U.S. patent number PP33,276 [Application Number 16/974,294] was granted by the patent office on 2021-07-20 for phlox plant named `pink sparkles`.
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 |
PP33,276 |
Hansen |
July 20, 2021 |
Phlox plant named `Pink Sparkles`
Abstract
A unique cultivar of Hybrid Creeping Phlox named `Pink Sparkles`
characterized by moderately-vigorous, dense, spreading,
multi-stemmed, winter-hardy habit with short, bright-green, shiny,
linear leaves. Flowering begins in mid-spring and continuing for up
to six weeks in cooler weather conditions, on heavily-branched
peduncles and completely cover the plant in peak season. Petals are
soft baby-pink with darker eye marks and a center than lightens
with maturity. The petals have a medium deep notch and the tips of
the petals. The new plant is able to withstand dry conditions once
established, and the foliage stays clean and resists mildew. The
new plant is especially suitable for the landscape as a potted
plant and in the garden as a specimen or en masse.
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.: |
16/974,294 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/320 |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/70 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/320 |
Other References
http://www.northbranchnursery.com/wp-content/uploads/perennial.pdf
(Retrieved from the Internet on Mar. 29, 2020, 2 pages total).
cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: McCormick Ewoldt; Susan
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of a Hybrid Creeping Phlox, Phlox
plant named `Pink Sparkles`, as herein described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid.
Variety denomination: `Pink Sparkles`.
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)
The first non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form
of a photograph and brief description on a website operated by
Walters Gardens, Inc. on Dec. 1, 2019. Subsequently, the new plant
was advertised in the "Walters Gardens 20-21 Catalog" by Walters
Gardens, Inc. released on May 20, 2020. The claimed plant was first
sold to Pleasant View Gardens/Proven Winners.RTM. on Jun. 15, 2020
by Walters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and all
information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Phlox
`Pink Sparkles` have been sold in this country or anywhere in the
world, nor has any enabling disclosure of the new plant been made,
more than one year prior to 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 INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of
Hybrid Creeping Phlox plant known as Phlox `Pink Sparkles` and will
be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, `Pink Sparkles`, or
the "new plant". The new plant was hybridized by the inventor at a
wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. on Mar. 24, 2015 as a
cross believed to be between proprietary selection of Phlox bifida
`Top Notch` (not patented) as the female or seed parent and Phlox
nivalis var. hentzii `Caswell Pink Eye` (not patented) as the male
or pollen parent. The new plant passed initial evaluation on the
spring of 2017 and was assigned the breeder code 15-141-4 through
the remaining evaluation process. `Pink Sparkles` was first
asexually propagated by stem cuttings in the greenhouses at the
same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. in the summer of 2017. The unique
characteristics of the new plant have been found to be reproducible
and stable in successive generations of asexually propagated
plants, and the resultant plants have been found to be identical to
the original selection.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT
Phlox `Pink Sparkles` is unique from all other Creeping Phlox known
to the inventor. The nearest comparison plants known to the
inventor include: the female and male parents, `Ruby Riot`
copending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/974,227, `Rose
Quartz` copending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.
16/974,228, `Majestic Magenta` U.S. Plant patent application Ser.
No. 16/974,098 `Bedazzled Pink` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,063 and
`Rocky Road Periwinkle` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,325. The female
parent, has soft blue flowers with deeper cleft emarginate petal
apices. `Caswell Pink Eye` has smaller flowers that are darker pink
without the two distinct small bars on shorter plants. `Ruby Riot`
has a similar habit with flowers of reddish-pink and darker eyes.
`Bedazzled Pink` has a deeper pink flower color with darker center
and the petals are narrower with apices that are much deeper cleft.
`Rocky Road Magenta` has a smaller habit with slower spreading
growth rate and the flowers vibrant magenta-purple flowers with
small dark-purple eye.
