plant named ‘Vivid Dreams’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Armeria plant named ‘Vivid Dreams’, characterized by its relatively short, upright, dense and uniformly mounded plant habit; long narrow dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; inflorescences positioned on upright and rigid peduncles with reddish purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Armeria pseudarmeria.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VIVID DREAMS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Armeria plant, commonly referred to as Thrift or Sea Pink, botanically known as Armeria pseudarmeria, commercially used as a garden plant, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Vivid Dreams’.

The new Armeria plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Wonga Park, Victoria, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Armeria plants with uniform, dense and upright plant habit, upright and rigid peduncles, large globular inflorescences, attractive flower color and good garden performance.

The new Armeria plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventors in Wonga Park, Victoria, Australia in November, 2015 of Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Dream Weaver’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,600, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Armeria pseudarmeria identified as red selection #2, not patented, as the male, or seed, parent. The new Armeria plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wonga Park, Victoria, Australia in October, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Armeria plant since October, 2016 by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Wonga Park, Victoria, Australia has shown that the unique features of this new Armeria plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Armeria have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment 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 ‘Vivid Dreams’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Vivid Dreams’ as a new and distinct Armeria plant:

• • 1. Relatively short, upright, dense and uniformly mounded plant habit.
  • 2. Long narrow dark green-colored leaves.
  • 3. Freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Inflorescences positioned on upright and rigid peduncles with reddish purple-colored flowers.
  • 5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Armeria can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Dream Weaver’. Plants of the new Armeria differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Armeria have reddish purple-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Dream Weaver’ have deep rose pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Armeria can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Armeria differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Armeria have reddish purple-colored flowers whereas plants of the male parent selection have red-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Armeria have shorter peduncles than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Armeria can be compared to plants of Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Sweet Dreams’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,612. Plants of the new Armeria differ primarily from plants of ‘Sweet Dreams’ in flower color as plants of the new Armeria have darker reddish purple-colored flowers than plants of ‘Sweet Dreams’.

Plants of the new Armeria can also be compared to plants of Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Dreamland’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,601. Plants of the new Armeria differ primarily from plants of ‘Dreamland’ in flower color as plants of the new Armeria have reddish purple-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Dreamland’ have dark salmon-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

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

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Vivid Dreams’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Vivid Dreams’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in outdoor nurseries in Elburn, Ill. and Fort Worth, Tex. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Armeria production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 32° C. to 40° C. and night temperatures ranged from 21° C. to 35° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Vivid Dreams’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Armeria pseudarmeria ‘Dream Weaver’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,600.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Armeria pseudarmeria identified as red selection #2, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at soil temperatures about 20° C. and ambient temperatures about 25° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at soil temperatures about 20° C. and ambient temperatures about 15° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days at soil temperatures about 20° C. and ambient temperatures about 25° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 60 days at soil temperatures about 12° C. and ambient temperatures about 12° C.
    • Root description.—Medium thickness, fibrous; typically white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.
    • Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown as a landscape plant; plants relatively compact, dense, upright and uniformly mounded; basally clumping with leaves and flower peduncles developing from the base; freely branching and flowering habit; flowers arranged in dense globular terminal umbels; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 16.5 cm.
    • Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 26 cm.
    • Plant diameter (spread).—About 22 cm.
• Stem description:
  • • Length.—About 1 cm.
    • Diameter.—About 5 mm.
    • Strength.—Strong.
    • Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; matte.
    • Color.—Close to 177A.
• Leaf description:
  • • Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple, sessile.
    • Length.—About 10 cm.
    • Width.—About 5.5 mm.
    • Shape.—Acicular, carinate.
    • Apex.—Acute.
    • Base.—Clasping.
    • Margin.—Entire; not undulate.
    • Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy.
    • Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.
    • Venation pattern.—Parallel.
    • Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to between 144A and 146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between 139A and 147A; towards the base, close to NN155D; venation, close to between 139A and 147A and proximally, close to NN155D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to between 139A and 147A; towards the base, close to NN155D; venation, close to 146A and proximally, close to NN155D.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform to star-shaped tubular flowers arranged in dense terminal umbels; flowers sessile; freely flowering habit with about 75 flowers developing per inflorescence and numerous inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers face upright to outwardly depending on position on the inflorescence.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Flowering response.—Plants begin flowering about 24 weeks after planting and flower continuously in the garden from early spring to early summer.
    • Post-production longevity.—Flowers last about one to two weeks on the plant depending on temperatures; corolla not persistent, calyx persistent.
    • Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.25 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 1 cm.
    • Flower throat diameter.—About 2.5 mm.
    • Flower tube length.—About 3 mm.
    • Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 1 mm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 1.25 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five, occasionally, six, in a single whorl, fused towards the base. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm to 3.5 mm. Shape: Elongated spatulate. Apex: Obtuse to broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Proximally, close to NN155D and distally, close to N78B to N78C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N78A to N78B; towards the base, close to NN155D; color does not fade with subsequent development; however petals will become brownish, close to 174A, during senescence.
    • Sepals.—Calyx length: About 7 mm. Calyx diameter, distally: About 3 mm. Calyx diameter, proximally: About 1.25 mm. Calyx shape: Tubular, distally, sepals flaring outwardly. Quantity and arrangement: Five to seven in a single whorl, lower 75% to 80% fused. Length: About 7 mm. Width, lobe: About 1.25 mm. Shape, lobe: Roughly deltoid. Apex: Long acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.
    • Involucral bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About twelve in a single whorl at the base of the inflorescence. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 3.25 mm. Shape: Roughly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to between 144A and 146A.
    • Involucral sheath.—Quantity and arrangement: One at the base of the inflorescence; downwardly orientated. Length: About 1.5 cm to 3 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Roughly rectangular. Apex: Jagged, praemorse. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; papery; matte. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Proximally, close to between 144A and 146A and distally, close to NN155D and translucent.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright to curving upright. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to 139A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five to seven per flower. Filament length: About 2.75 mm. Filament color: Close to 157D. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 9A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 4.5 mm, thread-like. Style length: About 3.75 mm. Style color: Close to 157D. Stigma diameter: About 0.1 mm. Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma color: Close to 157D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.
    • Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Armeria.
• Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Armeria have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Armeria plants.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Armeria have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Armeria plant named ‘Vivid Dreams’ as illustrated and described.