Lachenalia jacq. f. ex Murray plant named ‘Radient’

Abstract

A new and distinct form of Lachenalia plant characterized by a bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height of 15-30 centimetres (cm) and width of 10-15 cm having a purple flower with cream tips, and green leave with maroon spots, further characterized in that the spots are fairly pronounced in that it has a good contrast.

Description

Genus and species: Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray.

Variety denomination: ‘Radient’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lachenalia, botanically known as Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray having the common name of Viooltjies/Cape cowslip and hereinafter referred to by its variety denomination ‘Radient’.

The variety was first cultivated in 2008 and originated by means of induced mutation at the premises of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

Asexual reproduction of the ‘Radient’ plant at the same location has shown that the unique features thereof are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Lachenalia which originated from tissue culture as an induced mutation from the variety ‘Rupert’ as detailed hereinbelow and bred locally.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics, under the local evaluation conditions, of the ‘Radient’ plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Radient’ as a new and distinct Lachenalia cultivar:

• • 1. Bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height of 15-30 centimetres (cm) and width of 10-15cm.
  • 2. Flower color: purple (RHS #74C) with cream (RHS #8C) tips.
  • 3. Leaf color: green (RHS #141C) with maroon (RHS #60A) spots.

Color references are made to The R.H.S. Color Chart, 1^st edition, 1966, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used or indicated otherwise.

Plants of the new Lachenalia variety ‘Radient’ can be compared to the denomination ‘Rupert’ but differs in that the flower color of ‘Radient’ is purple (RHS #74C) with cream (RHS #8C) tips compared to the purple only of ‘Rupert’. ‘Rupert’ furthermore has a more blue-purple color at the base of the flower. The maroon (RHS #60A) spots of the ‘Radient’ plant is furthermore more pronounced in that they have a good contrast compared to the low contrast found in ‘Rupert’.

Plants of the new Lachenalia variety ‘Radient’ can also be compared to similar denominations ‘Winsome’ and ‘Leipoldt’.

‘Winsome’ has pinkish flowers compared to the purple (RHS #74C) color of ‘Radient’ and the tips of the flowers of ‘Winsome’ are purple-pink compared to the cream (RHS #8C) tips of ‘Radient’. ‘Winsome’ has tubular flowers whilst the flowers of ‘Radient’ have spreading tips resulting in a denser appearance of the inflorescence of ‘Radient’.

‘Leipoldt’ has pink flowers with dark purple tips. Although the flowers of ‘Leipoldt’ also have spreading tips, the density of ‘Radient’ is better than that of ‘Leipoldt’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The first drawing illustrates the overall appearance of the ‘Radient’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The first drawing comprises a front perspective view of a typical ‘Radient’ grown in an indoor nursery, but located in an outdoor setting.

The second drawing illustrates the overall appearance of the ‘Radient’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. The second drawing comprises a front perspective view of a typical ‘Radient’ grown in an indoor nursery, but located in an outdoor setting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned drawings, following observations and measurements describe ‘Radient’ grown by the inventor on behalf of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Thereafter ‘Radient’ was made subject of a South African Plant Breeders' Right application in March 2009. This application was granted in 2010 under number ZA20104395.

The plant is a late flowering cultivar and may be used for landscaping and should be planted during the month of March; indoors and in pots only. The plant should be kept at temperatures of 20-25 degrees Celsius during the day and 10-15 degrees Celsius at night. Plenty of light should be provided.

‘Radient’ is a mutant derived from the Lachenalia cultivar ‘Rupert’ through the use of irradiation. ‘Rupert’ is a hybrid-hybrid cross with the following species used in the hybrid crosses:

Female: [(L. orchioides subsp glaucina x L. bulbifera) selfed x (L. orchioides subsp glaucina x L. rubida) selfed]; and

Male parent: [(L. aloides var quadricolor x L. rubida) x (L. orchioides subsp glaucinax L. bulbifera)selfed].

‘Radient’ was originally produced from irradiated leaf explant material. A specific plant displaying the flower colour mutation was selected from 20,000 plantlets and thereafter asexually propagated. The asexual progeny of this selection is the cultivar ‘Radient’ and was multiplied via tissue culture at the premises of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

The following characteristics of ‘Radient’ are described with reference to description of said characteristic which are comparable with the mentioned variety/ies having said similar characteristic.

• Leaf: Monocolored.
  • • Spots on upper side.—Present and with good contrast.

