Plants – Herbaceous ornamnental flowering plant – African violet
Plant Patent
2002-01-17
2003-05-13
Bell, Kent (Department: 1661)
Plants
Herbaceous ornamnental flowering plant
African violet
Plant Patent
active
PP013818
ABSTRACT:
LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED
Saintpaulia ionantha.
VARIETY DENOMINATION
‘EverGrace’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of African Violet plant, botanically known as
Saintpaulia ionantha
, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘EverGrace’.
The new cultivar was referred to during the breeding and selection process by the designation ‘R 7/1 B’ and is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar is a mutation of
Saintpaulia ionantha
‘EverPraise’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/046,985) discovered by the inventor, Reinhold Holtkamp, Sr., in the controlled breeding program Nashville, Tenn. The female, or seed grandparent was a cultivar designated ‘SB 4-2 Muflo’ (U.S. Plant Patent application Ser. No. 10/046,968). The male, or pollen grandparent was a cultivar designated ‘P 6/6’ (unpatented). ‘SB 4-2 Muflo’ was produced from plants derived from African Violet seeds incubated in a weightless environment in space on the Long Duration Exposure Facility.
In comparison to ‘EverGrace’, ‘SB 4-2 Muflo’ is a multiflorescent cultivar having single, violet-shaped medium blue flowers. The leaves of ‘SB 4-2 Muflo’ are medium green which in contrast to the leaves of ‘EverGrace’ are not wavy, nor crenate. Unlike ‘EverGrace’, the petals of ‘SB 4-2 Muflo’ do not have the light green edge, and the flowers are not bi-colored. In comparison to ‘EverGrace’, ‘P 6/6’ is a cultivar having single, violet-shaped, non-multiflorescent burgundy flowers. Similar to ‘EverGrace’the petals of ‘P 6/6’ have a light green edge.
‘EverGrace’ was discovered and selected by the inventor as a flowering plant within a planting of ‘EverPraise’ in a controlled environment in Nashville, Tenn. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by leaf cuttings, as performed by the inventor in Nashville, Tenn., has 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.
‘EverGrace’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length without a change in genotype. The following observations, measurements and values describe the new cultivar as grown in Nashville, Tenn. and Haffen, Germany under greenhouse conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘EverGrace’, which in combination distinguish this African Violet as a new and distinct cultivar:
1) Multiflorescence;
2) A single crown as large as 35-45 cm in diameter;
3) Strong, upright flower stems curving slightly toward the center;
4) Single violet-shaped white flowers with variable amounts of light blue in the center fading towards the edges and around some flower edges; frilled light green edges, especially on the two smaller petals;
5) Each plant carries approximately 12-16, sometimes more, upright flower stems each of which carry 10-14, sometimes more flowers;
6) Long-lasting, non-dropping flowers;
7) Vigorous and compact grower;
8) Plant saleable 12-13 weeks after potting;
9) Seed capsules visible above the petals;
10) Medium-green, wavy, heart-shaped leaves; and
11) After maturity the flowers dry off, and remain on the peduncle without becoming infected by Botrytis.
The new cultivar is most similar to ‘EverPraise’ (U. S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/046,985). Both ‘EverGrace’ and ‘EverPraise’ display the multiflorescence trait, have the same extra large growth habit and same type leaves and flower shape with the greenish edge. However, ‘EverPraise’ has medium blue flowers whereas ‘EverGrace’ has bi-colored flowers, white with variable amounts of light blue in the center, fading out to the edges and around some edges. In addition, ‘EverGrace’ has a wider green edge than ‘EverPraise’.
Bell Kent
Foley & Lardner
International Plant Breeding AG
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