U.S. patent number PP31,719 [Application Number 16/350,082] was granted by the patent office on 2020-05-05 for cotoneaster plant named `emerald sprite`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Oregon State University. The grantee listed for this patent is Oregon State University. Invention is credited to Ryan N. Contreras.
United States Patent |
PP31,719 |
Contreras |
May 5, 2020 |
Cotoneaster plant named `Emerald Sprite`
Abstract
`Emerald Sprite` is a new Cotoneaster cultivar with a highly
compact, mounding habit, extremely dense foliage, short internodes,
and improved fire blight resistance.
Inventors: |
Contreras; Ryan N. (Corvallis,
OR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Oregon State University |
Corvallis |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Oregon State University
(Corvallis, OR)
|
Family
ID: |
69885169 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/350,082 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2018 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200100412 P1 |
Mar 26, 2020 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/226 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/00 (20180501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/00 (20180101); A01H 6/00 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/226 |
Other References
Rothleutner et al., "Screening Cotoneaster for Resistance to Fire
Blight by Artificial Inoculation," HortScience, 49, 1480-1485,
2014. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Bell; Kent L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP
Government Interests
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
This invention was made with government support under 58-1230-3-501
awarded by Agricultural Research Service, United States Department
of Agriculture. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of Cotoneaster plant as illustrated
and described.
Description
Botanical denomination: Cotoneaster x suecicus.
Variety designation: `Emerald Sprite`.
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of
Cotoneaster plant, botanically known as Cotoneaster x suecicus and
hereinafter referred to as `Emerald Sprite`.
The new Cotoneaster plant is a result of a breeding program
directed by the inventor at Oregon State University, Corvallis,
Oreg. (US) to develop new cultivars of cotoneasters that are
resistant to fire blight caused by the pathogen Erwinia amylovora,
are compact, and perform well in nursery production and
landscapes.
`Emerald Sprite` originated as an open-pollinated seedling
collected from Cotoneaster x suecicus `Coral Beauty` (seed parent,
unpatented) during 2011 that was pollinated by an unknown pollen
parent. It was originally accessioned and evaluated as
H2011-02-001. `Emerald Sprite` was grown in containers during 2012
for observation and selected for propagation in 2013. It was
propagated by stem cuttings that rooted easily with hormone
treatment under mist in a glasshouse located on Oregon State
University's main campus at 2801 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, Oreg.
Clones produced from serial asexual propagation have demonstrated
the stability of its traits from 2013 through 2018. The original
plant was left outside unprotected in a #3 container during winter
2013-14 and was killed during temperatures that reached 0.degree.
F. Replicates produced from stem cuttings were included in a
glasshouse study to evaluate fire blight resistance of hybrids and
parents during 2014. Plants were inoculated on Apr. 28, 2014 with a
virulent strain (Ea153) of Erwinia amylovora by bisecting the two
youngest leaves on vigorously growing shoots according to
Rothleutner et al. (2014). None of the plants of this accession
exhibited disease symptoms (0% shoot infection). `Coral Beauty` had
11.1% mean shoot infection during that evaluation.
SUMMARY
Plants of the new Cotoneaster have not been observed under all
possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat
with variations in environment and cultural practices such as
temperature and light intensity without any variance in
genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are
determined to be unique to `Emerald Sprite`. Collectively, these
traits distinguish `Emerald Sprite` from other available
cotoneasters. 1. Highly compact growth form with a clumping growth
habit, as opposed to the more standard creeping habit. 2.
Resistance to fire blight. 3. Extremely glossy, dark green leaves
adaxially. 4. Excellent container production performance. 5. Short
internodes. 6. More vigorous and faster production than other dwarf
cultivars such as `Tom Thumb` (unpatented).
Compared to its female parent, Cotoneaster x suecicus `Coral
Beauty`, plants of `Emerald Sprite` are easily distinguishable
based on the following traits: 1. `Emerald Sprite` has a more
regular growth form. 2. `Emerald Sprite` has a more compact habit.
3. `Emerald Sprite` has fire blight resistance. 4. `Emerald Sprite`
requires little or no pruning during production to yield salable
plants.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the new variety
will become more apparent from the following detailed description,
which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying photographs illustrate the new `Emerald Sprite`
cultivar in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to
make the same in color illustrations of this nature. The plants
were grown outside in full sun in containers and in the landscape
in Corvallis, Oreg., USA.
FIG. 1--Illustrates a typical mature four-year old plant growing in
a container. The mounding habit is clearly visible. The scale
included is 92 cm tall, which helps illustrate the compact nature
of `Emerald Sprite`.
FIG. 2--Illustrates the uniform nature of clones produced from stem
cuttings. Presented are two groups propagated at different times.
An older group (left) and younger group (right) clearly both
exhibit the characteristic mounding, compact habit.
FIG. 3--Illustrates the consistent performance in the landscape
where it maintains its mounding habit and moderate to heavy
production of flowers that are pink in bud and open to white.
FIG. 4--Illustrates the attractive pink floral buds prior to
opening.
FIG. 5--Illustrates the near-pure white flowers.
FIG. 6--Illustrates the approximate color of fruit.
