U.S. patent number PP33,631 [Application Number 16/974,292] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-09 for echinacea plant named `the price is white`.
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 |
PP33,631 |
Hansen |
November 9, 2021 |
Echinacea plant named `The Price Is White`
Abstract
The new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named `The
Price Is White`, with fragrant inflorescences on strong
well-branched stems producing single whorls of broadly-overlapping,
long, broad, white, ray florets that maintain their coloration with
little change through maturity. The new plant is vigorous and
produces a compact habit and flowers from mid-summer to fall frost
with large fragrant inflorescences having a single row of large,
broad, white, overlapping ray florets. The new plant is attractive
and suitable as a potted plant, for the landscape, and for cut
flower arrangements.
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.: |
16/974,292 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/428 |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/14 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/428,226 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Winter/Tribune News Service Post-Gazette 2020, retrieved on Apr. 7,
2020, retrieved from the Internet at
https://www.post-gazette.com/life/garden/2020/10/23/On-Gardening-Color-Co-
ded-coneflowers-Norman-Winter-Price-Is-White/stories/202010250011,
2 pp. (Year: 2020). cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Hwu; June
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct ornamental cultivar of Echinacea plant named
`The Price Is White` as herein described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical denomination: Echinacea hybrid.
Cultivar designation: `The Price Is White`.
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 was on a website operated by
Walters Gardens, Inc. on Dec. 1, 2019. Echinacea `The Price Is
White` was listed with a photograph and brief description in the
"Walters Gardens 20-21 Catalog" distributed first on May 20, 2020.
The claimed plant was first sold on Mar. 2, 2020 by Walters
Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and all information relating
thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Echinacea `The Price Is
White` 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 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 the new and distinct cultivar of
Coneflower from the genus Echinacea and given the cultivar name
`The Price Is White`. The new plant was the result of a cross on
Jul. 15, 2016 by the inventor between the proprietary hybrid known
only by the breeder code as 14-6-31 (not patented) as the female
parent and `Butterfly Kisses` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,458 at a
wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. This single seedling
selected was evaluated first in trials in the summer of 2017 at the
same nursery and assigned the breeder code of 16-48-1. Echinacea
`The Price Is White` has been asexually propagated at the same
nursery by crown division since 2017 and also using careful shoot
tip tissue culture procedures and found to reproduce plants that
exhibit all the characteristics identical to the original
plant.
Echinacea `The Price Is White` is distinct from all other
Coneflowers known to the inventor. The nearest comparison cultivars
are: `TNECHKW` U.S. Pat. No. 30,856, `Fragrant Angel` U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 16,054, `Alaska` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,547, `Virgin` U.S.
Plant Pat. No. 18,684, `Purity` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,441,
`Milkshake` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,594, `Heavenly Dream` U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 21,957, `White Mist` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,790, `Little
Angel` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,870, `Polar Breeze` U.S. Plant Pat.
No. 21,630, and `White Swan` (not patented).
The female parent plant, 14-6-31, was taller in habit, with orange
ray petals that were narrower. `Butterfly Kisses` has a slightly
shorter habit, anemone-type inflorescences and ray and disk florets
that are light pink.
`TNECHKW` has shorter habit, with smaller inflorescences and fewer
ray florets and the cones are more green-colored. `Fragrant Angel`
is taller and more upright in habit and the cone is more green.
`Alaska` is similar height with narrower habit, less branching with
fewer inflorescences per stem and fewer and larger ray florets.
`Virgin` has smaller inflorescences on taller plants and the ray
petals are a more chartreuse-white. `Purity` has a taller and wider
habit with less branching and fewer smaller flowers per plant.
