plant named ‘Zancecomfort’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Celosia plant named ‘Zancecomfort’, characterized by its compact and broadly upright plant habit; freely branching habit; green and dark purple bi-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; bright red purple-colored flowers arranged on spicate-type inflorescences; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Celosia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZANCECOMFORT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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

The new Celosia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and uniform Celosia plants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Celosia plant originated from an open-pollination in September, 2009 in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Celosia hybrida identified as code number Id 102, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Celosia hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Celosia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands on May 15, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Celosia plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands since Jun. 22, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Celosia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Celosia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental such as temperature 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 ‘Zancecomfort’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zancecomfort’ as a new and Celosia plant:

• • 1. Compact and broadly upright plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit.
  • 3. Green and dark purple bi-colored leaves.
  • 4. Freely flowering habit.
  • 5. Bright red purple-colored flowers arranged on spicate-type inflorescences.
  • 6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Celosia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Celosia have spicate-type inflorescences whereas plants of the female parent selection have plumose-type inflorescences.
  • 2. Plants of the new Celosia and the female parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Celosia can be compared to plants of Celosia argentea ‘Venezuela Dark’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Celosia and ‘Venezuela Dark’ differed primarily in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Celosia were shorter and broader than plants of ‘Venezuela Dark’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Celosia were more freely flowering than plants of ‘Venezuela Dark’.
  • 3. Plants of the new Celosia and ‘Venezuela Dark’ differed in flower color as plants of ‘Venezuela Dark’ had purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Celosia plant 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 Celosia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zancecomfort’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Zancecomfort’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surfaces of typical developing and fully expanded leaves of ‘Zancecomfort’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 9-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. Plants were pinched one time about 2.5 weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Celosia hybrida ‘Zancecomfort’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Celosia hybrida identified as code number Id 102, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Celosia hybrida, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By cuttings.
    • Time to initiate and develop roots, summer.—About 12 days at temperatures about 21° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 199D in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous annual typically grown as a potted plant; compact and broadly upright plant habit; freely branching habit with about seven lateral branches developing per plant; moderately vigorous.
    • Plant height.—About 22 cm to 25 cm.
    • Plant width (spread).—About 25 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm to 20 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145B with longitudinal streaks, close to N170C.
• Foliage description:
  • • Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.
    • Length.—About 5 cm to 9.5 cm.
    • Width.—About 2 cm to 4 cm.
    • Shape.—Elliptic.
    • Apex.—Acuminate.
    • Base.—Attenuate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; central areas, close to N79A; main vein, close to 158D; lateral veins, close to 138A or N79A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B, central areas, close to N77D; main vein, close to 195A; lateral veins, close to 138B or N77D.
    • Petiole length.—About 1 cm to 2 cm.
    • Petiole diameter.—About 1 mm to 2 mm.
    • Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.
    • Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 158D.
    • Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 195A.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower type and flowering habit.—Single elliptical flowers arranged in terminal and axillary spikes; spicate-type inflorescences; flowers face mostly upright; freely flowering habit, about 100 to 250 flowers per inflorescence and about 13,000 flowers developing per plant.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 5.5 weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower continuously during the summer in The Netherlands.
    • Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences last about two months on the plant; flowers persistent.
    • Inflorescence height.—About 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 2 mm.
    • Flower depth.—About 7 mm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Color: Close to 64C.
    • Petals.—None observed.
    • Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 64C; color does not fade with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 64C; color does not fade with development.
    • Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Weak; flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145C.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically five. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to N74B. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 158D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 156D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to N74A. Stigma color: Close to N74B. Ovary color: Close to N74D.
    • Seeds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color: Close to 202A.
• Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Celosia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Celosia plants.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Celosia have been observed to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to 35° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Celosia plant named ‘Zancecomfort’ as illustrated and described.