Patent Application
20190327873
n/a
Genus and species: Ruellia simplex.
Cultivar denomination: ‘R16-1-1’.
The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Ruellia simplex plant named ‘R16-1-1’. ‘R16-1-1’ is a F1 seedling from a manual hybridization conducted on Feb. 15, 2015, at the Environmental Horticulture Research Greenhouses (EHRG), University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Fla., between ‘R14-4x-PK1’ (UF proprietary clone, not patented; tetraploid, red-purple flowers) x ‘R14-2x-PK1’ (UF proprietary clone, not patented; diploid, red-purple flowers). Ploidy level determinations were done by flow cytometry at UF using wild R. simplex as a diploid (2n=2x=34) control and ‘Purple Showers’ as a tetraploid control. ‘R16-1-1’ is below the diploid level, so it appears to be an aneuploid, originated from haploid parthogenesis in the tetraploid maternal parent and had loss of one or more chromosomes (2n=2x−?=34−?).
‘R16-1-1’has been reproduced asexually for over one year through vegetative cuttings and has been shown to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
‘R16-1-1’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.
The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of ‘R16-1-1’ when grown under normal horticultural practices in Florida.
This new Ruellia simplex variety ‘R16-1-1’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs were taken from seven-week old plants grown at the EHRG, UF, Gainesville, Fla.
The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘R16-1-1’. Plants were propagated by vegetative cuttings on June 2016, and grown in the EHRG, UF, Gainesville, Fla. Plants were approximately seven weeks of age when plant parts were measured and descriptions of color were determined. Color references are to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2001 Edition.
When ‘R16-1-1’ is compared to the female parent ‘R14-4x-PK1’, ‘R16-1-1’ has shorter plant height and smaller red-purple flowers with a darker red-purple corolla tube, while ‘R14-4x-PK1’ has tall plant height, and larger red-purple flowers with a darker red-purple corolla tube. When ‘R16-1-1’ is compared to the male parent ‘R14-2x-PK1’, ‘R16-1-1’ has shorter plant height and smaller red-purple flowers with a darker red-purple corolla tube, while ‘R14-2x-PK1’ has tall plant height, and larger red-purple flowers with a darker red-purple corolla tube. ‘R14-4x-PK1’ and ‘R14-2x-PK1’ form fruits and seeds while ‘R16-1-1’ does not.
When ‘R16-1-1’ is compared to the UF variety ‘R10-105-Q54’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,063), ‘R16-1-1’ has average plant height and width of 49 cm 51 cm, respectively, while ‘R10-105-Q54’ has average plant height and width of 80 cm 64 cm, respectively. Corolla diameter in ‘R16-1-1’ is 3.0-4.0 cm and its color is RHS 73D (red-purple) with darker RHS 72A (red-purple) tube, while corolla diameter in ‘R10-105-Q54’ is 4.5-5.2 cm and its color is RHS 66D (red-violet) with darker RHS 74A (red-violet) tube. When ‘R10-105-Q54’ is hand pollinated with pollen from wild Ruellia simplex or ‘Chi Chi’, respectively, 35% and 50% of the crosses result in fruit formation, but all fruits abort before maturation and seeds are not viable. ‘R16-1-1’ does not form fruits or seeds.
When ‘R16-1-1’ is compared to the known variety ‘Chi Chi’ (commercial cultivar, not patented), ‘R16-1-1’ has average plant height and width of 49 cm 51 cm, respectively, while ‘Chi Chi’ has average plant height and width of 60 cm 62 cm, respectively. Corolla diameter in ‘R16-1-1’ is 3.0-4.0 cm and its color is RHS 73D (red-purple) with darker RHS 72A (red-purple) tube, while corolla diameter in ‘Chi Chi’ is 4.8-5.4 cm and its color is RHS 68D (red-purple) with darker RHS 64C (red-purple) tube. One plant of ‘Chi Chi’ produces approximately 120 fruits during 60 days, and has an average of 18 seeds per fruit with 82% germination rate, resulting in about 1,770 seedlings. ‘R16-1-1’ does not form fruits or seeds.
This invention was made with government support under FLA-ENH-005388 awarded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. The government has certain rights in the invention.