Phlox `Pink Sparkles` differs from all other Phlox known to the
inventor in the following repeatedly observed traits in
combination: 1. Moderately-vigorous plants of dense spreading
habit, spreading by rooting stems, producing short, clean,
bright-green, shiny, linear leaves; 2. Multiple heavily-branched
stems produce branched panicles; 3. Flower beginning in mid-spring
and continuing for up to six weeks, in cool conditions, completely
covering plant at peak flowering; 4. Flowers of soft baby-pink with
darker eye bars and lighter center; 5. Petals have medium deep
notches at the tip of the petals; 6. Plant is able to withstand dry
conditions once established.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of
Phlox `Pink Sparkles` and the overall appearance of the plant at
two-years-old growing in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.
The colors in the drawings are as accurate as reasonably possible
with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum,
source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in
color.
FIG. 1 shows a landscape habit view of the new plant in peak
flower.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following descriptions and color references are based on the
2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except
where common dictionary terms are used. Phlox `Pink Sparkles` has
not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype
may vary slightly with different growing environments such as
temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity
levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following
observations and size descriptions are based on two-year-old plants
in a partially shaded greenhouse or a full-sun trial garden of a
wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental
fertilizer and water as needed. Botanical classification: Phlox
hybrid; Parentage: Female or seed parent is a proprietary selection
of Phlox bifida `Top Notch`, male or pollen parent is `Caswell Pink
Eye`; Plant habit: Winter-hardy, evergreen herbaceous perennial;
short, dense, producing about 40 stiff, highly-branched prostrate
stems; foliage and stems to 18.0 cm tall and 50.0 cm wide;
flowering to 28.0 cm tall and 56.0 cm wide; Propagation: Stem
cuttings; rooting in about 2 weeks; Time to produce finished crop
in 3.8 liter pots: About 10 to 12 weeks; vigorous; Root: Fibrous
and freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil
type; Leaves: Simple; opposite; linear to subulate; apex narrowly
acute to apiculate; base truncate, clasping; margin ciliolate;
glabrous and lustrous both adaxial and abaxial; to about 26.0 mm
long by about 3.5 mm wide and 0.3 mm thick at base, average about
22.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide and 0.3 mm thick at base; Leaf color:
Adaxial expanding between RHS 136A and RHS 137A and mature adaxial
nearest RHS NN137A, abaxial expanding between RHS 136A and RHS 137A
and mature abaxial nearest RHS 137A; developing portions of strong
blush nearest RHS 187B on both adaxial and abaxial with cold
weather in late fall; Foliage fragrance: None detected; Veins:
Pinnate; not conspicuous adaxial and abaxial; Vein color: Adaxial
midrib and veins same color as surrounding leaf; abaxial midrib
nearest RHS 146B and veins same as surrounding leaf; Petiole:
Leaves sessile; Stems: Cylindrical; flexible; wiry; prostrate;
puberulent when expanding; highly compound branching; to about 39.0
mm long and 3.0 mm diameter near base; Stem color: Young expanding
with portions of both nearest RHS 145C and RHS 187B, proximal
nearest RHS 195A; Nodes: About 3.0 mm apart proximally; distally
about 1.0 mm apart; Node color: Color nearest RHS 195A proximally
and nearest RHS 145B or RHS 187B distally; Inflorescence: Upright
to outwardly; about 6.5 cm long and 4.7 cm wide; average of 3.5
flowers; Flowers: Perfect; salverform; flat-faced; about 28.0 mm
across face and 13.0 mm long; with fused corolla tube about 12.0 mm
long and 2.5 mm diameter near face and 2.0 mm diameter at base;
Flower aspect: Upright to outwardly; Flowering season: Beginning
early spring for at least six weeks; Flower longevity: About 5 days
on plant; self-cleaning; Flower fragrance: Lightly sweet; Buds one
