USPP11876P2

USPP11876P2 - Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaban’

Info

Publication number: USPP11876P2
Application number: US09/427,732
Authority: US
Inventors: Franz Fruehwirth
Original assignee: Paul Ecke Ranch Inc
Current assignee: Paul Ecke Ranch Inc
Priority date: 1999-10-27
Filing date: 1999-10-27
Publication date: 2001-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-27

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaban’, characterized by its large showy bright red bracts that are held slightly upright and are flat to slightly concave; relatively early flowering; response time about 8.5 weeks; freely flowering habit; dark green leaves with red purple petioles; upright, spreading and mounding plant habit; very freely branching habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckaban’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, color and form; strong and freely branching stems; and good postproduction longevity.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the Inventor of the Poinsettia cultivar ‘559’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,773, as the male, or pollen parent, with the proprietary selection identified as P-50 as the female, or seed parent.

The cultivar ‘Eckaban’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif. in December, 1996.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Eckaban’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Eckaban’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Large showy bright red bracts that are held slightly upright and are flat to slightly concave.

2. Relatively early flowering; response time is about 8.5 weeks.

3. Freely flowering.

4. Dark green leaves with red purple petioles.

5. Upright, spreading and mounding plant habit.

6. Very freely branching habit.

7. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia have a brighter bract color and broader bracts than plants of the female parent, the selection P-50.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of ‘559’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower about one week earlier than plants of ‘559’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more freely branching, broader and more mounding than plants of ‘559’.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have larger leaves and longer petioles than plants of ‘559’.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia have larger and more inflorescences per plant than plants of ‘559’.

5. Flower bracts of the new Poinsettia and ‘559’ differ slightly in color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘Peterstar’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,259. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of ‘Peterstar’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more vigorous than plants of ‘Peterstar’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smoother bracts than plants of ‘Peterstar’.

3. Flower bract color of the new Poinsettia is brighter red than flower bract color of ‘Peterstar’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckaban’.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckaban’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical bracts and leaves of ‘Eckaban’ (left) and ‘559’ (right). Bract and foliage colors in the photographs may differ from actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 21 to 27° C., night temperatures ranging from 18 to 20° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 16-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nyctoperiods during the fall/early winter. Plants were about 17 weeks old after planting from an unrooted cutting.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckaban’.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘559’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,773.

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as P-50.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 7 days at 24° C. Winter: About 10 days at 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 24° C. Winter: About 26 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Freely branching, becoming fibrous with development.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.

Growth habit.—Upright and spreading. Very freely branching. Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex. Vigorous.

Plant height.—About 31 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16-cm container, about 17 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Number of lateral branches: About nine or ten lateral branches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branch length: About 24.5 cm. Internode length: About 2.25 cm. Stem color: 146A to 146B.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 7. Length: About 13 cm. Width: About 8.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate, occasionally lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture: Dull; slight pubescence on lower surface. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 147C. Mature foliage, upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147C. Venation, lower surface: 147B. Petiole: Length: About 5.25 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development can be induced under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time is about 8.5 weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about nine or ten per plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 32 cm. Height (depth): About 5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about 14 primary bracts and about 6 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 14 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 8 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate; largest bracts may be lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute to attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Aspect: Held slightly upright; flat to slightly concave. Color: Developing, upper surface: 45A. Developing, lower surface: 45C. Mature, upper surface: 45A. Mature, lower surface: 45C.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 10 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2 by 2.5 cm. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Color: Immature: 144A to 144B. Mature: 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 5 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens: Stamen number: Three to five with numerous stamenoids per cyathium. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: 46A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 7A. Pistils: None. Nectaries: Nectary quantity: One per cyathium. Nectary color: 7A.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have shown good resistance to Botrytis.

Postproduction longevity: Excellent; generally plants maintain good substance and bract color for about eight weeks under interior conditions.

Claims

It is claimed:

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckaban’, as illustrated and described.