U.S. patent number PP30,309 [Application Number 15/732,154] was granted by the patent office on 2019-03-26 for catharanthus plant named `suncatfe 23`.
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.
![](/patent/grant/PP030309/USPP030309-20190326-D00001.png)
United States Patent |
PP30,309 |
Yamada |
March 26, 2019 |
Catharanthus plant named `Suncatfe 23`
Abstract
A new and distinct cultivar of Catharanthus plant named
`Suncatfe 23`, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly
spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth
habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long
flowering period; relatively small star-shaped white-colored
flowers with red purple-colored centers; 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: |
65806281 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/732,154 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/263.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/084 (20180501); A01H 5/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/263.1 |
Primary Examiner: McCormick Ewoldt; Susan
Assistant Examiner: Redden; Karen M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Whealy; C. A.
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named `Suncatfe 23` as
illustrated and described.
Description
Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.
Cultivar denomination: `SUNCATFE 23`.
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 `Suncatfe 23`.
The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding
program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The
objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact and
freely branching Catharanthus plants with numerous small attractive
flowers.
The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination
conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September,
2011 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified
as code designation FS22-5, 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 Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September,
2013.
Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative
tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi,
Shiga, Japan since December, 2013, 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 `Suncatfe 23`. These
characteristics in combination distinguish `Suncatfe 23` as a new
and distinct Catharanthus plant: 1. Compact, upright to outwardly
spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit. 2. Vigorous growth
habit. 3. Freely basal branching habit. 4. Freely flowering habit.
5. Long flowering period. 6. Relatively small star-shaped
white-colored flowers with red purple-colored centers. 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
color as plants of the female parent selection have red-colored
flowers.
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 lavender
pink-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the
Catharanthus roseus `Suncatfe 43`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.
28,630. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthus
differ from plants of `Suncatfe 43` in the following
characteristics: 1. Plants of the new Catharanthus are shorter and
narrower than plants of `Suncatfe 43`. 2. Plants of the new
Catharanthus have thicker stems with shorter internodes than plants
of `Suncatfe 43`. 3. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller
leaves with shorter petioles than plants of `Suncatfe 43`. 4.
Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flower petals than
plants of `Suncatfe 43`. 5. Plants of the new Catharanthus and
`Suncatfe 43` differ in flower color as plants of `Suncatfe 43`
have flowers that have a less distinct eye zone. 6. Plants of the
new Catharanthus have smaller sepals than plants of `Suncatfe
43`.
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 is a side perspective view
of a typical flowering plant of `Suncatfe 23` grown in a
container.
The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a
typical flowering plant of `Suncatfe 23`.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The aforementioned photographs and following observations,
measurements and values describe plants grown during the late
summer and early autumn 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 photographs were
taken and five months old when the description was 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 `Suncatfe 23`.
Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.--Proprietary selection of
Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-5, not
patented. Male, or pollen, parent.--Proprietary selection of
Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not
patented. Propagation: Type.--By vegetative tip 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;
typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on
substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and
formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
Rooting habit.--Freely branching; medium density. Plant
description: Plant and growth habit.--Compact, upright to outwardly
spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely basal
branching habit, about four basal branches each with about ten
secondary branches developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.
Plant height.--About 22 cm. Plant diameter.--About 45 cm. Lateral
branch description: Length.--About 18 cm. Diameter.--About 3.7 mm.
Internode length.--About 1.3 cm. Strength.--Strong.
Aspect.--Upright to outwardly. Texture.--Sparsely pubescent; rough.
Color.--Close to 145A. Leaf description: Arrangement.--Opposite,
simple. Length.--About 2.8 cm. Width.--About 1.1 cm.
Shape.--Oblong. Apex.--Acute. Base.--Rounded. Margin.--Entire.
Texture, upper and lower surfaces.--Smooth, glossy. Venation
pattern.--Pinnate; reticulate. Color.--Developing leaves, upper
surface: Darker than 144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close
to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;
venation, close to 145B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:
Close to 137C; venation, close to 145C. Petioles.--Length: About
2.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:
Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145C.
Flower description: Flower arrangement and habit.--Single
star-shaped salverform flowers arising from upper leaf axils;
freely flowering habit with more than 400 small flowers developing
per plant; flowers face mostly upright. 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 2.4 cm.
Diameter: About 2.3 mm. Shape: Ovoid to cylindrical. Color: Close
to 150C to 150D. Flower diameter.--About 2.2 cm. Flower length
(depth).--About 1.7 cm. Tube length.--About 1.3 cm. Tube diameter,
proximally.--About 1.3 mm. Tube diameter, distally.--About 0.9 mm.
Corolla.--Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl fused at the
base into a tube. Petal length from throat: About 7.4 mm. Petal
width: About 3.7 mm. Petal shape: Narrowly elliptic to
oblanceolate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal base: Truncate. Petal
margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,
glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth,
glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening and fully opened, upper
surface: Close to NN155C; towards the center, close to 60A. Petal,
when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155C.
Throat: Proximally, close to 145B; distally, close to 145D. Tube:
Proximally, close to 145A; distally, close to 145C.
Calyx.--Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with five sepals
fused towards the base. Sepal length: About 1.4 mm. Sepal width:
About 0.7 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acuminate. Sepal
margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,
glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143B.
Peduncles.--Length: About 1.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.7 mm. Angle:
Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.
Color: Close to 145B. Reproductive organs.--Stamens: Quantity per
flower: Five. Anther size: About 1.2 mm by 0.7 mm. Anther shape:
Narrowly elliptic. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount:
Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 158D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:
One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Close to 145D.
Stigma shape: Globose. Stigma color: Close to 145B. Ovary color:
Close to 144B. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development have
not been observed on plants of the new Catharanthus to date. 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 to date.
* * * * *