Patent Grant
PP34034
Latin name of the genus and species: Tillandsia hybrid.
Variety denomination: ‘DOLCE’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Tillandsia plant, botanically known as Tillandsia hybrid, of the family Bromeliaceae, and hereafter referred to as ‘DOLCE’.
The new Tillandsia ‘Dolce’ originated from a cross made in a controlled breeding program by the inventors in 2003. The seed parent is the unnamed and unpatented Tillandsia selection identified by code ‘0307140001’. The pollen parent is the unnamed and unpatented Tillandsia selection identified by code ‘0307140004’. The new Tillandsia was discovered and selected by the inventors in 2008 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Assendelft, the Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘DOLCE’ was first performed by off-shoots beginning in 2015, and then by tissue culture beginning in 2017 in Assendelft, the Netherlands. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.
Methods for cultivation and crossing of Tillandsia are well known. For a detailed discussion, reference is made to the following publications, which are incorporated herein by reference: Benzig, David H., THE BIOLOGY OF THE BROMELIADS, Mad River Press, Inc., Eureka (1980); Zimmer, Karl, BROMELEIN, Verlag, Paul Parey, Berlin (1986); and Rauh, Werner, BROMELEIN, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (1981).
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘DOLCE’, which in combination distinguish ‘DOLCE’ as a new and distinct Tillandsia cultivar:
Plants of the parent cultivars are no longer available to provide a botanical comparison with the new Tillandsia hybrid ‘DOLCE’.
Plants of Tillandsia ‘DOLCE’ are similar in some horticultural characteristics to the variety Tillandsia ‘Samantha’, unpatented. The new variety, however, differs in the following:
The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Tillandsia cultivar ‘DOLCE’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describes the color of ‘DOLCE’. The accompanying figure shows a side perspective view of a typical potted flowering plant of ‘DOLCE’ at about 16 months of age from potting.
‘DOLCE’ has not been tested and observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, frequency of fertilization, composition of fertilizer, flowering treatment, day length and humidity, without any change in the genotype of the plant. For example, substantial differences in plant height and diameter, number of leaves, can result depending on the size of the plant at the time that flowering is induced by flowering treatment. Since treatment to induce flowering disrupts normal watering and fertilization regimens, flowering treatment of relatively smaller plants adversely affects the growth of the plant.
The aforementioned photograph, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe the new Tillandsia ‘DOLCE’ as grown in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Plants of ‘DOLCE’ were grown in a greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 23° C. No artificial lighting or photoperiodic treatments were conducted, but plants of ‘DOLCE’ are forced into flowering. The following fertilizer is added when growing plants of ‘DOLCE’: 1 part nitrogen, 0.6 parts phosphor, 2 parts Kalium and 0.1 parts magnesium.
Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2001 edition, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the plants of ‘DOLCE’ described is about 18 weeks after flowering treatment.
