USPP3516P - African violet - Google Patents

Description

March 12 1974 HOLTKAMP Plant Pat. 3,516

AFRICAN VIOLET Filed Aug. 24. 1972 United States Patent 3,516 AFRICAN VIOLET Hermann Holtkamp, Werther Strasse 5-7, Postfach 19, 4234 Isselburg, Germany Filed Aug. 24, 1972, Ser. No. 283,587 Int. Cl. A0111 5/00 US. Cl. Pit-69 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hybrid violet of a descendant of a cross between Saintpaulia ionantha and Saintpaulia shumensz's species which has permanent characteristics including strength of stem, fast and vigorous growth, profuse flowering, uniform bouquet, prolonged blooming period, resistance to disease, reliability in initiating new plantlets, retention of flowers past maturity on their respective stems, and uniformity throughout the life cycle.

BRIEF SUMMARY The present new variety was originated by me by crossing an unpatented African violet variety, Rhapsodie Pink, Type /23 with another unpatented African violet, Rhapsodie Light Pink, Type 9/68. Both of these varieties were devolped by me as the result of an extensive breeding program, and the plants had substantially the same general physical characteristics as Rhapsodie Gisela, disclosed in my United States Letters Pat. No. PP 3,053 of Apr. 20, 1971, apart from color and the larger size of individual flowers.

In the present variety the individual flowers are large and a very light pink with darker centers around the anthers and the petals have stripes of darker hue or shade radiating from the center. The plants themselves have generally the same physical characteristics as the plants disclosed in the above-designated patent, in their strength of stem, profuse flowering, uniform bouquet, prolonged blooming period, resistance to disease, reliability and uniformity. The color and size of the individual flowers are the principal features that distinguish this variety from those of the variety shown in said patent.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The upper illustrations show, in full color, several of the flowers; and the opposite sides of one of the leaves; and below, in pen and ink, a top plan view in reduced size of a plant showing a flower head and a wreath of leaves therearound.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Name: Rhapsodie Gloria Male parent: Rhapsodie Pink Type 10/23 Female parent: Rhapsodie Light Pink Type 9/68 Plants: 5 to 6 inches tall Leaves: Borne in rosette arrangement from 10 to 12 inches in diameter Shape.Round to oval, slightly scalloped along edge Length-3%. to 4 /2 inches Width.-2 /2 to 3 /2 inches Upper side.Slightly hairy Underside.Slightly hairy C0l0r.Upper side medium green. Underside light green to reddish along veins Petiole: Round Flowers: Borne profusely in large, central upright flower head above foliage Individual flowers: Quinquepartite, bilaterally symmetrical Size.2 to 2 /2 inches in diameter C0l0r.Light pink, darker center and radial stripes of slightly darker hue on petals Ca Iyx.-Quinquepartite Peduncles.Multiflorous, 8 to 12 flowers Genital organs:

Stamens.-Two fructified Anthers.Light yellow Ovary.-Pilous Seed capsule.-Does not push through Roots: Well developed root system, white when young,

turning to a brownish color on older plants.

The color designations, according to Dictionary of Color by Maerz and Paul are as follows:

Plate Letter N 0.

Body of leaf:

Upper side medium green C 6 Underside, light green, reddish along veins A 3 Petiole 6 J 9 Main body of flower:

Light pink petals 41 D 2 Faint radial stripes 41 F 3 Darker pink at base of two smaller petals 41 K 5 Authors 9 L 4 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS There may be minor variations in the leaf size, shape and color, and in the shape of the flowers, which variations are common to African violets, but there is substantial uniformity in all the other characteristics described in the aforesaid patent. Thus in the present variety the characteristics that are constant and that distinguish it from the other varieties include: the large, central, upright flower head within and above a wreath of green leaves of a rosette arrangement relative to the flower head; and large individual flowers of light pink with a darker pink at the base of the petals, and which petals have faint radially extending stripes of a slightly darker shade than the color of said light pink color.

I claim:

1. A distinct variety of African violet substantially as herein shown and described, characterized by a habit of bearing a large, central, upright flower head within and above a wreath of green leaves extending around said flower heads, and the individual flowers of which are from approximately 2 to 2 /2 inches in diameter with very light pink petals having faint radially extending stripes, with the bases of the two smaller petals a deeper pink adjacent central light yellow anthers.

No references cited.

ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner

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