FIG. 7--Illustrates the glossy leaves as well as color of new
foliage and stems.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following is a detailed description while observing mature
plants of the new cultivar following the rooting of stem cuttings.
Such plants ranged between two and five years of age and were found
to have consistent morphology with the exception of size (younger
plants are smaller). Plants were observed growing outdoors in full
sun in Corvallis, Oreg., USA. Color terminology is in accordance to
The R.H.S. Colour Chart (fifth edition) of The Royal Horticultural
Society, London, 2007. Classification: Botanical name.--Cotoneaster
x suecicus. Common name.--Cotoneaster. Variety name.--`Emerald
Sprite`. Parentage: Open-pollinated seedling collected from
Cotoneaster x suecicus `Coral Beauty`, which was pollinated by an
unknown pollen parent--likely a self-pollination. Plant
description: Growth habit.--Cushion-like, low growing with somewhat
upright stems. Height at maturity.--31 cm. Width at maturity.--74
cm. Stem: Stem shape.--Round. Length.--Variable lateral branch
length from 1 cm to 4 cm. Diameter.--1.5 mm. Mature stem
texture.--Pubescent, sparsely sericeous. Internode length.--About 2
mm. Mature stem color.--Greyed-Brown Group 199B. Immature stem
color.--Yellow-Green Group N144C. Leaves: Type.--Evergreen to
semi-evergreen. Arrangement.--Alternate. Shape.--Elliptic, keeled.
Veins.--Pinnate. Mature leaf texture.--Glabrous adaxially, light
pubescent and reticulate abaxially. Base.--Cuneate to nearly
rounded. Apex.--Retuse. Margin.--Entire. Mature leaf size.--1.7 cm
long.times.0.8 cm wide. Immature leaf color.--Greyed-Purple Group
183A. Mature leaf color.--Adaxial surface -- Green Group N134A,
Abaxial surface -- Green Group 138B. Venation is pinnate. Color
does not deviate markedly from the base leaf color either adaxially
or abaxially. Adaxial venation -- Green Group N134A, abaxial
venation -- Green Group 138B. Petiole length.--0.4 cm. Petiole
diameter.--0.65 mm. Petiole color.--Yellow-Green Group N144C.
Inflorescence: Number of flowers per inflorescence.--Solitary or
2-5. Diameter.--0.8 to 1.1 cm. Length.--About 1 cm. Type.--Solitary
or corymb. Number per branch.--1. Peduncle length.--Up to 5 mm.
Peduncle diameter.--About 1 mm. Peduncle color.--Greyed-Purple
Group 183A. Flowering season.--May to June. Longevity.--Individual
flowers last 10 to 14 days. Flower: Bud color.--Red-Purple Group
68A to N57A. Bud shape.--Ovoid. Bud length.--6 mm. Bud width.--2.5
mm. Petals.--Five petals, White Group NN155C adaxially and
abaxially. Diameter.--1 cm. Depth.--3 mm. Fragrance.--None. Petal
shape.--Rhombic-obdeltoid. Petal length.--4.5 mm. Petal width.--4
mm. Petal apex.--Rounded to subacute. Petal margin.--Entire. Petal
base.--Rounded. Petal surface texture.--Glabrous abaxially and
adaxially. Sepal shape.--Deltoid. Sepal number.--5. Sepal
length.--1.3 mm. Sepal width.--1.3 mm. Sepal apex.--Acute. Sepal
margin.--Entire and ciliate-puberulent. Sepal surface
texture.--Pubescent adaxially, glabrous abaxially. Sepal
color.--Abaxial and adaxial surfaces are Yellow-Green Group N144C.
Pistil number.--2-3. Style length.--3 mm. Pistil width.--About 0.5
mm. Pistil color.--Yellow-White Group 158D. Ovary shape.--Ovoid.
Ovary length.--1 mm. Ovary width.--0.5 mm. Ovary
color.--Yellow-Green Group 150C. Stamen number.--20. Filament
length.--2.8 mm. Filament diameter.--Tapering from 0.5 mm toward
apex to 0.75 mm at base. Filament color.--Green-White Group 157D.
Filament shape.--Round. Anther diameter.--0.5 mm. Anther
length.--0.75 mm. Anther color at dehiscence.--Greyed-Purple Group
187A. Pollen amount.--Copious. Pollen color.--8D. Fruit/seed:
Fruit.--Generally obovate, 0.5 cm diameter and 0.5 cm long, base
color is Greyed-Red Group 180C with a somewhat irregular coloration
and generally lighter than other cultivars with green undertones.
Propagation and production: 2.5 cm softwood tip cuttings treated
with 1000 ppm auxin and set in 3 parts perlite: 1 part peat in a
community flat under intermittent mist and bottom heat rooted 90%
in 28 days. `Emerald Sprite` plants were put through a production
schedule that indicates plants can be propagated and produce a
finished trade gallon container in approximately 9-months. Disease
and insect resistance: 0% shoot infection following inoculation
with a virulent strain of Erwinia amylovora (Ea153), whereas its
seed parent, Cotoneaster x suecicus `Coral Beauty` had 11.1% mean
shoot infection during the same evaluation.
* * * * *