U.S. patent number PP32,986 [Application Number 16/602,656] was granted by the patent office on 2021-04-20 for achillea plant named `firefly diamond`.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Walters Gardens, Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Hans A Hansen. Invention is credited to Hans A Hansen.
United States Patent |
PP32,986 |
Hansen |
April 20, 2021 |
Achillea plant named `Firefly Diamond`
Abstract
A new and distinct Yarrow, Achillea plant named `Firefly
Diamond`, with narrow, green, fern-like foliage; tall, stiff,
heavily branched stems with white ray florets in large cymes,
beginning in late June and continuing for about seven weeks and
repeating if deadheaded. The new plant is useful for landscaping,
as a specimen or en masse and as a cut flower.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Hans A (Zeeland,
MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hansen; Hans A |
Zeeland |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Walters Gardens, Inc. (Zeeland,
MI)
|
Appl.
No.: |
16/602,656 |
Filed: |
November 15, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/263.1 |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/14 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/263.1 |
Other References
Four Star Plugs & Liners from Four Star, Michigan 2019
retrieved on May 18, 2020, retrieved from the Internet at
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1537/5553/files/2020FourStarPriceList.p-
df, pp. 1-2,13. (Year: 2019). cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Hwu; June
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant named `Firefly
Diamond` as described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical designation: Achillea hybrid.
Cultivar denomination: `Firefly Diamond`.
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)
The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a
sale, was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Apr. 1, 2019. Prior to
that, on Dec. 1, 2018 the claimed plant was displayed as a
photograph with a brief description on a website operated by
Walters Gardens, Inc., followed by listing with a photograph and
brief description in the Walters Gardens 19-20 Catalog circulated
on May 29, 2019. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the plant and all
information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of
Achillea `Firefly Diamond` have been sold, in this country or
anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been
made, more than one year prior the filing date of this application,
and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived
directly or indirectly from the inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT
The present invention relates to the new and distinct yarrow herein
also referred to as Achillea `Firefly Diamond`, by the cultivar
name, `Firefly Diamond`, or as the new plant. The new plant was
selected by the inventor as a single seedling resulting from a
self-pollination of a proprietary, unreleased, unnamed seedling
known only by the breeder code 13-5-8 (not patented) in research
facility of a wholesale perennial grower based in Zeeland, Mich.,
USA. The cross was performed on Jun. 23, 2014 and the seeds from
this cross were collected on Sep. 23, 2014. The single seedling was
then isolated and compared in subsequent years to other Yarrow and
subsequently found to be different from all cultivars known to the
discoverer and eventually given the breeder code 14-23-1.
Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA by
shoot tip cuttings and division since August of 2016 has shown
`Firefly Diamond` to be stable and reproduce true to type in
successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE PLANT
Achillea `Firefly Diamond` has not been observed in all possible
environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with
changes in environments such as light intensity, fertility, water
availability, etc. without, however any variation in genotype.
Achillea `Firefly Diamond` is distinct from all cultivars known to
the inventor in the following traits: 1. Mounded habit about 70 cm
tall and 100 cm wide; 2. Green finely-dissected foliage; 3.
Heavily-branched compound corymbs with broad clusters of
inflorescences; 4. White ray florets remain effective throughout
the flowering period; 5. Sturdy stems withstand wind and rain; 6.
Long flowering period beginning late June and continuing for about
seven weeks; 7. Repeat flowering if deadheaded.
Plants of Achillea `Firefly Diamond` are most similar to
`Balvinwite` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,711 and `Peter Cottontail` U.S.
Plant Pat. No. 31,756. `Balvinwite` is smaller in habit, both
shorter and narrower than the new plant. `Peter Cottontail` is
slightly smaller in habit, the inflorescences and ray florets are
much larger on cymes that are more full and rounded, and the
foliage is not as dissected. Photographs or plants of the parent
selection were not maintained, so no comparison with the parents
are possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of
Achillea `Firefly Diamond` as a two-year-old plant in a full-sun
trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as true as reasonably
possible given the technology available. The color values may vary
slightly depending on light intensity and quality.
FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a trial facility.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inflorescence of the new plant.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following description of the new plant is based on a
three-year-old plant growing in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland,
Mich., USA. Environmental conditions for the growing season daytime
temperatures range between 12-30.degree. C., and night temperatures
range between 6-19.degree. C. Except for ordinary dictionary color
usage, color references are according to The Royal Horticultural
Society Colour Chart, 2015 edition. Parentage: Female or seed
parent 13-5-8; male or pollen parent 13-5-8; Asexual propagation:
Shoot tip cuttings, about 10 to 14 days to initiate roots; time to
finish as #1 field grown size about 9 months; Plant habit: Dense
axillary branches; upright, heavily-branched, herbaceous,
winter-hardy, perennial mound; up to 70.0 cm tall and 100.0 cm
wide; average about 64.0 cm tall and about 83.0 cm across; Leaves:
Alternate; canescent; pinnatisect with lobules incised to midrib;
lanceolate; acute apex; base attenuate; except proximal leaves;
micro-lanulose abaxial and glabrous adaxial; up to about 30.0 cm
long and about 4.5 cm wide with individual lobes to about 28.0 mm
long and about 14.0 mm wide; average leaf size about 17 cm long and
3.0 cm wide; Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial lobes
nearest RHS 137B and midrib nearest RHS 138B, abaxial lobes nearest
RHS 137B and midrib nearest RHS 138B; mature leaves adaxial lobes
nearest RHS 137A and midrib nearest RHS 148D, abaxial lobes nearest
RHS 138A and midribs nearest RHS 148D; Foliage fragrance: Slightly
herbal; Veins: Pinnate; only adaxial and abaxial midrib obvious;
abaxial midrib costate, adaxial midrib flat; adaxial sparsely
lanulose, abaxial lanulose; Petiole: Channeled; lanulose; to 4.0 cm
long and 4.0 mm wide at base; color nearest RHS 147C; Stems:
Upright; cylindrical; lanulose to micro-pubescent; longitudinally
ridged in distal portion; color nearest RHS 137B proximally,
distally striped RHS 137B and RHS 191B; flowering in upper 9.0 cm
and 15 cm across; branches to about 15.0 cm long and 3.0 mm
diameter at base; Inflorescence: Individual inflorescence about 6.0
mm diameter, about 7.0 mm tall from bottom of involucral bracts to
top of center disk tepals; disk about 3.0 mm across; attitude
mostly upright; producing branched stems with about 500
inflorescences per stem; branched panicle average size about 15.0
cm across, flowering in upper 9.0 cm and 15 cm across; branches to
about 15.0 cm long and 3.0 mm diameter at base; Receptacle: About
3.0 mm tall and 2.0 mm across; color nearest RHS 148D;
Inflorescence fragrance: Not detected; Phyllaries: About 16 in two
whorls; lanceolate; acute apex; truncate base; margin entire and
ciliolate; outer or lower set about 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm across,
inner set about 3.5 mm long and 2.0 mm across; glabrous adaxial,
puberulent abaxial; tightly adpressed against ray petals; Phyllary
color: Adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 137B with midrib and margin
nearest RHS 155C; Bristles: Membranous; numerous; about 3.0 mm long
and 0.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 152D; Flowering period: Late
June, for about 7 weeks and repeating if deadheaded; Flower
longevity: 4 to 6 days; Inflorescence buds: With ray florets still
erect 6.0 mm tall and 3.5 mm across; ovoid; Inflorescence bud
color: Ray florets while still upright exposed abaxial petal color
nearest RHS NN155D; phyllaries color nearest RHS 137B with midrib
and margin nearest RHS 155C; Pedicel: Cylindrical; lanulose;
strong; upright attitude; heavily branched; up to 5.0 mm long and
0.7 mm diameter; average 4.0 mm long; and 0.5 mm diameter; Pedicel
color: Color nearest RHS 138B; Ray florets: Imperfect; pistillate;
typically about five per inflorescence; with style about 2.5 mm
long and split stigma; Ray floret ligule: Rounded with basal claw;
apex rounded, emarginate with two notches about 0.5 mm deep, margin
entire; base claw, attenuate; opening to a 90.degree. angle;
glabrous adaxial and adaxial; about 5.5 mm long and about 3.5 mm
wide; basal claw about 2.0 mm long and about 1.0 mm across; Young
ray floret ligule color when first flat.--Adaxial nearest RHS
NN155D, abaxial nearest RHS N155D and claw base nearest RHS 138B.
Mature ray floret ligule color.--Adaxial nearest RHS NN155D;
abaxial nearest RHS NN155D with claw nearest RHS 138B. Ray floret
ligule color before dehiscing.--Adaxial nearest RHS NN155D; abaxial
nearest RHS NN155D with claw nearest RHS 138B. Style.--Cylindrical;
about 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; exserted; color nearest RHS
155C. Stigma.--Bifid; about 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color
nearest RHS 155B. Disk florets: About 16 per capitulum; tubular;
glabrous; consisting of five tepals, staminal tube and pistil; size
about 4.0 mm long by 1.0 mm wide at apex; Tepals.--Five; linear;
fused in basal 2.5 mm; apex acute; margin entire; 3.0 mm long and
0.5 mm wide at fusion. Tepal color.--Initially nearest RHS 193D
adaxial and abaxial; at maturity nearest RHS 157D. Staminal
tube.--Made up of five adnate stamens; about 2.0 mm long.
Filaments.--Cylindrical; about 0.5 mm long and 0.1 mm diameter;
color nearest RHS NN155A. Anther.--About 1.0 mm long; color nearest
RHS N187C. Pollen.--Fine, round, closest to RHS 11D. Style.--Bifid;
cylindrical; exserted; about 2.0 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color
nearest RHS N155D. Stigma.--Bifid; reflexing as it matures; about
0.5 mm long; color nearest RHS 155D. Seed: Flattened deltoid; acute
apex and truncate base; surface glabrous; about 2.0 mm long and 0.7
mm across base; Seed color: Between RHS 165A and RHS 165B in center
and RHS 161D around edges; Achillea `Firefly Diamond` is tolerant
of winter temperatures as low as -35.degree. C. and summer
temperatures as high as 38.degree. C. It is not known to be
tolerant of diseases and pest that are common to other Achillea
cultivars.
* * * * *
References