Patent Application
20130276192
Vriesea sp.
SPARKLE'
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vriesea plant, botanically known as Vriesea sp., hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘SPARKLE’. The genus of Vriesea belongs to the Bromeliaceae family.
The new Vriesea cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by—the inventors, Elly Bak and Nico D. M. Steur, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop a new Vriesea variety with good growing habit and attractive inflorescence.
The new Vriesea cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ originated from a cross-made in a controlled breeding program by the inventors in 1998 in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is a Vriesea selection designated ‘89326’ (unpatented). The male or pollen parent is a Vriesea selection designated ‘85249’ (unpatented). ‘SPARKLE’ was discovered and selected by the inventors in May of 2002, 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 ‘SPARKLE’ performed by vegetative means by tissue culture was first performed in 2007, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The first ‘SPARKLE’ plants propagated through the use of tissue culture flowered in 2009, in Assendelft, The Netherlands, and have demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘SPARKLE’ which in combination distinguish this Vriesea as a new and distinct cultivar:
Plants of the parents, ‘89326’ (unpatented) and ‘85249’ (unpatented), are no longer available to provide a botanical comparison with the new Vriesea cultivar ‘SPARKLE’. The new cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ differs primarily from plants of the parental cultivars by exhibiting a more branched inflorescence, orange-red in color.
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventors, the most similar in comparison to the new Vriesea cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ is the Vriesea cultivar designated ‘STYLE’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,176). Plants of the new cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ differ from plants of ‘STYLE’ primarily in inflorescence color.
The new Vriesea cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ can also be compared to the Vriesea cultivar designated ‘ENERGY’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,235). Plants of the new cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ differ from plants of ‘ENERGY’ primarily in that ‘SPARKLE’ has a higher number of branches.
The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Vriesea cultivar ‘SPARKLE’ 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 ‘SPARKLE’.
‘SPARKLE’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, fertilizers and humidity without any change in the genotype of the plant.
The aforementioned photograph, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe the new Vriesea cultivar as grown in a greenhouse in Assendelft, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Plants of ‘SPARKLE’ 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 ‘SPARKLE’ are forced into flowering by adding acetylene. The following fertilizer is added when growing plants of ‘SPARKLE’: 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.), 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 ‘SPARKLE’ described is about 15 months from potting.
