Genus and species: Portulaca oleracea.
Variety denomination: ‘KLEPO17022’.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of portulaca plant, botanically known as Portulaca oleracea, and referred to by the variety name ‘KLEPO17022’.
‘KLEPO17022’ originated from a cross-pollination made in December 2013 in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The female parent was an unpatented proprietary portulaca breeding line named ‘PO01.00.12’ and the male parent was an unpatented proprietary portulaca breeding line named ‘PO02.00.12’.
Seeds from the cross-pollination were obtained and sown and plants were grown for evaluation. A single plant was selected in November 2014 and designated ‘KLEPO17022’. In November 2014, ‘KLEPO17022’ was first vegetatively propagated by stem cuttings in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. ‘KLEPO17022’ was found to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation via stem cuttings.
The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia.
This portulaca plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows the plant's overall plant habit including form, foliage, and flowers. The photograph is of a 15-month old plant grown in Stuttgart, Germany. The plant was grown for four weeks in a glasshouse and afterwards outdoors in July 2016. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.
The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘KLEPO17022’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from 5 month old plants in March 2018 in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 5th edition (2007).
‘KLEPO17022’ is a distinct variety of portulaca owing to its magenta star patterned flower color. ‘KLEPO17022’ is distinguished from its parents as shown below in Table 1.
‘KLEPO17022’ is most similar to the variety DUNA ‘Pink Star’ (unpatented) however, there are differences as described in the table below.