U.S. patent number PP33,795 [Application Number 17/300,431] was granted by the patent office on 2021-12-28 for phlox plant named `magenta pearl`.
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 |
PP33,795 |
Hansen |
December 28, 2021 |
Phlox plant named `Magenta Pearl`
Abstract
A new and unique cultivar of garden Phlox named Phlox plant
`Magenta Pearl` multi-stemmed, short, upright, slowly-spreading
habit with clean green, glossy, lanceolate leaves with exceptional
powdery mildew resistance. Foliage is thick on stiff, upright
stems. Faint to lightly sweet fragrant flowers of deep magenta-pink
faces with light pink halo and darker eye zones midribs are
produced on multiple branched peduncles and cover the top of the
plant beginning early summer about two weeks prior typical Phlox
paniculata cultivars. `Magenta Pearl` is especially suitable as a
potted plant, for the garden, for attracting hummingbirds and
butterflies, 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)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005809823 |
Appl.
No.: |
17/300,431 |
Filed: |
June 29, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/320 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/70 (20180501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/70 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/320 |
Primary Examiner: Bell; Kent L
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Phlox plant named Phlox
`Magenta Pearl` as herein described and illustrated.
Description
Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid.
Variety denomination: `Magenta Pearl`.
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 Feb. 1, 2020. 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 the public on Jul. 13, 2020 by Walters Gardens, Inc., who
obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the
inventor. No plants of Phlox `Magenta Pearl` have been sold to the
public 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 a new and distinct cultivar of
Phlox plant, known as Phlox `Magenta Pearl` and will be referred to
hereafter by its cultivar name or the "new plant". The new plant
was the result of a cross of Phlox `Amethyst Pearl` U.S. Plant Pat.
No. 28,487 as the female or seed parent times the male or pollen
parent Phlox carolina `Lil' Cahaba` (not patented) performed at a
wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Nov. 17, 2014. The
new plant was initially given the breeder code 14-24-3 throughout
subsequent evaluations at the same nursery. `Magenta Pearl` has
been asexually propagated by stem cuttings in the greenhouses at
the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. since 2016. 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 `Magenta Pearl` is unique from its parents and all other tall
garden Phlox or other Phlox known to the inventor. The new plant
differs from the female parent `Amethyst Pearl` in that the female
parent has a slightly shorter habit with light amethyst-colored
flowers. The male parent is shorter in habit with narrower foliage
and deeper magenta flowers.
The closest comparison cultivars known to the inventor are
`Fashionable Early Flamingo` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,911,
`Fashionable Early Princess` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,680, `Kung
Fuchsia` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,308, `Forever Pink` U.S. Plant Pat.
No. 24,918, `Opening Act Ultrapink` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,093 and
`Minnie Pearl` (not patented). `Fashionable Early Flamingo` has a
taller and broader habit and flowers of light lavender-pink.
`Fashionable Early Princess` has a larger, broader and taller habit
with flowers of light fuchsia-pink. `Forever Pink` is shorter in
habit and lighter pink in flower color. `Kung Fuchsia` has a
shorter habit with flowers of intense, bright, fuchsia-pink.
`Opening Act Ultrapink` has slightly lighter pink flowers of
fluorescent rose-pink and the flower is slightly larger with a
wider face. `Minnie Pearl` has a slightly shorter habit and flowers
of pure white.
`Magenta Pearl` is distinct from all other Phlox known to the
inventor in the following repeatedly-observed combination of
traits: 1. Plants of medium upright habit, slowly spreading by
short rhizomes, producing clean, glossy, clean green, lanceolate
leaves; 2. Showing exceptional powdery mildew resistance; 3.
Multiple branched, stems produce rounded mounds of early flowers;
4. Faint to lightly sweet fragrant flowers on strong stiff stems of
about 47.0 cm tall producing deep magenta-pink flower faces with
light pink halo and darker eye zones midrib markings; 5. Flowers
cover the entire top of the plant; 6. Flowering beginning in
early-summer about two weeks prior to typical Phlox paniculata
cultivars and re-blooming through late-summer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of
`Magenta Pearl` and the overall appearance of the plant at
three-years-old grown in a full sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.