`Milkshake` has a much larger habit, with significantly smaller
anemone-type inflorescences. `Heavenly Dream` has a larger habit
with ray petals that are more drooping. `White Mist` has more
oranaish-yellow receptacle spines and narrower more drooping ray
florets. `Little Angel` is smaller in habit and the inflorescences
are much smaller. `Polar Breeze` is shorter in habit and the
inflorescences are much smaller. `White Swan` is seed cultivar that
is taller in habit and ray florets are less horizontal with fewer
ray florets per inflorescence and less branching per stem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Echinacea `The Price Is White` has not been evaluated under all
possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with
variations in environment including: growing temperature, available
sunlight, nutrients, water, etc. without a change in the genotype
of the plant. The new plant is distinct from its parents and all
other Echinacea known to the applicant in the following combined
traits: 1. Fragrant inflorescences on strong heavily-branched
stems; 2. Large, broad inflorescences with single whorl of ray
florets that tend to stay horizontal once open; 3. Ray petals are
wide and broadly-overlapping; 4. Ray petals of clear white with
orangish-yellow cones; 5. Vigorous growth and excellent habit; 6.
Large, greyish-olive-green, lanceolate foliage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new invention demonstrate the overall
appearance of the plant including the unique traits. The drawings
of the new plant are of a two-year-old plant grown in full-sun
trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as
reasonably possible with color reproductions. Some slight variation
of color may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity,
wavelength, direction or reflection.
FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in flower.
FIG. 2 shows a close up of some inflorescences of the new
plant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT
The following description of Echinacea `The Price is White` is
based on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in a full-sun
trial garden with supplemental water and fertilizer in Zeeland,
Mich. The new plant has not been tested in all environments and
some phenotypic differences may occur with different environments
without, however, any change in genotype. The color descriptions
are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society
Colour Chart except where common dictionary descriptions are used.
Parentage: Female or seed parent is the proprietary unreleased
hybrid 14-6-31 (consisting of `Julia` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,629
and `Butterfly Kisses`) and male or pollen parent is `Butterfly
Kisses`; Plant habit: Multi-stemmed, heavily-branched, hardy
herbaceuous perennial, flowering to about 52.0 cm tall and foliage
to 38.0 cm tall and 50.0 cm wide; Growth rate: Vigorous, finishing
in 4 liter containers in about 2 months during the summer; Roots:
Cream-colored, finely branched; color nearest RHS NN155B depending
on soil; Foliage: Alternate; lanceolate; acute apex; attenuate
base; margin serrulate, micro-ciliolate; puberulent abaxial and
adaxial; basal leaves to about 19.0 cm long and 9.0 cm wide,
cauline leaves decreasing distally, average about 14.0 cm long and
5.8 cm wide; variegation absent; rugosity absent to weak; Leaf
color: Young leaves adaxial nearest RHS NN137C, abaxial nearest RHS
147B; mature leaves adaxial between RHS 137A and RHS NN137C,
abaxial nearest RHS 147B; Foliage fragrance: Lightly herbal;
Venation: Pinnate; with two primary arcuate veins on both sides of
the midrib; abaxial midrib and veins costate; glabrous adaxial,
sparsely hirsutulous abaxial; Vein color: Young and mature adaxial
primary veins and midrib between RHS 146D and RHS 145A, secondary
veins nearest RHS NN137A; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 145C and two
primary veins nearest RHS 146D , secondary veins nearest RHS
NN137A; Petiole: Concavo-convex, strigillose adaxial and sparsely
puberulent to strigillose abaxial; about 10.0 cm long and 3.0 mm
wide on lowest leaves and decreasing to sessile distally; adaxial
color between RHS 145B and RHS 145A in center with margins between
RHS 136A and RHS NN137B, and abaxial center between RHS 146D and
RHS 146C with margins between RHS 136A and RHS NN137B; Peduncle:
Densely puberulent to strigillose; cylindrical; strong stiff; to
about 52.0 cm long and 9.0 mm diameter at base; quantity per plant
about eight; flowering in upper 20.0 cm; Peduncle color: Nearest
