Patent Application
20100251444
Caladium×hortulanum
‘UF404’
The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Caladium×hortulanum plant named ‘UF404’. ‘UF404’ originated from a controlled pollination made in 2003 between ‘Florida Blizzard’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,406) and ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,136). ‘Florida Blizzard’ was selected as the seed parent because of its plant vigor, unique leaf coloration pattern, and high tuber yield. ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ was selected as the pollen parent because of its bright color, compact growth habit, excellent sun burn tolerance, and chilling resistance. ‘Florida Blizzard’ was developed from a cross between ‘Aaron’ (unpatented) and ‘White Christmas’ (unpatented). ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ was developed from a cross between ‘Red Frill’ (unpatented) and ‘Candidum Junior’ (unpatented). The ancestry of ‘Aaron’, ‘Candidum Junior’, ‘Red Frill’, and ‘White Christmas’ is unknown, although ‘Candidum Junior’ was suspected to be a field mutation of ‘Candidum’ (unpatented). Asexual propagation of tubers and evaluation in field and pot studies in Wimauma, Fla. since 2004 have shown that the unique features of ‘UF404’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not been applied for. ‘UF404’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.
Caladium [Caladium×hortulanum Birdsey, Araceae Juss.] is commonly used as a pot or landscape plant and is valued for its colorful leaves. Commercial caladium plants are grown from tubers. The commercial value of a caladium cultivar depends on its tuber yield, leaf color, performance in the landscape as a garden plant, and performance in containers as a pot plant.
The new and distinct variety of caladium is an attractive red lance-leaved caladium that possess a novel combination of foliar characteristics. ‘UF404’ is distinct from other lance-leaved varieties in that it has bright red leaves with white blotches scattered between main veins. ‘UF404’ has been comparable or superior to ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ in tuber yield, pot plant quality, and landscape performance. ‘UF404’ develops numerous brightly colored, wide, and lance-shaped leaves that are resistant to sun burn and the new variety is well suited for forcing in various sized containers, for producing hanging baskets, and for planting in sunny or shady landscape locations. Tubers of ‘UF404’ are well branched and do not require de-eyeing for forcing in small or medium-sized pots (11.4 to 15.3 cm) (
This new caladium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows the plant's form and foliage. The new caladium has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Its phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment such as light intensity and temperature, without, however, any variance in genotype. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Caladium.
The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘UF404’ with color terminology in accordance with British Color Council and The Royal Horticultural Society, Horticultural Colour Chart, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are obvious. Wherein dimensions, sizes, and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations of averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The description herein is from 4 month-old specimens grown in Wimauma, Fla., in 2007. Plants used for describing color were grown in 20.3-cm containers in a 45% shaded greenhouse from four No. 1 (3.8 to 6.4 cm in diameter) tubers.
Plants of ‘UF404’ differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Florida Blizzard’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,406) in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of ‘UF404’ are much shorter than plants of the female parent;
2. Plants of ‘UF404’ differ from plants of the female parent in leaf shape, as plants of the female parent have fancy (or heart) shaped leaves; and
3. Plants of ‘UF404’ differ from plants of the female parent in leaf coloration, as leaves of the plants of ‘Florida Blizzard’ have white veins and white blotches in a green background.
Plants of ‘UF404’ differ from plants of the male parent, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,136), in the following characteristics.
1. Plants of ‘UF404’ are more vigorous and larger than plants of the male parent;
2. Leaves of the plants of ‘UF404’ are longer and wider than leaves of the plants of the male parent; and
3. Plants of ‘UF404’ and ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ differ in leaf color, as leaves of ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ are dull red in the center and have narrow green margins.
Additionally, comparisons were made with the commercial varieties ‘Red Frill’, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,526). Comparisons for chilling resistance were made with the two commercial varieties ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Candidum’. All comparisons were made in Wimauma, Fla. in 2006 and 2007.
Field plots were organized in a randomized complete block design consisting of three replications, and each plot contained 30 propagules. Tubers were dug in December 2006 and January 2008, respectively. Dried tubers were graded by maximum diameter; No. 2 (2.5 to 3.8 cm), No. 1 (3.8 to 6.4 cm), Jumbo (6.4 to 8.9 cm), Mammoth (8.9 to 11.4 cm), and Super Mammoth (>11.4 cm). The production index, an indicator of economic value of the harvested tubers, was calculated as: N (No. 2)+2N (No. 1)+4N (Jumbo)+6N (Mammoth)+8N (Super Mammoth); where N=number of tubers in each grade. In 2006, ‘UF404’ produced similar numbers of marketable tubers (44 to 52) as ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ did, but ‘UF404’ had the greatest tuber weight and the highest production index, with its tuber weight 95% and 68% greater than ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’, and production index 56% and 39% higher than ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ (Table 1). ‘UF404’ was superior to ‘Red Frill’ in tuber weight (3.9×), production index (2.3×) and marketable number of tubers (1.3×). In 2007, ‘UF404’ was comparable to ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ in tuber weight, production index, and marketable tubers, and it was superior to ‘Red Frill’ in all these assessments. In tuber size distribution, the majority (60% or more) of tubers for ‘UF404’ were in the categories of No.1, Jumbo, or Mammoth which was similar to ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’. ‘UF404’ produced larger tubers than ‘Red Frill’, which had the majority (>90%) of tubers in the No.1 and No.2 categories.
Landscape performance of the varieties grown under full-sun conditions was evaluated in 2006 and 2007 on the same plots used for evaluating tuber production. The overall plant performance was rated multiple times (July, August, and September) in each growing season, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very poor (few leaves and lack of vigor), and 5 being excellent (full plants, numerous leaves, and bright color display). Similarly, leaf sun burn tolerance was also evaluated multiple times in each growing season on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very susceptible to sun burns and showing numerous sun-damaged areas or holes on leaves and 5 being resistant to sun burns and not showing any sun-damaged areas. At approximately 4 months after planting, plant height, number of leaves, and foliar characteristics were measured on three randomly chosen plants in each plot. All varieties tested produced a similar high number of leaves typical of lance-leaved plants (Table 2). ‘UF404’ plants were taller (5 to 12 cm taller), and its leaves were larger (4 to 10 cm longer and 1 to 6 cm wider) than those of ‘Red Frill’, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, and ‘Florida Sweetheart’. With the multiple, larger leaves, ‘UF404’ formed full plants with excellent color display, resulting in higher performance ratings than ‘Red Frill’, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ in most of the comparisons. In sun burn tolerance ratings, ‘UF404’ was similar to ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ (4.0 to 4.4 through the growing season) and was better than ‘Red Frill’ in August and September.
The varieties' suitability for container forcing was evaluated by forcing tubers in 11.4-cm containers. No. 1 tubers were planted either intact or de-eyed in a peat/vermiculite mix on 26 Mar. 2007. The study was conducted in a greenhouse with 45% light exclusion during the summer in Wimauma, Fla. Average daily temperatures ranged from a low of 16° C. night to 29° C. day during the experiment. Potted plants were arranged on metal benches in the greenhouse in a randomized complete block design with 10 replications. Plant height, number of leaves, and foliar characteristics were recorded 8 weeks after planting. ‘UF404’ produces excellent pot plants regardless of tuber treatments (intact or de-eyed) (Table 3). When tubers were planted intact, ‘UF404’ sprouted 30 days after planting, similar to ‘Red Frill’ (32 days), but 9 to 13 days earlier than ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’. When tubers were de-eyed, ‘UF404’ still sprouted earlier than ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Florida Sweetheart’. ‘Red Frill’ sprouted ˜6 days earlier than ‘UF404’ when tubers were de-eyed. Early sprouting is preferred by greenhouse growers as it allows for a quicker crop cycle.
Intact or de-eyed plants of ‘UF404’, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Red Frill’ were similar in height and a little taller than those of ‘Florida Sweetheart’. Although it produced similar numbers of leaves as the comparison varieties, ‘UF404’ had leaves 4 to 6 cm wider than ‘Florida Sweetheart’ and ‘Red Frill’. ‘UF404’ and ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ were not significantly different in leaf width at the eighth week after planting. With multiple, bright colored leaves, containerized ‘UF404’ plants received the highest (4.5 to 4.9) quality ratings when compared to ‘Red Frill, ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, and ‘Florida Sweetheart’ (3.0 to 4.3).
‘UF404’ was also evaluated for its resistance to chilling injuries. Mature leaves were excised from approximately 3-month-old potted plants and exposed to 7.2° C. for 3 days in a growth chamber. The leaves were then held at ambient temperature for 10-11 days before examined for signs of chilling injuries (chlorotic and necrotic areas) and assessed for percentage of leaf area injured. Four chilling tests were conducted in June to August 2007, with four replicates in each test. ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ and ‘Candidum’ (unpatented) were used as the chilling-resistant and chilling-susceptible controls, respectively. Leaves of ‘UF404’ had less areas injured by the chilling treatment than both ‘Candidum’ and ‘Florida Red Ruffles’, indicating ‘UF404’ has a good level of resistance to chilling injuries (Table 4).
zData were taken in August 2006 and 2007, approximately four months after tubers were planted in April each year, and averaged of two growing seasons (2006 and 2007).
yPlants were rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very poor, 3 fair and acceptable, and 5 being excellent in plant vigor, fullness, and color display.
xPlants' sun burn tolerance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very poor, 3 fair and acceptable, and 5 being excellent without showing any signs of leaf burns or resulted holes on leaf surfaces.
zNumber of days from planting to the first unfurled leaf.
yPercentage of leaf area injured was assessed 10-11 days after chilling.
zScores were made on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 = no injury, bright and healthy as control's, 2 = some discoloration or yellowing, 3 = 1 to 2%, 4 = 3 to 5%, 5 = 6 to 10%, 6 = 11 to 20%, 7 = 21 to 35%, 8 = 36 to 55%, 9 = 56 to 75%, and 10 = 76 to 100% of the total leaf area injured.
This invention was made with government support under FLA-BRA-04162 awarded by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA. The government has certain rights in the invention.
