U.S. patent number PP31,858 [Application Number 16/501,733] was granted by the patent office on 2020-06-09 for heuchera plant named `dark night`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Janet N. Egger.
United States Patent |
PP31,858 |
Egger |
June 9, 2020 |
Heuchera plant named `Dark Night`
Abstract
A new and distinct Heuchera plant characterized by black to dark
purple colored leaves, lightly lobed and ruffled leaves, small,
purplish pink flowers on medium tall spikes, good sun tolerance, a
medium, low mounding habit with excellent crown count, and
excellent vigor.
Inventors: |
Egger; Janet N. (Seattle,
WA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. |
Canby |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
(Canby, OR)
|
Family
ID: |
70972917 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/501,733 |
Filed: |
May 28, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/440 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/80 (20180501); A01H 5/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/80 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/440 |
Other References
Trademark to `Dark Knight` (Abandoned), serial No. 86236792, filed
Mar. 31, 2014. cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Grunberg; Anne Marie
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and
described.
Description
Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.
Variety designation: `Dark Night`.
Trademark designation: SIRENS' SONG.TM. `Dark Night`.
Cross reference to Heuchera `Dark `N` Bright`, applied for
concurrently having application Ser. No. 16/501,734.
Cross reference to Heuchera `Orange Delight`, applied for
concurrently having application Ser. No. 16/501,732.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of
Heuchera given the cultivar name of `Dark Night`. Heuchera is in
the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera `Dark Night` originated as a
controlled cross using Heuchera `B122-9`, a proprietary,
unpatented, unnamed plant as the seed parent, and Heuchera
`B110-5`, a proprietary plant as the pollen parent. These parents
are a result of breeding plan to produce purple-leaved Heuchera
with good crowns.
Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera `B122-9`, the new cultivar
has purplish pink rather than hot pink flowers.
Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera `B110-5`, the new cultivar
has taller flower peduncles and more crowns.
Compared to Heuchera `Obsidian`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,836, the
new cultivar has more crowns, and purplish pink flowers rather than
yellow green.
Compared to Heuchera `TNHEUNEB`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,583, the
new cultivar is smaller in size, and has solid purplish pink
flowers rather than bi-colored pink and white flowers.
Heuchera `Dark Night` is uniquely distinguished by: 1. black to
dark purple colored leaves, 2. lightly lobed and ruffled leaves, 3.
small, purplish pink flowers on medium tall spikes, 4. good sun
tolerance, 5. a medium small, low mounding habit with excellent
crown count, and 6. excellent vigor.
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation
(tip cuttings and tissue culture using growing tips). Each of the
progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant.
Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard
micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as
done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and
distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted
through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been
evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The
phenotype may change with variations in environment without a
change in the genotype of the plant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a nine-month-old plant of Heuchera `Dark Night`
growing in a one-gallon pot in a temperature controlled greenhouse
in February in Canby, Oreg.
FIG. 2 shows a one-year-old plant of Heuchera `Dark Night` growing
in the trial bed in part sun in late April in Canby, Oreg.
DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION
The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera
cultivar based on observations taken in September of an
eight-month-old specimen growing in a one-gallon pot in partial
shade in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map.
Temperatures range from a high of 95.degree. F. in August to an
average of 32.degree. F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is
42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The
Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5.sup.th edition, 2007.
Plant: Form.--Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial. Hardiness.--USDA
Zone 4 to 9. Size.--14 cm tall from top of the foliage to the
ground, 33 cm from ground to top of flowers, 32 cm wide. Number of
crowns.--About 15. Habit.--Medium small, low mound.
Vigor.--Excellent. Leaf: Type.--Simple. Arrangement.--Rosette.
Shape.--Widely depressed ovate. Number.--About 50. Blade
size.--Grows to 9 cm long and 9.5 cm wide. Venation.--Palmate.
Lobing/Division.--Palmately lobed with 5 main lobes with secondary
lobes. Undulation.--Weak. Glossiness.--Medium. Margins.--Crenate
and undulate. Apex.--Mucronulate. Base.--Cordate. Surface
texture.--Glandular-puberulent on both sides. Leaf
rugosity.--Medium. Petiole description.--Grows to 11 cm long and 3
mm wide, glandular hairs, Greyed Purple N186C. Leaf color.--Topside
between Greyed Purple N186C and Greyed Purple N186A including
veins, bottom side between Greyed Purple N187A and Greyed Purple
187B. Inflorescence: Size.--Grows to 7 cm wide and 16 cm long.
Type.--Upright thyrse. Number of flowers per thyrse.--About 60.
Flower density.--Moderate to light. Number of thyrse.--Up to 40.
Peduncle.--Grows to 20 cm long and 3 mm wide at base, glandular
hairs, between Black 203A and Greyed Purple 187A. Flowering stem
attitude.--Upright. Pedicel.--Grows to 3 mm long, with glandular
hairs, between Black 203A and Greyed Purple 187A. Bloom
period.--July to frost in Canby, Oreg. Flower bud: Size.--4 mm wide
and 5 mm long. Description.--Glandular-puberulent, ovoid,
horizontal to down facing. Color.--Red Purple 64B. Flower:
Type.--Perfect. Shape.--Campanulate. Attitude.--Side-facing.
Size.--6 mm long and 5 mm wide. Corolla description.--5 petals,
each 2 mm long and 1mm wide, spatulate, margins entire, tip acute,
glabrous on topside, glandular-puberulent on bottom side, both
sides Red Purple 64B. Calyx description.--Campanulate, 5 mm long
and 4 mm wide, with 5 lobes with wide sinuses divided 1/2 way to
the base, each 2 mm wide and 3 mm long, oblong in shape, back side
glandular-puberulent with glandular hairs, glabrous inside, tip
obtuse, margin entire, outside Red Purple 64B inside Red Purple
64B. Stamen description.--5 in number, filaments 2 mm long, White
NN155C, anthers 0.5 mm long, Yellow Orange 22A, pollen absent.
Pistil description.--1, 2-beaked, 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, Red
Purple 61C overall, ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, style 3 mm long.
Lastingness.--Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant.
Fruit: Type.--Two-beaked ovoid capsule. Fertility.--Moderate.
Color.--Greyed Brown 199C. Seed: Shape.--Linear. Size.--2 mm long.
Color.--Black 202A. Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is
typical to the genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No
problems have been found in Canby, Oreg.
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