RHS 146C; Branches: Cylindrical, puberulent to strigillose; tightly
angled to main stem to about 65.degree. above horizontal: to about
24.0 cm long and 5.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 146C;
Inflorescence: Bracteate head, aggregate of achene; with single
whorl of distinct ligulate ray florets and central disk florets in
a pappus; flowering mid-summer to fall frost; initial inflorescence
largest, to about 12.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm tall, average about 10.0
cm wide and 4.0 cm tall, with cones 4.8 cm across and 4.0 cm tall;
Inflorescence fragrance: Lightly sweet; Flower persistence: Ray
florets remaining affective in color for 10 to 14 days depending on
temperatures, cone persistent and effective through drying on plant
into winter; Involucre: With numerous bracts; to about 76 per
inflorescence in 4 whorls; arcuate downward toward peduncle;
Involucre bracts: Linear; narrowly acute apex; truncate base;
micro-ciliolate margin; adaxial glabrous and lustrous; abaxial
micro-puberulent; recurved greater than 90 degrees; average about
14.0 mm long and 3.5 mm across; Involucre bract color: Adaxial
center between RHS 138D and RHS 145D, margin between RHS 147A and
RHS 138A; abaxial center and margin nearest RHS 138A; Inflorescence
buds with ray florets vertical and still enrolled: About 32.0 mm
across and 30.0 mm tall; ray floret color nearest RHS 2D, with
chaff portions nearest RHS 144A proximally and RHS 144B distally;
Ray florets: Zygomorphic; arrangement in single whorl,
broadly-overlapping, typically imbricate; lanceolate, apex
emarginated with two or more notches to 1.0 mm deep; base cuneate;
margin entire; adaxial lustrous and glabrous; abaxial matte and
glabrous; 24 to 33 per inflorescence; opening to horizontal,
drooping to about 20 degrees below horizontal with maturity;
sterile; ligule to 48.0 mm long and 19.0 mm wide near middle,
average size 45.0 mm long, 16.5 mm wide tapering to 2 mm wide in
basal 3 mm; thickened veins raised; twisting absent; Ray ligule
color: When first horizontal--adaxial between RHS 155A and RHS
155B, abaxial nearest RHS 155A with veins and light blush nearest
RHS 8B, basal 3.0 mm nearest RHS 144A; before dehiscence--adaxial
nearest RHS 155C and abaxial nearest RHS 155C with adaxial and
abaxial base nearest RHS 144B; Disc florets: About 250 to 350 per
head; actinomorphic; perfect; synandrous; produced in raised dome,
about 4.8 cm across and 4.0 cm tall; individually to about 7.5 mm
long to exserted style and 2.0 mm diameter; Corolla: Fused forming
tube; outer florets to about 7.0 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, central
florets about 6.0 mm long and 1.5 mm wide; fused in basal 6.0 mm,
free in distal 1.0 mm; individual tepals about 0.7 mm wide at
fusion; acute apex; entire margin; surfaces slightly lustrous;
Corolla tube color: Adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 144A in distal
1.0 mm, adaxial and abaxial proximal 6.0 mm nearest RHS 145C; Disk
floret androecium: Five; synandrous; Staminal column: About 1.0 mm
wide and protrudes from corolla tube about 1.5 mm; five connate
stamens; Anthers: Fused, about 3.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter;
color nearest RHS 200A; Filaments: Five; attached to column; thin,
about 0.1 mm diameter and about 1.0 mm long; color nearest RHS
155D; Pollen: Globose, abundant, less 0.1 mm in diameter, RHS 17B;
Gynoecium: Single; to 7.0 mm long; Style: About 4.0 mm long and 0.2
mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145A; Stigma: Bifid; reflexed about
180.degree.; about 1.5 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest
RHS 145A; Seed: Achene; apex truncate to funiculus, with four main
pappus; about 5.5 mm long and 2 mm across; funiculus about 1.0 mm
across and 0.5 mm long; pappus 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm across; Seed
color: Between RHS 199B and RHSN 199A; Receptacle spines: One per
disk florets; acicular; apex acute; base attenuate; lustrous;
glabrous; to 15.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; Spine color: Adaxial
and abaxial base nearest RHS NN155D, middle portion nearest RHS
138A, distally nearest RHS 23A; becoming nearest RHS 146D with
flower maturity and drying to nearest RHS 200A; Culture and
performance: The new plant performs well and remains upright even
when exposed to heavy rains and high winds. Disease and pest
resistance: The new plant has not been shown to have any disease or
pest resistance beyond that common to Coneflower plants.
* * * * *
References