The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of one petunia plant from self-pollination of one petunia plant having rose color petals which was selected from a crossing `Recoverer Blue` (.female.) and a wild type of petunia plant (.male.) native to Brazil. The `Recoverer Blue` parent is available from Sakata Seed Corp. in Japan.
Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, and drought. The petunia series "Revolution" which we patented which includes the plants `Revolution Purplepink,` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915; `Revolution Brilliantpink,` U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914; and `Revolution Brilliantpink-Mini`, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899, are petunia plants having decumbent growth of branches, with long stems, a lower, spreading habit, abundant branching and high resistance to heat, drought, and rain. However there are only a few varieties having a wide range of a flower color. Accordingly, this invention was aimed to obtaining a new variety having a purple color petal, together with features of said `Revolution` series.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originated from a self-pollination of one petunia plants which was selected from a crossing of `Recoverer Blue` and a wild type of petunia native to Brazil, in spring, 1989 at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-Ken, Japan. From this crossing 500 seedlings were obtained in 1989, from which 5 seedlings were selected, propagated by cutting, and then grown as a trial by flower bedding and potting from the spring of 1990. Only one of the 5 resulting plants was selected. The botanical characteristics of the finally-selected plant were then examined, using a similar variety, `Revolution Brilliantpink-mini`, for comparison, from the spring of 1990. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia plant is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and this new variety of petunia plant was named `Revolution Violet`.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Color Chart), and the Inter-Society Color Council-Nation Bureau of Standards Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
`Recoverer Blue`, used as the female grandparent in the obtaining of petunia plant having rose color petal, is one of the `Recoverer Series` bred by the Sakata Seed Corp., Japan. The `Recoverer Series` includes `Recoverer Scarletred`, `Recoverer White`, `Recoverer Pink`, and `Recoverer Blue`, and these plants are commonly characterized by a resistance to rain. The main botanical characteristics of `Recoverer Blue` are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stems: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: Resistance to rain, heat, and disease, and moderate resistance to pests. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to drought, relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to diseases and pests.
Growth habit.--Upright. PA2 Plant height.--30-40 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--25-35 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 4.0-6.0 mm; lateral stem 2.0-3.0 mm. PA2 Color.--Brilliant yellow green (R.H.S. 145B, J.H.S. 3504-3503). PA2 Branching.--Abundant. PA2 Pubescence.--Medium. PA2 Length of internodes.--2.0-3.0 cm before blooming; 2.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Size (average).--4.5-5.0 cm.times.2.0-3.0 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.3-0.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green to moderate yellow green (R.H.S. 146A-137C, J.H.S. 3508-3712). PA2 Pubescence.--Medium. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with corolla with five fused segments or petals; the petals having a conspicously dark midrib and veining and the corolla having a dark eye. PA2 Diameter.--8.0-8.5 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple to black (R.H.S. 79A-202A, J.H.S. 8618--05; both when open and at full bloom, deep purple (R.H.S. 83A, J.H.S. 8606-8609). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a strong yellow green (R.H.S. 143A, J.H.S. 3711) stigma, and 5 normal stamens each having a medium gray (R.H.S. 202B-202C, J.H.S.-0302) anther and a light purple (R.H.S. 87B-87C, J.H.S. 8304) filament. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in PA2 Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0 mm; lateral stems 1.5-2.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Pubescence.--Heavy. PA2 Length of internodes.--1.0-2.0 cm before blooming; 1.5-3.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Size (average).--4.5-5.5 cm.times.2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A-137B, J.H.S. 3716-3717). PA2 Pubescence.--Scant. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with corolla with five fused segments or petals. PA2 Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79B, J.H.S. 8907-8909); when open, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9207); at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 80A, J.H.S. 8906). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--0.9-1.2 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length.
The male grandparent used in the obtaining of petunia plant having rose color petal, is a wild type of petunia native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japane in October, 1983. This wild type of plant is presently maintained at the aforementioned Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of Suntory Ltd. The main botanical characteristics of this male parent are as follows.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, `Revolution Violet`, was asexually reproduced by cuttings at the aforementioned Yachiyo Farms of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamentals research of Suntory Ltd., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.