Botanical designation: Helleborus niger X Helleborus x hybridus.
Cultivar denomination: ‘HL 1034’.
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT
An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Inventor/Applicant, Mr. Josef Heuger of Glandorf, Germany, on Dec. 1, 2022, application number 2022/2763. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.
The Inventor/Applicant asserts that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor or Applicant. Inventor/Applicant claims a prior art exception under 35U.S.C. 102 (b) (1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger X Helleborus x hybridus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HL 1034’.
The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December 2016 of a proprietary selection of Helleborus niger identified as code number P629, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent and a proprietary selection of Helleborus x hybridus identified as code number O1689, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in December 2018.
Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by in vitro axillary meristem culture in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany since April 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the new Helleborus 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 ‘HL 1034’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HL 1034’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:
- 1. Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.
- 2. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.
- 3. Dark green-colored leaflets with lighter green-colored venation.
- 4. Freely flowering habit.
- 5. White-colored flowers with purplish red and yellowish green-colored margins and apices.
- 6. Good garden performance.
Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
- 1. Leaves of plants of the new Helleborus are larger than leaves of plants of the female parent selection.
- 2. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus are larger than flowers of plants of the female parent selection.
Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
- 1. Leaflets of plants of the new Helleborus are darker green in color than leaflets of plants of the male parent selection.
- 2. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus are larger than flowers of plants of the male parent selection.
Plants of the new Helleborus can also be compared to plants of Helleborus niger ‘COSEH 240’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Helleborus differ primarily from plants of ‘COSEH 240’ in the following characteristics:
- 1. Leaves of plants of the new Helleborus are larger than leaves of plants of ‘COSEH 240’.
- 2. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus are larger than flowers of plants of ‘COSEH 240’.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus 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 Helleborus plant.
The photograph on the first sheet FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HL 1034’ grown in a container.
The photograph on the second sheet FIG.2 is a close-up view of a typical flower and a flower bud of ‘HL 1034’.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12 C to 32 C and night temperatures ranged from 5 C to 12 C. Plants were 48 weeks old when the photographs were taken and 14 months old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
- Botanical classification: Helleborus niger X Helleborus x hybridus ‘HL 1034’.
- Parentage:
- Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Helleborus niger identified as code number P629, not patented.
- Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Helleborus x hybridus identified as code number O1689, not patented.
- Propagation:
- Type.—In vitro axillary meristem culture.
- Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 55 days at temperatures about 12 C.
- Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 170 days at temperatures ranging from about 4 C to 15 C.
- Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; typically white to brownish in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
- Rooting habit.—Low branching; sparse.
- Plant description:
- Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit with flowers held within to slightly above the foliar plane; plant shape, flattened globular; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
- Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 20.5 cm.
- Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 29 cm.
- Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 38.5 cm.
- Leaf description:
- Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves palmately compound with typically five, or occasionally, seven, leaflets per leaf.
- Leaf length.—About 14.5 cm.
- Leaf width.—About 16.2 cm.
- Leaflet length.—About 9.5 cm.
- Leaflet width.—About 5.6 cm.
- Leaf shape.—Palmate; roughly reniform in outline.
- Leaflet shape.—Elliptic to obovate.
- Leaflet apex.—Acute.
- Leaflet base.—Attenuate.
- Leaflet margin.—Serrate; moderately and coarsely undulate.
- Leaflet texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; coriaceous and tough; slightly glossy.
- Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate and reticulate.
- Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to 137A to 137B; at the base, close to 187C. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to a blend of 146B and 147B; midvein, close to 182B. Fully developed leaflets, upper surface: Darker than a blend of NN137A and 147A; at the base, tinged with close to 200A; venation, close to 144B. Fully developed leaflets, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144A to 144B.
- Petioles.—Length: About 14.2 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm by 8 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B to 146C; sparsely to moderately covered with fine dots, close to N186C.
- Flower description:
- Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate bowl-shaped flowers arranged in panicles; freely flowering habit with about three to five flowers per inflorescence and about 32 flowers and flower buds per plant; flowers face mostly outwardly.
- Fragrance.—None detected.
- Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten months after planting; plants flower naturally from late autumn into the winter in Germany.
- Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; sepals persistent, other flower parts are not persistent.
- Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 157A; towards the base, close to 145D.
- Inflorescence height (including peduncle).—About 28.6 cm.
- Inflorescence diameter.—About 12.3 cm.
- Flower diameter.—About 9.8 cm.
- Flower depth.—About 2.8 cm.
- Petals.—All petals are transformed into nectaries.
- Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 5.4 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate; slightly concave. Apex: Broadly to bluntly acute to close to obtuse. Base: Cuneate to shallowly truncate. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte to slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 155C; towards the margins, flushed with close to 186C to 186D. When opening, lower surface: Close to N155A tinged with close to 186B to 186C; at the margins, close to 59C; venation, close to 60B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155D; towards the margins, flushed with close to 186B to 186D; towards the apex, occasionally tinged with close to 145C and 150D; at the base, close to 145A; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155B tinged with close to 75B; towards the margins, close to 70B; towards the apex, occasionally tinged with close to 145C; at the base, close to 145A; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with subsequent development.
- Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: Typically one. Length: About 6.7 cm. Width: About 4.7 cm. Shape: Ovate to broadly obovate. Apex: Acute to three-lobed. Base: Truncate to cuneate. Margin: Mostly entire; distally, occasionally serrate; coarsely undulate. Color, upper surface: Close to NN137A; towards the base, close to 145A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, tinged with close to 183A and 183B.
- Peduncles.—Length: About 18.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Aspect: About 10 degrees from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color: Close to 146D; moderately to heavily covered with fine dots, close to 184A.
- Pedicels.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Aspect: About 20 degrees from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 146D; heavily covered with fine dots, close to 184B.
- Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 120. Filament length: About 1.7 cm. Filament color: Close to 157C to 157D. Anther shape: Double and broadly reniform; basifixed. Anther size: About 2 mm by 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 154C. Pollen amount: Sparse to moderate. Pollen color: Close to 4D to lighter than 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: About four to eight. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma diameter: About 0.3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 156D. Style length: About 8.5 mm. Style color: Close to 186A. Ovary color: Close to 150D. Nectaries (transformed petals): Quantity per flower: About 14 to 17. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened; apices, obtuse. Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, immature, inner and outer surfaces: Close to a blend of 144C and 150B; towards the apical edge, close to 186A. Color, mature, inner and outer surfaces: Close to N144B; towards the apex, close to a blend of 150C and 150D and at the apical edge, close to 187D; at the base, close to 144B; venation, similar to lamina colors; with subsequent development, color becoming closer to 151A, apical edge, closer to N186C, at the base, closer to 152D. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Helleborus.
- Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, high temperatures about 35 C and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9.
- Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Helleborus plants.
Patent Grant
PP36408