		Variety having
	Description of	similar
Characteristic:	‘Radient’:	characteristics:
Attitude:	Semi-erect	‘Romaud’
Length:	Short to medium -
	17.5 cm
Width:	Medium to wide -
	5.8 cm
Ratio: length/width	Large	‘Rodelein’
	(elongated): 3:1
Shape:	Lanceolate	‘Rodelein’
Color:	Green	‘Roinge’
	(RHS #141C)
Leaf color designation for	Green (RHS
lower sides of the leaf	#141C)
Shape in cross section:	Angular	‘Robyn’, ‘Romelia’
Recurving of margin:	Absent	‘Eliza’, ‘Rodelein’
Undulation of margin:	Present	‘Elegant’, ‘Leipoldt’
Blistering and pubescence	Absent	‘Rodelein’, ‘Rosabeth’
of upper side:
Spots on upper side:	Present (Maroon)	‘Bontrok’, ‘Roinge’,
	(RHS #60A)	‘Rosabeth’
Number of spots per leaf	Amount differs
	from plant to
	plant, no exact
	number of spots
	per leaf
Size of spots on upper	Medium	‘Robyn’, ‘Roinge’
side:	(2-3 millimeter
	(mm))
Density of spots on	Medium	‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’
upper side:
Intensity of spots on upper	Medium	‘Roline’, ‘Romelia’
side:
Markings on outer side of	Present	‘Roinge’, ‘Rozanne’
leaf base:

• Peduncle:

		Variety having
	Description of	similar
Characteristic:	‘Radient’:	characteristics:
Length:	Short - 7.5 cm	‘Rolene’, ‘Romaud’
Peduncle color designation	Purplish (RHS
	#53B) with green
	(RHS #141C)
Spots or markings:	Present	‘Bontrok’, ‘Rosabeth’
Coloration of peduncle spots	Purplish (RHS
	#53B)
Size of spots or markings:	Medium	‘Robyn’
	(1-2 mm)
Density of spots or markings:	Medium, close to	‘Robyn’
	each other: spots
	may be as close
	as 0.2 mm, but
	may differ

• Bud:

Characteristic: Description of ‘Radient’:
Color           Purplish (RHS #53B) with green
                (RHS #141C) tips

• Inflorescense:

			Variety having
		Description of	similar
	Characteristic:	‘Radient’:	characteristics:
	Length:	Medium - 15.7	‘Robyn’, ‘Roklara’
		cm
	Rudimentary apex:	Conspicuous	‘Ronette’
	Number of flowers:	Many	‘Romaud’, ‘Sonni’
		(±40-50 flowers)

• Flower:

		Variety having
	Description of	similar
Characteristic:	‘Radient’:	characteristics:
Description of	Inflorescence
floral organ	containing
	individual tubular
	flowers with
	spreading tips
	attached with
	pedicels to the
	peduncle
Attitude:	Horizontal	‘Robyn’, ‘Romargo’
Pedicel:	Present	‘Romelia’
Length of pedicel:	Short to medium
	(2-3 mm)
Length of flower:	Medium - 2.5 cm	‘Lizette’, ‘Rolene’,
		‘Sonni’
Diameter	Medium - 0.7 cm	‘Romargo’, ‘Romelia’,
excluding apex:		‘Rosabeth’
Diameter at apex:	Medium to
	large - 1.7 cm
Attitude of distal part of inner	Spreading	‘Rozanne’
perianth segments
Glossiness:	Absent
Predominant color:	Purple (RHS	‘Roklara’
	#74C) with cream
	tips (RHS #8C)
Intensity of predominant color:	Medium to strong
Outer perianth segment: color	Violet-blue (RHS
of basal part just before	#-84A of RHS
opening of flower	color chart, 2nd
	edition, 1986)
Outer perianth segment: color	Violet (RHS #87A
of basal part of fully opened	of RHS color
flower	chart, 2nd edition,
	1986)
Outer perianth segment: color	Clearly different	‘Ronette’
of apex relative to other part
Outer perianth segment: color	Yellow-green	‘Bontrok’, ‘Leipoldt’
of apex if clearly different	(RHS #154A)	‘Roinge’
from other part
Inner perianth segment:	Present	‘Ronette’
distinct spot in middle of apex
Inner perianth segment: color	Clearly different	‘Louis’, ‘Roinge’
of margin of apex relative to
other part
Inner perianth segment: color	Purple (RHS	‘Leipoldt’, ‘Louis’
of differently colored margin	#78B)
of apex
Inner perianth segment:	Yellow (beige)
predominant color of exposed	(RHS #4D of
part (excluding differently	RHS color chart,
colored margin of apex)	2nd edition, 1986)
Length of inner perianth	Longer	‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’
segment compared to outer
segments:
Extrusion of stamens:	Absent	‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’
Fragrance:	Present	‘Romaud’
Bulb: predominant shape:	Oblate	‘Romaud’
Time of flowering:	Medium -	‘Louis’, ‘Rozanne’
	flowering time
	may vary from
	July to August
	(Southern
	Hemisphere)
Duration of flowering:	Long	‘Romelia’, ‘Rosabeth’
	(2 months)

• Others:

Characteristic:                 Description of ‘Radient’:
Description of the bulb         Cream/white (color designation - RHS
including size and color of the #159C)
bulb at maturity                Size: between 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter
Time of leaf growth/bud burst   Starts within the first week of watering
                                (normally March/April in Southern
                                Hemisphere)
A description of any fruit and  No seed or fruit
seed set
Timing of leaf senescence       After flowering has completed and starts
                                to die down, the leaves start to die off
                                (wheat color) and plant dry out
                                (September-October in Southern
                                Hemisphere)

The variety is not genetically modified and has been tested to be free of Ornithogalum Mosaic Virus.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Lachenalia plant named ‘Radient’ as illustrated and described herein.