Petunia plant named ‘USTUNI6504’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘USTUNI6504’, characterized by its low spreading to cascading plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; numerous single flowers that are deep red purple in color; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘USTUNI6504’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name USTUNI6504.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hikone, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new disease-resistant and heat-tolerant Petunias with semi-upright plant habit and attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on Apr. 25, 2001 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Petunia×hybrida, not patented. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny on Jun. 18, 2002 in Gensingen, Germany, on the basis of its plant habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since Jun. 18, 2002, in Gensingen, Germany has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar USTUNI6504 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘USTUNI6504’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘USTUNI6504’ as a new and distinct culitvar:

• • 1. Low spreading to cascading plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Numerous single flowers that are deep red purple in color.
  • 4. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hikone, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia were more creeping than and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia were more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hikone, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed primarily from plants of the male parent selection in time to flower as plants of the new Petunia flowered earlier than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Caschamp, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,426. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Caschamp in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Petunia were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Caschamp.
  • 2. Plants of the new Petunia were more rain tolerant than plants of the cultivar Caschamp.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘USTUNI6504’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘USTNI6504’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in 15-cm containers were used for the aforementioned photographs and following description. Plants were about two months from planting rooted cuttings. Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the summer in Bonsall, Calif. in an outdoor nursery. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 21° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 18° C.

• Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida culitvar USTUNI6504.
• Parentage:
  • • Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented.
    • Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 15 days at 20° C. to 22° C.
    • Time to develop roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at 18° C. to 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine; white, close to 155D, in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Form/habit.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially upright, then low spreading and cascading; uniformly mounded plant form. Freely branching habit with about twelve lateral branches and numerous secondary and tertiary lateral branches per plant. Pinching enhances development of lateral branches. Vigorous growth habit.
    • Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio containers and landscape applications.
    • Plant height.—About 15 cm.
    • Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 62 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 40 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before flowering; opposite after flowers develop; simple. Length: About 4.4 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; viscid. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper surface: 146B. Venation, lower surface: 146C. Petiole length: About 5 mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 146C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Freely flowering habit, about 38 to 40 flower buds and open flowers per lateral branch.
    • Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants begin flowering about four to six weeks after planting rooted cuttings. Flowers persistent.
    • Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About 4.2 cm. Tube length: About 3 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Elongated obovate. Color: 79B.
    • Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: About five petals fused in a single whorl, funnelform. Length from throat: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Roughly fan-shaped to obovate. Apex: Acute with central points. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Petal lobes, smooth, glabrous; tube, pubescent. Color: When opening, upper surface: Brighter and more saturated than 78A. When opening, lower surface: 77B. Fully opened, upper surface: Brighter and more red than 71A; venation, 79A. Fully opened, lower surface: 72B; venation, 79B. Flower throat (inside); 79B; venation, 79A. Flower tube (outside): 79C; venation, 79B.
    • Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 3.3 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Angle: About 45° to 90° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five. Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: 91A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: More gray than 93C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About 1.6 cm. Style color: 144A to 144B. Stigma shape: Rounded; anvil-shaped. Stigma color: 147B. Ovary color: 144B.
    • Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been observed.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been noted to tolerate temperatures from 0° C. to 38° C. and have excellent tolerance to rain and wind.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘USTUNI6504’, as illustrated and described.