Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabdul’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckabdul’, characterized by its dark pink and very pale yellow variegated bracts; green, light green and very light yellow variegated leaves; compact, upright and spreading plant habit; very freely branching habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and herinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckabdul’.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring mutation of the commercial Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Peterstar Marble’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,877. The new Poinsettia was selected by the Inventor in a greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif., in 1997. The objective of the Inventor's Poinsettia development program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, desirable bract and foliage color and form, strong and freely branching stems and good post-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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

1. Dark pink and very pale yellow variegated bracts.

2. Green, light green and very light yellow variegated leaves.

3. Compact, upright and spreading plant habit.

4. Very freely branching habit.

5. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent cultivar, ‘Peterstar Marble’, primarily in leaf coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’ are not variegated. Additionally plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Peterstar Marble’ have been noted to be different in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more uniform in plant shape than plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact than plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have larger and more rounded inflorescences than plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

4. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are brighter and clearer pink and have lighter yellow margins than flower bracts of plants of ‘Peterstar Marble’.

5. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower later than plants of the cultivar ‘Peterstar Marble’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckabdul’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckabdul’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical bracts and leaves of ‘Eckabdul’ (left) and ‘Peterstar Marble’ (right).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia 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 observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 22 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nights during the fall/early winter.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckabdul’.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Peterstar Marble’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,877.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 26 to 28° C. Winter: About 26 days at 24° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, freely branching, becoming fibrous with development.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.

Growth habit.—Compact, upright and spreading. Very freely branching. Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex.

Plant vigor.—Moderate.

Plant height.—About 21 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cm container, about 17 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Number of lateral branches: About eight lateral branches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branch length: About 13.5 cm. Internode length: About 1.15 cm. Stem color: 146B.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 8. Length: About 11.5 cm. Width: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, somewhat rugose. Mostly glabrous with very slight pubescence on lower surface. Color: Variegated; tri-colored with green, light green and light yellow coloration. Green colors towards center of leaf with light yellow coloration towards margins. Young foliage, upper surface: 138A, 147C and 1C. Young foliage, lower surface: 138B, 147C and 150D. Mature foliage, upper surface: 137C, 147D and 1C. Mature foliage, lower surface: 138A, 138B and 150D. Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, lower surface: 138C. Petiole: Length: About 5.75 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 145C.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development can be induced under long night conditions. Response time is about 8.5 weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about eight per plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 29 cm. Height (depth): About 4 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about 11 primary bracts and about 6 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 15 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Somewhat rugose becoming smoother with development. Aspect: Mostly flat. Color: Variegated; dark pink towards center and very pale yellow towards margins. Developing, upper surface: 51B and 2D. Developing, lower surface: 51A and 2D. Mature, upper surface: 51C to 51D and 8D. Mature, lower surface: 51D and 8D. Fading to: Slightly lighter than 51D and 8D.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 10 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: Very tight, about 2.5 cm. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Color: Immature: 144C. Mature: 144C. Peduncle: Length: About 3 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144C to 144D. Stamens: Stamen number: Very numberous, typically more than 20 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 10B. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 10C. Pistils: No pistillate flowers observed. Nectary color: 14B.

Disease resistance: No fungal, bacterial nor viral problems observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.

Postproduction longevity: Generally plants maintain good substance and bract color for about six weeks under interior conditions.

Claims

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