Plants – Shrub or vine
Plant Patent
2001-05-11
2002-09-10
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Plants
Shrub or vine
Plant Patent
active
PP012949
ABSTRACT:
BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION
Salvia leucantha.
VARIETY DENOMINATION
‘Santa Barbara’
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of
Salvia leucantha
, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name, ‘Santa Barbara’.
Salvia leucantha
(unpatented) is a low-growing shrub found growing wild in Mexico and tropical Central America.
Salvia leucantha
‘Midnight’ (unpatented) is a selection of
Salvia leucantha
which has a purple flower and a purple calyx. Both plants are grown and used widely in gardens and landscapes in California.
The inventor grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., and has a keen interest in plants that are well suited to the Mediterranean climate of the region. For thirty-five years the inventor has pursued her horticultural interests by serving as a Master Gardener in both Minnesota and California, by maintaining and landscaping gardens for various clients, and by volunteering at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, a garden renowned for its living native plant collection and its study of plants native to California. The inventor thereby acquired the skill necessary to discern the variation displayed by ‘Santa Barbara’, to propagate and observe vegetative divisions of the invention, and to become satisfied by observation and research that the present invention is a new cultivar.
The inventor discovered ‘Santa Barbara’ growing approximately one meter from a plant of
Salvia leucantha
‘Midnight’ (unpatented) in a cultivated area of Santa Barbara, Calif. The discovery was made in the spring of 1995. The soil in which these plants were growing was sandy and dry, conditions to which
Salvia leucantha
and the selection ‘Midnight’ are particularly well suited. The inventor observed that ‘Santa Barbara’ had smaller leaves, shorter internodes, and was not as tall as the adjacent and typical plant. When ‘Santa Barbara’ flowered in the spring of that year, it was observed that the flower spikes were also in proportion to the plant's smaller size. In summary, all the dimensions of ‘Santa Barbara’ were one half to two thirds the size of the adjacent ‘Midnight’.
The inventor sought to locate similarly compact forms of
Salvia leucantha
, but has been unable to discover any
Salvia leucantha
or variety thereof which exhibits or approaches the degree of compactness of ‘Santa Barbara’.
The inventor presumes that ‘Santa Barbara’ is a seedling of the adjacent plant, despite the low incidence of seedlings of
Salvia leucantha
or of
Salvia leucantha
‘Midnight’ found in gardens and landscapes. Neither the inventor nor Dr. Dieter Wilken, Director of Research at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, has been able to find seed in ‘Santa Barbara’. Dr. Wilken dissected several of the plant's “spent” flowers in January 2001, finding no seed, and in March of the same year, dissected several fresh flowers. Dr. Wilken found that the relative position of the stamens and pistils in ‘Santa Barbara’ would not hinder self-pollination (whereas self-pollination is difficult in some salvias whose stamens are strongly displaced from their pistils). Dr. Wilken concluded that ‘Santa Barbara’ may be either self-incompatible, i.e., genetically incapable of self-pollination, or is sterile, i.e., its pollen grains or ovules are sterile (as a result of several possible factors).
‘Santa Barbara’ has small gray-green leaves and dark purple flowers. The flowers appear violet in full sunlight. ‘Santa Barbara’ is not as tall as either
Salvia leucantha
or
Salvia leucantha
‘Midnight’. ‘Santa Barbara’ is further characterized by short flower stalks that are borne above the foliage, short internodes, and, overall, a consistently compact habit.
The inventor made the first asexual propagation in Santa Barbara, Calif., by division of the initial plant during the winter 1997/98. Subsequently, the plant was propagated from tip cuttings taken from the original specimen and from tip cuttings taken from divisions of the original specimen. At the present time many cycles of cutting propagation have been carried out by the inventor. The claimed distinguishing characteristics have remained stable and fixed throughout all cycles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following list represents the distinguishing characteristics of the new Salvia cultivar ‘Santa Barabara’ which, in combination, set ‘Santa Barbara’ apart from all other varieties of
Salvia leucantha
known to the inventor. ‘Santa Barbara’ has not been tested under all possible conditions. Phenotypic differences might occur with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions without any variance in genotype.
1. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ is short in height.
2. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ exhibits a compact habit.
3. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ exhibits small gray-green leaves.
4. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ exhibits short internodes.
5. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ exhibits flowers that are dark purple and which appear violet in full sunlight.
6. The new cultivar ‘Santa Barbara’ exhibits short flower stalks that rise above the foliage.
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