Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.
Cultivar denomination: ‘SENE TOYOHARE’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sene Toyohare’.
The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright, uniformly mounding and vigorous Senecio plants with a freely-branching habit, early flowering and numerous attractive inflorescences.
The new Senecio plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in March, 2014 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation S12-45-4, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation S12-45-5, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2015.
Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Plants of the new Senecio 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 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 ‘Sene Toyohare’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sene Toyohare’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:
- 1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.
- 2. Vigorous growth habit.
- 3. Freely branching habit.
- 4. Freely flowering habit.
- 5. Daisy-type inflorescences with ray florets that are deep bluish purple and reddish purple in color.
Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Senecio are deep bluish purple and reddish purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of the female parent selection are light red in color.
Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in inflorescence size as plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than plants of the male parent selection.
Plants of the new Senecio can also be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus ‘Sunsenegonana’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,266. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’ in the following characteristics:
- 1. Plants of the new Senecio are shorter and broader than plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’.
- 2. Plants of the new Senecio are more freely branching than plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’.
- 3. Plants of the new Senecio have broader and darker green- colored leaves than plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’.
- 4. Plants of the new Senecio are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’.
- 5. Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’ in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Senecio are deep bluish purple and reddish purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’ are dark violet and pink in color.
- 6. Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’ in developing disc floret color as developing disc florets of plants of the new Senecio are yellowish white in color whereas developing disc florets of plants of ‘Sunsenegonana’ are dark violet in color.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS
The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio 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 Senecio plant.
The photograph at the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sene Toyohare’ grown in a container.
The photograph at the bottom of the photographic sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Sene Toyohare’.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 24-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
- Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sene Toyohare’.
- Parentage:
- Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation S12-45-4, not patented.
- Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code designation S12-45-5, not patented.
- Propagation:
- Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
- Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.
- Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.
- Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
- Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
- Plant description:
- Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with about seven primary branches each with numerous secondary branches.
- Plant height.—About 26.3 cm.
- Plant diameter.—About 44.3 cm.
- Lateral branches.—Length: About 15.8 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 141C.
- Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About 6.7 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate to serrate; slightly undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; matte. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138D. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation, close to 141D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 139C; venation, close to 143D. Leaf petioles: Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A variably tinged with close to 60C.
- Inflorescence description:
- Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray florets; inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils and positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences face mostly upright; freely flowering habit with about 95 inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering season.
- Fragrance.—None detected.
- Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.
- Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.
- Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to N80A.
- Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.7 cm. Depth (height): About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm.
- Receptacles.—Diameter: About 5.1 mm. Height: About 1.3 mm. Color: Close to 144B.
- Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 13 per inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 7.7 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire, not undulate. Aspect: Initially upright, then horizontal; flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Distally, close to N79C and proximally, close to N78A. When opening, lower surface: Distally, close to N76A and proximally, close to N76C. Fully opened, upper surface: Distally, more bluish than N81A and proximally, close to N80B; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Distally, close to N81D and proximally, close to 76C; venation, similar to lamina colors; color does not change with subsequent development.
- Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 136. Length: About 7.9 mm. Diameter, at apex: About 1.4 mm. Diameter, at base: About 0.5 mm. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Texture: Pubescent. Color, immature: Close to 158D. Color, mature: Close to 14D becoming closer to 5D with development.
- Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 15 per inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 1.1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143A.
- Peduncles.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outwardly. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137D.
- Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Filament length: About 3.1 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 1.7 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 5D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 7A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 7.8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 8B. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 143D.
- Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Senecio.
- Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Senecio have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio plants.
- Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C.
Patent Grant
PP34849