to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, to narrowly
clavate; bluntly acute apex with rounded base; petals implicate;
about 20.0 mm long, 10.0 mm long in terminal bulb portion and 10.0
mm long in tube; corolla tube to 2.0 mm diameter, bulb to 5.0 mm
diameter; Bud color: Exposed petal bulb portion nearest RHS 76A;
between tube and bulb nearest RHS 79A, corolla tube basal 1.0 mm
nearest RHS 145C and distal tube nearest RHS 85C; calyx with
ventral portions nearest RHS 137B and dorsal portions exposed to
more light nearest RHS 187B; Petals: Five; consisting of limb and
basal claw fused into corolla tube; apex rounded, slightly erose
and emarginate, cleft to about 3.0 mm deep; limbs imbricate only at
base; limb glabrous adaxial and abaxial, tube glabrous adaxial
except puberulent in basal 3.0 mm and glabrous abaxial; Petal size:
Limb about 13.0 mm long and 9.5 mm wide near apex; corolla tube
about 13.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter at face and 2.0 mm diameter
at base; Petal color upon first opening: Adaxial.--Limb between RHS
76B and RHS 75B with two bars at the base about 1.0 mm long and 0.5
mm wide nearest RHS 83B; proximal 2.0 mm of corolla tube nearest
RHS 145C, distally nearest RHS 91B and in the middle blends of
between RHS 148C and RHS 85C. Abaxial.--Limb between RHS 76B and
RHS 75B; proximal 3.0 mm of corolla tube nearest RHS 145B,
remaining distal tube nearest RHS 185B with the center portion
having an undertone mixture of nearest RHS N77C and RHS 146C. Petal
color upon maturity: Adaxial.--Limb between RHS 75A and RHS N74D
with center fading to nearest RHS NN155D and two bars nearest RHS
93C; proximal 2.0 mm of corolla tube nearest RHS 145C, distal tube
portion nearest RHS 79B. Abaxial.--Between RHS 76B and RHS 75B;
proximal 3.0 mm of corolla tube nearest RHS 145C, distally nearest
RHS 79B. Androecium: Typically five; Filaments.--Typically five,
adnate to inner corolla to various heights about 6.0 mm to 9.0 mm
from base; free in the distal 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm long and 0.2 mm in
diameter; color nearest RHS NN155C. Anther.--Five; oblong elliptic;
basifixed; oblong, about 2.0 mm long by 0.7 mm wide; color nearest
RHS 17B. Pollen.--Nearly microscopic; color nearest RHS 23A.
Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; 9.0 mm long; Style.--Cylindrical;
about 6.5 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter when flower is mature;
persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS 157D.
Stigma.--Trifid in proximal 1.2 mm long, about 0.2 mm diameter;
color nearest RHS 8B. Ovary.--Superior; conical; glabrous;
lustrous; slightly acute apex and truncate base; about 1.5 mm long
and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 144A. Calyx: Campanulate;
pubescent abaxial, glabrous adaxial; about 9.0 mm long and 4.0 mm
across at apex; Sepals: Five; linear to lanceolate; narrowly acute
apex, fused in basal 3.0 mm; margin entire; puberulent and matte
abaxial, glabrous and lustrous adaxial; individually about 9.0 mm
long and 1.0 mm wide at fusion; Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS
146A with moderate to strong blush of nearest RHS 187B and margins
translucent to nearest RHS N155B, abaxial nearest RHS 138A with
strong blush of nearest RHS 187B and margins translucent to nearest
RHS N155B; Peduncle: Puberulent; strong, flexible; mostly upright;
cylindrical; to about 2.0 mm diameter at base and 5.5 cm long;
Peduncle color: Low light or ventrally nearest RHS 145B; high light
or dorsally nearest RHS 146C with strong blush solid nearest RHS
187B; Pedicle: Cylindrical; puberulent; flexible; upright to
outwardly; variable lengths from about 6.0 mm to 4.0 mm long and
0.7 mm diameter; Pedicle color: Variable depending on light
exposure; with low light or ventrally nearest RHS 146C; high light
or dorsally nearest RHS 187B; Fruit and seeds: Not observed;
Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best with full sun,
light moisture and excellent drainage; hardy to at least from USDA
zone 4 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox `Pink
Sparkles` demonstrates excellent powdery mildew resistance under
conditions that would normally show symptoms.
* * * * *
References