Aster plant named ‘Esmholanda’
A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Aster plant named ‘Esmholanda’, characterized by its strong and erect flowering stems; symmetrical branching habit with long lateral branches; dark green-colored foliage; early, uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray florets that resist fading; flat and straight ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity.
Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Aster hybrida cultivar Esmholanda.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Aster plant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esmholanda’.
The new Aster is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Aster cultivars with durable leaves, strong and long stems, desirable floret colors and good postproduction longevity.
The new Aster originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in February, 2000, of a proprietary Aster selection identified as Line 51, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Aster selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The selection of this plant was based on its durable foliage, strong and long stems and desirable inflorescence form and attractive ray floret color.
Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in January, 2001. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe cultivar Esmholanda has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Esmholanda’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Esmholanda’ as a new and distinct cut flower Aster:
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- 1. Strong and erect flowering stems.
- 2. Symmetrical branching habit with long lateral branches.
- 3. Dark green-colored foliage.
- 4. Early, uniform and freely flowering habit.
- 5. Daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray florets that resist fading.
- 6. Flat and straight ray florets.
- 7. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent selection have white-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Aster are taller than plants of the female parent selection.
Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the cultivar Chantal, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador plants of the new Aster differed from plants of the cultivar Chantal in the following characteristics:
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- 1. Plants of the new Aster were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Chantal.
- 2. Plants of the new Aster had longer leaves than plants of the cultivar Chantal.
- 3. Leaves of plants of the new Aster were linear in shape whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Chantal were lanceolate in shape.
- 4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster lasted longer than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Chantal.
- 5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster had more ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Chantal.
- 6. Ray florets of plants of the new Aster were slightly lighter in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Chantal.
- 7. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster had smaller disc ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Chantal.
The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aster.
The photograph at the top pf the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Esmholanda’.
The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Esmholanda’.
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. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the summer in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial cut flower Aster production. During the production of these plants, day temperatures ranged from 12 to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5 to 12° C. Plants were about four to six months from planting rooted young plants when the photographs and the botanical description were taken.
- Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Esmholanda.
- Parentage:
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- Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Aster hybrida selection identified as Line 51, not patented.
- Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida selection, not patented.
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- Propagation:
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- Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
- Time to initiate roots.—About 12 to 16 days at 17 to 25° C.
- Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 21 to 25 days at 17 to 25° C.
- Root description.—Fine, fibrous; 161B in color.
- Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
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- Plant description:
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- Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower Aster. Flowering stems upright and strong. Vigorous. Symmetrical branching habit with long lateral branches.
- Plant height.—About 130 cm.
- Plant width.—About 28 cm.
- Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 18. Length: About 66 cm. Diameter: About 3.1 mm. Internode length: About 2.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, pubescent; waxy. Color: 144A.
- Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length: About 15.2 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Sheathed; lobes, slightly cordate. Margin: Slightly dentate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; waxy. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A to 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137A to 146B. Venation, upper surface: 144B. Venation, lower surface: 146C.
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- Inflorescence description:
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- Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with narrowly elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences terminal or axillary. Disc and ray florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences face mostly upright. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
- Flowering response.—Plants flower year-round in Ecuador. Plants begin flowering about 14 to 15 weeks after planting.
- Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about two weeks as a cut flower and about 25 days on the plant.
- Quantity of inflorescences.—About 38 inflorescences develop per lateral branch.
- Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6.6 mm. Diameter: About 5.3 mm. Shape: Nearly globose. Color: 137C to 143C.
- Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height): About 1.2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle height: About 7 mm.
- Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence/arrangement: About 44 in arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Obtuse with emarginations. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright, then horizontal. Aspect: Mostly straight. Color: When opening, upper surface: N87C. When opening, lower surface: N82D. Fully opened, upper surface: N88C to N87C; color becoming closer to 85B with development; ray florets resist fading. Fully opened, lower surface: 85B to 85C.
- Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 45. Length: About 5.6 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1.6 mm. Diameter, base: About 0.7 mm. Shape: Tubular, salverform, elongated. Apex: Five lobes; lobes acute. Color, immature: 153C. Color, mature: Apex: 151B. Mid-section and base: 145C.
- Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 39. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Narrowly triangular. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 137B. Color, lower surface: 143C.
- Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 1.4 cm. Length, fourth peduncle: About 5 mm. Length, seventh peduncle: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Erect to about 35° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137B.
- Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Quantity of stamens per disc floret: Four. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 1.3 mm. Anther color: 9A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 9A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Bilobed; lobes linear. Stigma color: 1C to 150D. Style length: About 5.4 mm. Style color: 145D to 157A. Ovary color: 157C.
- Seed.—Length: With pappus, about 5 mm; without pappus, about 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: Dried, 199A.
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- Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.
- Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 7 to about 30° C.
Claims
1. A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Aster plant named ‘Esmholanda’, as illustrated and described.
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 19, 2004
Date of Patent: Mar 28, 2006
Assignee: Esmeralda Breeding B.V. (Aalsmeer)
Inventor: Aloysius A. J. Hooijman (Aalsmeer)
Primary Examiner: Kent Bell
Attorney: C. A. Whealy
Application Number: 10/968,803