Brachteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05351’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Brachteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05351’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; inflorescences with light red-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Description

Botanical designation: Brachteantha bracteata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEBB05351’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Brachteantha plant, botanically known as Brachteantha brachteata, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEBB05351’.

The new Brachteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Brachteantha cultivars with uniformly mounded plant habit, early and freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Brachteantha originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in 2002 of a proprietary selection of Brachteantha brachteata identified as code number SP W 003, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Brachteantha brachteata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Brachteantha was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in 2003. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescences.

Asexual reproduction of the new Brachteantha by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Brachteantha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEBB05351 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEBB05351’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEBB05351’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Brachteantha:

• • 1. Upright somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit.
  • 3. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Inflorescences with light red-colored involucral bracts.
  • 5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Brachteantha differed from plants of the female parent selection primarily in involucral bract color as plants of the female parent selection have light pink-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Brachteantha can be compared to plants of the Brachteantha cultivar Mohave Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Brachteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Brachteantha were less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink.
  • 2. Plants of the new Brachteantha flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink.
  • 3. Plants of the new Brachteantha had darker colored involucral bracts than plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Brachteantha. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Brachteantha. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEBB05351’ grown in a container.

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. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany during the winter and spring in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Bracteantha production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 22° C., night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 30,000 lux to 55,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were grown in 12-cm containers and were about twelve weeks old when the photograph and description were taken.

• Botanical classification: Brachteantha brachteata cultivar KLEBB05351.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Brachteantha brachteata identified as code number SP W 003, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Bracteantha bracteata, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 20° C. to 22° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 18° C. to 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 16 days at 20° C. to 22° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 22 days at 18° C. to 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine to fibrous; white in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit with dense foliage and inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles. Moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 25 cm to 30 cm.
    • Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm to 32 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit with lateral branches developing potentially at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About 6 cm to 14 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Internode length: About 3 mm to 12 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137D.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple, sessile. Length: About 10 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; rough. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 137A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C; venation, 137D.
• Inflorescence description:
  • • Appearance.—Rotate composite inflorescence form with lanceolate-shaped ray florets. Involucral bracts and disc florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on strong peduncles. Inflorescences face mostly upright. Freely flowering habit; about two open inflorescences and about three to five developing inflorescences per lateral branch; about 35 developing and open inflorescences per plant. Inflorescences persistent.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Time to flower.—Early flowering habit; plants begin flowering about 74 days after planting. Plants flower throughout the summer in Germany.
    • Post-production longevity.—Inflorescence maintain good substance for about 12 to 14 days on the plant.
    • Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Roughly conical. Color: 60C.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Depth (height): About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.
    • Involucral bracts.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length, largest bracts: About 1 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 3 mm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; papery. Orientation: Flat to slightly incurved. Number of involucral bracts per inflorescence: About 100 in about five whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 64A; becoming closer to 63D with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 64C.
    • Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 150. Color: Close to 17A.
    • Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Rough. Color: 137D.
    • Reproductive organs (present on disc florets only).—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret: Numerous. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 24A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 24B. Gynoecium: Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23C. Style color: 19C to 19D. Ovary color: 19C to 19D.
    • Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Brachteantha have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Brachteanthas.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Brachteantha have been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about 36° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Brachteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05351’ as illustrated and described.