Patent Grant
PP17980
Botanical designation: K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid.
Variety denomination: ‘JODIE’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘JODIE’. As used herein, “interspecific hybrid” includes the progeny from the cross of two different species of Kalanchoe, as well as, the progeny resulting from subsequent backcrossing to one of the parents.
The genus of Kalanchoe belongs to the sedum family (Crassulaceae). There are more than 100 different species of Kalanchoe, of which more than 60 are found growing wild on Madagascar, many in South Africa and a few in Asia and South America. Kalanchoe belongs to the succulent plants, which are characterized by watery leaves. The leaves enable them to withstand drought in nature or on the windowsill for a longer time than most other plants, and this allows for a supreme longevity.
The new Kalanchoe cultivar is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventors, Knud Jepsen and Ellen Christensen, in Hinnerup, Denmark. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Kalanchoe cultivars with large flowers, numerous petals per flower, attractive flower coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Kalanchoe cultivar originated from a cross made in a controlled breeding program by the Inventors in Hinnerup, Denmark. The female parent, designated K. blossfeldiana cultivar ‘Leonardo’, is described in pending U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,365, and having the multi-petalled double-type flower characteristic. The male parent designated K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid ‘KJ 1998-469’, unpatented, having very large single-type flowers. The new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘JODIE’ was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Hinnerup, Denmark.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative terminal cuttings was first performed in April of 2004 in Hinnerup, Denmark, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new culitvar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type through asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘JODIE’ which in combination distinguish this Kalanchoe as a new and distinct cultivar:
Table 1 provides a comparison among plants of ‘JODIE’ and plants of the parents, K. blossfeldiana cultivar ‘Leonardo’ and K. blossfeldiana×K. laciniata interspecific hybrid ‘KJ 1998-469’:
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present Inventors, the most similar in comparison to ‘JODIE’ is granted Kalanchoe cultivar ‘2002-0504’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,908. Comparing these two cultivars, besides the petal color being a different pink shade, the main distinction is that plants of ‘JODIE’ have large sized petals resulting in large flowers which have a very harmonic symmetry.
The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘JODIE’ 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 botanical description which accurately describe the color of the new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘JODIE’.
The new Kalanchoe cultivar ‘JODIE’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantly 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 Kalanchoe cultivar as grown in a greenhouse in Hinnerup, Denmark, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in greenhouse at 64.4° F. at daytime and 68° F. during night. The cultivar was produced in a 10.5 cm pot. The cuttings were grown in a long day for the first 5 weeks. From week 6 after planting and onwards, the cultivar was grown in short day conditions (10 hours light and 14 hours darkness). After 17 weeks in total, the cultivar would be ready for sale. The cultivar was grown under natural light conditions supplemented with 70 μmol/m2/s SON-T light when the natural light was less than 100 μmol/m2/s. At a short day, the flowering was induced. The reaction time from day of induction to day of first opened flower was 74 days. The peat based soil mix was watered with a solution containing 200 parts per million (ppm) nitrogen, 200 ppm potassium, 40 ppm phosphorous, 200 ppm calcium, 40 ppm magnesium, 60 ppm sulphate, 1 ppm iron, 0.6 ppm manganese, 0.1 ppm copper, 0.1 ppm zink, 0.3 ppm borium, and 0.03 ppm molybdenum.
In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), published 2001, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions at approximately 12 noon in a greenhouse in Hinnerup, Denmark. The age of the plant described is 19 weeks from the time the cutting was planted in growth medium to when the picture was taken.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP12299 | Jepsen | Dec 2001 | P2 |
| PP14714 | Vlielander | Apr 2004 | P2 |
| PP13365 | Vlielander | Dec 2004 | P2 |
| 20060041963 | Jepsen et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| 20060041964 | Jepsen et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| 20060130191 | Jepsen et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060064792 P1 | Mar 2006 | US |