The colors 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 the new plant in peak flower in the landscape.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the floriferous flower head with
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 `Magenta Pearl` 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 to
four-year-old plants in the 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 was Phlox `Amethyst Pearl`; male
or pollen parent was `Lil' Cahaba`; Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous
perennial, densely upright, producing about 22 rigid upright stems;
flowering to about 47 cm tall and about 107 cm wide; flowering
begins early summer in Michigan and continuing for about 5 weeks
with rebloom if deadheaded; Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in
about 14 days; Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots:
About 8 to 10 weeks; moderate rate of growth; Root: Primary roots
to about 1.0 mm thick; secondary fibrous and freely branching;
color creamy-white to tan depending on soil type; Leaves: Simple;
opposite to subopposite; narrowly lanceolate; entire margin;
narrowly acute apex; rounded to attenuate base; Leaf size: To about
106.0 mm long by about 15.0 mm wide, average about 95.0 mm long by
about 13.0 mm wide; Leaf surfaces: Lustrous adaxial and matte
abaxial; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; Leaf color expanding:
Adaxial between RHS 146B and RHS 144A, abaxial nearest RHS 146D;
Leaf color at flowering: Adaxial nearest RHS 137A, abaxial nearest
RHS 147C; Foliage fragrance: None detected; Veins: Pinnate;
glabrous abaxial and adaxial; midrib about 1.0 mm wide at base,
slightly sunken adaxial and raised abaxial; secondary veins
indistinguishable; Vein color: Adaxial midrib nearest RHS 151C,
abaxial midrib nearest RHS 146D; other adaxial and abaxial veins
same color as surrounding leaf; Petiole: Leaves sessile; Stems:
Cylindrical; stiff; wiry; strong; upright; glabrous; to about 45 cm
long and 5 mm diameter at base, average about 42 cm long and 3.5 mm
diameter at base; Stem color: Proximal lowest two internode
segments nearest RHS 187C with undertone of nearest RHS 146C;
distally between RHS 146D and RHS 145A; Nodes: About 9 per stem
below flowers; average internode length about 3.3 cm; Node color:
Between RHS 146D and RHS 145A; Inflorescence: A loosely-branched
compound corymb of about 100 to 200 flowers; to about 13.5 cm tall
and 23.0 cm across; Flowers: Perfect; salverform with flat face and
long fused tube; actinomophic; typically with five petals; about
27.0 mm long total with tube about 26.0 mm long; face about 25.0 mm
across; attitude upright to outward; Flower longevity: About 5 days
on plant or as cut flower; self-cleaning; Flower fragrance: Faint
to lightly sweet; Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly
oblanceolate, to nearly clavate; acute apex with convolute petals;
base fused into corolla tube; about 25.0 mm long in total, tube
portion about 15 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter, and swollen bulb
portion about 10.0 mm long and 3.5 mm diameter toward base of
convolute petals; Bud color: Corolla tube nearest RHS N81C and bulb
between RHS N81B and RHS 77A; Petals: Five; margin entire; apex
truncate to rounded; base fused into tube; abaxial and adaxial limb
and tube glabrous except pubescent in adaxial region about 5.0 mm
to 7.0 mm from base; limb imbricate about 25% over next petal;
Petal size: Basal 24.0 mm fused into tube, to a diameter of about
3.0 mm; limbs about 12.5 mm across, and about 12.5 mm long;
imbricate about 3.1 mm of the petals to either side; Petal color:
Young adaxial limb distal portion between RHS N80A and RHS N78B,
proximal midrib nearest N78A, with surrounding center eye portion
nearest RHS 77D; young abaxial limb between N78B and RHS N78C with
center eye nearest RHS 76D; young adaxial tube base nearest RHS
145D and mid and distal region nearest RHS 76D; young abaxial tube
base nearest RHS 145D and mid and distal region nearest RHS N79D
with veins nearest N79C; mature adaxial limb nearest RHS N74C with
proximal midrib nearest RHS NN78D; mature abaxial limb nearest RHS
N75D; mature adaxial tube base nearest RHS NN155B and mid and
distal portion nearest RHS N79D; mature abaxial tube base nearest
RHS NN155B and mid and distal portion nearest RHS N79D; Androecium:
Filaments.--Typically five; adnate to adaxial petals except free in
terminal 1.0 mm; varying lengths between 17.0 mm and 22.0 mm, less
than 0.5 mm in diameter; white, nearest RHS 76C. Anther.--Five;
oblong elliptic; dorsifixed; longitudinal; about 3.5 mm long by 1.0
mm wide; color nearest RHS 14B. Pollen.--Abundant; color nearest
RHS 17A. Gynoecium: One pistil per flower; to about 22.0 mm long;
Style.--Cylindrical; about 20.0 mm long and less than 0.3 mm
diameter; color base nearest RHS 145D, distal section nearest RHS
64B. Stigma.--Trifurcate in the distal 1.0 mm, less than 0.25 mm in
diameter; persistent after flower abscission; color nearest RHS
13B. Ovary.--Superior; conical; about 1.5 mm long and 1.0 mm
diameter; color nearest RHS 145A. Calyx: Tubular; to about 7.0 mm
long and 3.0 mm wide at apex; Sepals: Five; lanceolate; narrowly
acute apex, margin entire; base fused; glabrous and lustrous
adaxial and abaxial; individually about 7.0 mm long and 1.5 mm
wide; fused in basal 4.0 mm; Sepal color: Adaxial center nearest
RHS 137B, margin of fused portion nearest RHS 186D, distal margin
nearest RHS NN155C; abaxial fused margins nearest RHS 186D in high
light and nearest RHS NN155C in low light, apex nearest RHS 147B,
proximally highly blushed to solid RHS 187C in high light and
nearest RHS 145A; Peduncle: Cylindrical; glabrescent to glabrous;
lustrous; stiff; strong; upright; about 45.0 cm long and 3.0 mm
diameter at base of flower branches; branches micro puberulent, to
about 14.5 cm long and 2.0 mm diameter at base, to about 45.degree.
angle above horizontal; Peduncle color: Between RHS 146D and RHS
145A; Branch color: Between RHS 146D and RHS 145A with slight
anthocyanin blush of nearest RHS 187C; Pedicel: Terete; micro
puberulent; to about 3.0 mm long and 0.7 mm diameter; mostly
outwardly; Pedicel color: Between RHS 146D and RHS 145A with slight
anthocyanin blush of nearest RHS 187C, developing to heavy blush of
nearest RHS 187C after flower abscission; Fruit and seeds: Have not
yet been observed; Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best
with plenty of moisture and adequate drainage; hardy to at least
from USDA zone 5 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Phlox
`Magenta Pearl` demonstrated the excellent powdery mildew
resistance caused by Erysiphe cichoracearum under conditions of
intense pressure that would normally show symptoms.
* * * * *