U.S. patent number PP34,278 [Application Number 17/803,086] was granted by the patent office on 2022-05-31 for veronica plant named `purple leia`.
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 |
PP34,278 |
Hansen |
May 31, 2022 |
Veronica plant named `Purple Leia`
Abstract
The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Spike Speedwell
plant, Veronica spicata `Purple Leia`, with medium to tall height,
stiff, upright, heavily-branched, dense spikes of rosy-purple
flowers beginning in early summer and continuing for at least five
weeks above deep green foliage. The new plant is useful in the
landscape as a specimen, en masse, as a container plant or 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)
|
Family
ID: |
81756349 |
Appl.
No.: |
17/803,086 |
Filed: |
February 1, 2022 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
PLT/251 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01H
6/68 (20180501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01H
5/02 (20180101); A01H 6/68 (20180101) |
Field of
Search: |
;PLT/251 |
Primary Examiner: Robinson; Keith O.
Claims
I claim:
1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Spike Speedwell plant,
Veronica spicata `Purple Leia`, as herein described and
illustrated.
Description
Botanical classification: Veronica spicata L.
Variety denomination: `Purple Leia`.
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, 2021 followed by the "Walters
Gardens 2021-2022 Catalog" with a brief description and photograph
first distributed on May 21, 2021. Prior to that the claimed plant
was first sold on Jul. 12, 2021 by Walters Gardens, Inc., who
obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the
inventor. No plants of Veronica `Purple Leia` 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
Spike Speedwell, botanically known as Veronica spicata `Purple
Leia`, and hereinafter referred to as the cultivar `Purple Leia` or
the "new plant". The new plant was crossed by the inventor on Jun.
27, 2016 in the hybridizing greenhouses of a wholesale perennial
nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The female or seed parent was a
proprietary unreleased hybrid known only by the breeder code
13-33-5 (not patented) and the male or pollen parent was a
proprietary unreleased hybrid known only by the breeder code
13-32-10 (not patented).
The new plant was assigned the breeder code of 16-7-1. `Purple
Leia` has been asexually propagated initially division and later by
basal cuttings and shoot tip tissue culture at the same nursery in
the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., since the summer of 2018 with
subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be identical to the
original selection with all the same traits as the original
seedling.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT
Veronica `Purple Leia` is unique from all other Spike Speedwell
known to the inventor. Several other cultivars may have some
similar traits, but this is the only variety known by the inventor
to have the following characteristic combinations that establish
the new plant as unique: 1. Medium to tall habit with stiff,
upright, spikes above dense stems of deep green foliage. 2. Scapes
with numerous, dense flowers of rosy-purple petals. 3.
Heavily-branched peduncles begin blooming in early summer and
continue for at least five weeks into summer.
The closest comparison varieties known to the inventor are `Mona
Lisa Smile` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,477, `Purpleicious` U.S. Plant
Pat. No. 17,639, `Hocus Pocus` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,853, `Blue
Skywalker` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,406, `Lavender Lightsaber` U.S.
Plant Pat. No. 32,359, `Purple Illusion` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,301
and `Purple Explosion` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,757.
`Mona Lisa Smile` is smaller in habit and has a flower color that
is a strong purplish-red. `Purpleicious` has flowers that are
lighter violet-purple and the habit is smaller with peduncles less
branched. `Hocus Pocus` has a smaller habit and size, and the
flowers are a darker-purple. `Blue Skywalker` has a similar habit
and size, but the flowers are a lavender-blue. `Lavender
Lightsaber` has a similar habit and size, but the flower color is a
soft lavender. `Purple Illusion` has a smaller habit with fewer
flowers per stem. `Purple Explosion` is taller in habit with less
branching and fewer flowers per stem.
The female parent, 13-33-5, is shorter and the flower was a darker
shade of lavender purple. The male parent, 13-32-10, has lighter
shade of lilac-lavender flowers with a taller habit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance
and unique traits of `Purple Leia` as a two-year-old plant grown in
a full-sun display 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 habit of the new plant in full flower.
FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The following descriptions and color references of Veronica `Purple
Leia` are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural
Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used.
