Patent Application
20160338243
Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.
‘PER1912’
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PER1912’.
The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform Poinsettia plants having large inflorescences with attractive flower bracts and excellent post-production longevity.
The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER1270’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,233. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of the mutation parent in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. on Sep. 21, 2011.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. since January, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Plants of the new Poinsettia 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, daylength 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 ‘PER1912’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER1912’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:
1. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.
2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.
3. Freely and upright branching habit.
4. Dark green-colored leaves.
5. Under natural season conditions, plants flower on or about November 25 in Southern California.
6. Large inflorescences with salmon pink-colored flower bracts.
7. Good post-production longevity.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘PER1270’, in flower bract color as plants of ‘PER1270’ have dark red-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Peterstar Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,879. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Peterstar Pink’ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had a more upright branching habit than plants of ‘Peterstar Pink’.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Peterstar Pink’.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Peterstar Pink’ differed in flower bract shape as flower bracts of plants of ‘Peterstar Pink’ were ovate in shape.
4. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Peterstar Pink’ differed in flower bract color as plants of ‘Peterstar Pink’ had dark pink-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘490 Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,817. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘490 Pink’ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘490 Pink’ differed in flower bract shape as flower bracts of plants of ‘490 Pink’ were ovate in shape.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘490 Pink’ differed in flower bract color as plants of ‘490 Pink’ had pink-colored flower bracts.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about one week later than plants of ‘490 Pink’.
The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia 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 Poinsettia plant. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER1912’ grown in a container. The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER1912’.
Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following detailed description were grown during the late autumn/early winter in 16.5-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under natural season conditions and cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C., night temperatures averaged 20° C. and light levels averaged 5,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were 20 weeks old when the photographs and the description 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.
