described.
Description
Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.
Cultivar denomination: `SUNCATHA 224`.
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 224`.
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,
2010 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified
as code designation FS-S, not patented, as the female, or seed,
parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus
identified as code designation NCPS, 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,
2011.
Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative
tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yame,
Fukuoka, Japan since February, 2011, 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 224`.
These characteristics in combination distinguish `Suncatha 224` 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 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 pale pink-colored
flowers.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the
Catharanthus roseus `Sunnichitaro`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.
No. 25,112. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new
Catharanthus differed from plants of `Sunnichitaro` in the
following characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Catharanthus were
broader than plants of `Sunnichitaro`. 2. Plants of the new
Catharanthus had thicker stems with shorter internodes than plants
of `Sunnichitaro`. 3. Plants of the new Catharanthus had smaller
leaves than plants of `Sunnichitaro`. 4. Plants of the new
Catharanthus had smaller flowers than plants of `Sunnichitaro`. 5.
Flowers of plants of the new Catharanthus were darker red purple in
color than flowers of plants of `Sunnichitaro`. In addition,
flowers of plants of `Sunnichitaro` had a distinct eye zone. 6.
Plants of the new Catharanthus had shorter peduncles than plants of
`Sunnichitaro`.
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 224` grown in a
container.
The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view
of a typical flowering plant of `Suncatha 224`.
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 224`.
Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.--Proprietary selection of
Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS-S, not
patented. Male, or pollen, parent.--Proprietary selection of
Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation NCPS, 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 seven secondary branches
developing per plant; vigorous growth habit. Plant height.--About
24.3 cm. Plant diameter.--About 52 cm. Lateral branch description:
Length.--About 23.2 cm. Diameter.--About 4.3 mm. Internode
length.--About 1 cm. Strength.--Strong. Aspect.--Upright to
outwardly. Texture.--Pubescent. Color.--Close to 145B. Leaf
description: Arrangement.--Opposite, simple. Length.--About 3.7 cm.
Width.--About 1.4 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 137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to
137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B;
venation, close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:
Close to 137D; venation, close to 144D. Petioles.--Length: About
4.1 mm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:
Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145C. 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 2.3 cm.
Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Cylindrical. Color: Close to 63B to
63C. Flower diameter.--About 2.3 cm. Flower length (depth).--About
2.2 cm. Tube length.--About 1.9 cm. Tube diameter, at the
base.--About 1.5 mm. Corolla.--Arrangement: Five petals in a single
whorl fused at the base into a tube. Petal length from throat:
About 1.1 cm. Petal width: About 5.7 mm. Petal shape: Oblanceolate.
Petal apex: Acute. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and
lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous.
Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper
surface: Close to N57B; towards the throat, close to 60B. Petal,
when opening, lower surface: Close to 60D and 62C. Petal, fully
opened, upper surface: Close to N66B; color does not fade with
development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 63C and
62D; color does not fade with development. Throat: Close to 145B.
Tube: Close to 145B tinged with close to 181C. 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 1.6 mm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm. Angle:
Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.
Color: Close to 145A. Reproductive organs.--Stamens: Quantity per
flower: Five. Stamen length: About 1.4 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly
elliptic. Anther size: About 1.3 mm by 0.4 mm. Anther color: Close
to 150D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to NN155D.
Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.6 cm.
Style color: Close to 145D. Stigma shape: Narrowly ellipsoidal.
Stigma color: Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close to 144A. 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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