`Purple Leia` 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 grown in a full-sun display garden of
a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Botanical classification: Veronica
spicata; Parentage: The female (seed parent) was 13-33-5; the male
or pollen parent was 13-32-10 a selection comprising
`Purpleicious`, `Sweet Lullaby U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,611 and
`Lilac` (not patented); Propagation: The plant roots from cuttings
in about 2 weeks and finishes to flowering in a 3.8-liter container
in 8 to 10 weeks following a vernalization period of about 8 weeks;
Roots: Fibrous; heavily branching; color between RHS 164C and RHS
164D; Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial; compact; with about
20 stems; main stems branching in distal portion; to about 70 cm
tall and clumping to about 55 cm wide; flowering beginning late
spring in Michigan and continuing for up to 5 weeks; Leaves:
Simple; flat; lanceolate; opposite; margin ciliolate, serrated with
teeth 3.0 mm apart and 1.0 mm long; micro-puberulent adaxial and
glabrous between veins abaxial, lustrous adaxial and matte abaxial;
acute apex; distal leaves with attenuate base and proximal leaves
with rounded base; to about 11 cm long by 3 cm wide near middle,
average about 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, decreasing in both length
and width distally; about 16 leaves per stem; Leaf color: Mature
adaxial nearest RHS NN137A, abaxial nearest RHS 138A; young
expanding adaxial between RHS 145A and RHS 146D, abaxial nearest
RHS 144A; Veins: Pinnate, abaxial midrib costate; sparsely
puberulent abaxial midrib and glabrate to glabrous adaxial and
abaxial veins; Vein color: Adaxial midrib and proximal lateral
veins nearest RHS 146C; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 146D and lateral
veins nearest RHS 137B; Petiole: Simple; concavo-convex; glabrous
adaxial and abaxial; margin micro-ciliolate; base slightly
clasping; to about 12 mm long and 5 mm wide at base, decreasing
distally to an average about 6 mm long and 3.5 mm wide; Petiole
color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146B; abaxial sides nearest RHS 137C and
midrib nearest RHS 146D; Stem: Cylindrical; puberulent; length
about 45 cm before flowers, diameter about 3.0 mm at base; color
nearest RHS 146C; Internodes: 12 below flowers; average about 3.7
cm apart; node color nearest RHS 138A; Inflorescence: Heavily
branched; upright spikes in compressed conglomerate; about 12 cm
long and 4.5 cm wide with up to six lateral branches per stem; with
about 550 flowers per center stem, to 330 flowers per branch and
about 1400 per branched peduncle; Flower bud one to two days prior
to opening: Convolute; oblong; rounded base and apex; glabrous;
about 4.0 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; Flower bud color one to two
days prior to opening: Nearest RHS 77A with calyxes nearest RHS
138A; Flowers: Zygomorphic, perfect, complete; about 6.0 mm wide,
6.0 mm tall and about 8.0 mm long to exserted anthers; corolla
about 6.0 mm across and about 4.5 mm long; corolla tube fused in
basal 2.0 mm and 1.7 mm diameter near base; flowers persist
individually for 4 to 6 days whether on the plant or cut; petals
self-cleaning, sepals and style persistent; attitude outwardly;
Flower fragrance: Not detectible; Flower timing: Late spring and
continuing for about five weeks; Petals: Four; one slightly larger
petal above, two on either side, one slightly smaller below;
rounded apices; entire; glabrous adaxial and abaxial except basal
2.0 mm adaxial of fused tube with pubescent tuft; fused in basal
2.0 mm; larger top and side petals about 4.5 mm long by 6.0 mm
wide, smaller lower petal about 6.0 mm long and 3.5 mm wide; Petal
color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS N81B with corolla tube base
nearest RHS NN155D; adaxial tuft of hairs nearest RHS NN155D;
Androecium: Filaments.--Two; divergent; glabrous; epipetalous about
1 mm from base; about 8 mm long by 0.3 mm; color nearest RHS N82B
distally becoming white, RHS NN155D proximally.
Anther.--Dorsifixed, longitudinal; ellipsoidal; with acute rounded
becoming acute, base rounded; about 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide;
ventral color nearest RHS N77B and dorsal nearest RHS N81B, nearest
RHS 202A abaxial after pollen dehiscence. Pollen.--Abundant,
globose, less than 0.1 mm; nearest RHS 18C. Gynoecium: One,
superior; exserted; persists after petal drop; Style.--Cylindrical;
straight; attitude outwardly to slightly drooping; about 6.0 mm
long by 0.5 mm; color nearest RHS N81B. Stigma.--Globose; about 0.3
mm in diameter; color RHS 76B. Ovary.--Globose to ellipsoid; about
1.2 mm long and 1.0 mm across; color nearest RHS 146D. Calyx:
Campanulate; 2.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter; Sepals: Four;
lanceolate; adaxial dull, glabrous; abaxial microscopically
puberulent; acute apex; basal 1.5 mm fused forming campanulate
calyx; margin entire, micro-ciliolate; to about 2.5 mm long and 1
mm wide; Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 138A, abaxial nearest RHS
137A; Peduncle: About 20 per plant; raceme, strong, virgate,
branched at upper nodes; cylindrical; pubescent distally to
glabrescent proximally; flowering portion to about 24.5 cm long,
about 20 cm across with branches and central stem portion about 18
mm wide; Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146C; Pedicel: Rigid;
cylindrical; micro-puberulent; about 1.7 mm long and 0.5 mm wide,
attitude semi-upright; Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138B; Bract: One;
subtending each flower; linear; narrowly acute apex; entire;
sessile attenuate base; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; proximal
bracts about 15.0 mm long and 22 mm wide and decreasing distally to
about 3.0 mm long and less than 1.0 mm wide; Bract color: Nearest
RHS 139A adaxial and nearest RHS 137A abaxial; Fruit:
Four-chambered, longitudinally-dehiscent capsule; ellipsoid with
rounded apex and base, about 2.5 mm long and 2.0 mm across; color
upon drying between RHS 199D and RHS 161C; Seed: Prolific;
typically about 2 to 4 per capsule; slightly flattened ellipsoidal;
about 0.7 mm long and 0.5 mm across; color variable, nearest both
RHS N199B and RHS N199C; Growth: The new plant grows best with
plenty of moisture and adequate drainage but is able to tolerate
some drought when mature. Hardiness: Hardiness at least from USDA
zone 4 through 8. Disease and pest resistance: Disease and pest
resistance and susceptibility beyond what is typical of that of
other Spike Speedwell has not been observed.
* * * * *