Patent Application
20160295766
Catharanthus roseus
‘SUNCATHA 2439’
Filed: Concurrently with this application
The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus plant, botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Suncatha 2439’.
The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely branching and vigorous Catharanthus plants with numerous attractive flowers.
The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan in September, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-9, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Catharanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan in February, 2012.
Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yame, Fukuoka, Japan since February, 2012, has shown that the unique features of this new Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suncatha 2439’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suncatha 2439’ as a new and distinct Catharanthus plant:
1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.
2. Vigorous growth habit.
3. Freely basal branching habit.
4. Freely flowering habit.
5. Long flowering period.
6. Relatively small dark red purple-colored flowers.
7. Good garden performance.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower petal color as plants of the female parent selection have red-colored flower petals.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flowers than plants of the male parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Catharanthus and the male parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have pinkish lavender-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatha 2460’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Catharanthus and ‘Suncatha 2460’ differ in flower color as plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ have lighter red purple-colored flowers.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Catharanthus have a less distinct eye zone than flowers of plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’.
Plants of the new Catharanthus can also be compared to plants of the Catharanthus roseus ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,110. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthus differed from plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Catharanthus were broader than plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
2. Plants of the new Catharanthus had shorter internodes than plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
3. Plants of the new Catharanthus had smaller leaves than plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
4. Plants of the new Catharanthus had smaller flowers than plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
5. Flowers of plants of the new Catharanthus were darker red purple in color than flowers of plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
6. Plants of the new Catharanthus had shorter peduncles than plants of ‘Sunnichi Tarepa’.
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Catharanthus plant. The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatha 2439’ grown in a container. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatha 2439’.
The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were four months old when the description and photographs were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
