Patent Grant
PP20485
Genus and species: Calibrachoa sp.
Variety denomination: ‘SAKCAL094’.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘SAKCAL094.’ It is characterized by having large pink flowers and a creeping plant growth habit. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in 2004 in Kakegawa, Japan. The female grand parent was a proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa breeding line named ‘K9-326’ having a pink flower color and a creeping plant growth habit. The male grandparent was a proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa breeding line named ‘1B-74A-1’ characterized by its rose-pink flower color and creeping plant growth habit.
In November 2003, ‘K9-326’ and ‘1B-74A-1’ were crossed and 200 seeds were obtained. In February 2004, the F1 seed were sown in the greenhouse, cultivated and plant lines were produced with flower colors of Pink and Rose Pink and creeping plant growth habit. Three plant lines were selected within the F1 plants that had large rose pink flowers and a creeping plant growth habit. The three plant lines were intercrossed and 1,050 seeds were obtained. The exact female and male parentage is unknown.
In July 2004, 600 seeds were sown in the greenhouse, cultivated and plant lines were produced with flower colors of rose-pink, pink and light pink and a creeping plant growth habit. The line ‘K5-87’ was selected for its pink flower color and creeping plant growth habit. In February 2005, line ‘K5-87’ was vegetatively propagated by cuttings, cultivated and evaluated.
‘K5-87’ was vegetatively propagated through several generations and was subsequently named ‘SAKCAL094’. Its unique characteristics were found to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The genus Petunia was originally established in 1803 by A. L. Jussieu, who described both P. parviflora and P. nyctaginifloa as type species. Using a non-horticultural system that selected the first mentioned species as the type species (lectotype), N. L. Britton and H. A. Brown declared P. parviflora as the type species for Petunia in 1913.
During the 1980's and 1990, H. J. Wijsman published a series of articles regarding the ancestry of P. hybrida, the Garden Petunia, and the inter-relationship of several species classified as Petunia. These studies discovered that P. hybrida and its ancestral species, P. nyctaginiflora (=P. axillaris) and P. violacea (=P. integrifolia), possessed 14 pairs of chromosomes while several other species, including P. parviflora, possessed 18 pairs of chromosomes. Since P. parviflora was the lectotype species for the Petunia genus, Wijsman and J. H. de Jong proposed transferring the 14 chromosome species to the genus Stimoryne. Horticulturists opposed reclassifying the Garden Petunia and in 1986, Wijsman proposed the alternative of making P. nyctaginiflora the lectotype species for Petunia and transferring the 18 chromosome species to another genus. The I. N. G. Committee adopted this proposal. By 1990 Wijsman had transferred several species, including P. parviflora (=C. parviflora) to Calibrachoa, originally established by Llave and Lexarza in 1825. Calibrachoa parviflora (=C. mexicana Llave & Lexarza) is now the type species for the genus Calibrachoa.
Classification of the current Petunia and Calibrachoa species is still in progress. New species are also being identified. Consequently a proper description has not been written for the Calibrachoa genus. Calibrachoa can, however, be distinguished from Petunia based on the higher chromosome number, chromosome morphology, plant branching habit and type of flower bud aestivation. Whereas Petunia species bear a flower peduncle and one new stem from a node, Calibrachoa bear a flower peduncle and three stems. Petunia species have a cochlear corolla bud, and a single outermost petal covers the other four, radially folded and terminally contorted petals. Calibrachoa flower buds are flat with all five petals linearly folded and the two lower petals forming a cover around the three other petals and fused together.
The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Kakegawa, Japan.
This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's form, foliage and flowers. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.
The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘SAKCAL094’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. The detailed description was taken from plants grown under greenhouse conditions for approximately 4 months from transplanting of rooted cuttings. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4th Edition.
‘SAKCAL094’ is distinguished from its grandparents mainly by flower color and plant growth habit as shown in Table 1 below.
‘SAKCAL094’ is a distinct variety of large-flowered Calibrachoa owing to its pink flower color and creeping plant growth habit. ‘SAKCAL094’ is most similar to the variety ‘USCALI11’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,968); however, there are differences in flower petal color, flower size and plant growth habit as described in the table below:
