Patent Grant
PP31516
Latin name of the genus and species of the claimed plant: Dracaena deremensis.
Variety denomination: KRISTI.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dracaena plant, botanically known as Dracaena deremensis, of the family of Asparagaceae, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘KRISTI’.
Dracaena is a monocotyledonous and tropical foliage plant which can produce as a single or multi-stemmed plat, use as a house plant or outdoors in shade in zones 9 or 10 only.
The new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ originated as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Dracaena deremensis var. ‘Lemon Lime’. The new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ was discovered and selected by the inventor, William Vásquez Ulate in 2013, as a single sprouting within a controlled environment, in Candelaria, Palmares, Alajuela province, Costa Rica.
Asexual reproduction of the new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ by vegetative cuttings was first performed in 2013 in Candelaria, Palmares, Alajuela province, and demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘KRISTI’, which in combination distinguish this Dracaena as a new and distinct cultivar:
Plants of the new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ differ from plants of the parental cultivar, Dracaena deremensis ‘Lemon Lime’ (unpatented) in the characteristics described in Table 1.
deremensis ‘Lemon
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar in comparison to the new Dracaena deremensis ‘KRISTI’ is the parental cultivar ‘Lemon Lime’. As an additional commercial comparison, plants of the new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ differ from plants of the comparable variety, Dracaena deremensis ‘Eve’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,073) in the characteristics described in Table 2.
Dracaena deremensis
The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dracaena deremensis cultivar ‘KRISTI’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color value cited in the detailed botanical descriptions which accurately describe the color of ‘KRISTI’.
The new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may show phenotypical changes with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.
The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe the new Dracaena cultivar ‘KRISTI’ as grown in open-field conditions at Candelaria, Palmares, Alajuela province, Costa Rica, which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Average temperature at Candelaria is 27° C. during the day and 15° C. at night. Plants grow under natural light conditions.
Plants of the new Dracaena cultivar ‘KRISTI’ are grown under light conditions of about 80% shade from natural sunlight and about 80% relative humidity. No supplementary artificial light is necessary. Plants of the new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’ are given 1) a liquid 24-8-16 fertilizer every 15th days, and 2) a granular Nutricote 18-6-12 fertilizer every 6 weeks in raining season. No growth retardants are used when growing plants of the new Dracaena ‘KRISTI’.
Color references were made according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.). The photographs and descriptions were made during the dry season in
Candelaria, Palmares, Alajuela province, Costa Rica when outdoor day average temperature was 26° C. The age of the plants described is 8 months old.
