Lantana plant named ‘Robpatcha’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘Robpatcha’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; compact growth habit; short internodes; dense and bushy habit; freely and continuously flowering habit; and flowers that are soft orange and light pink in color.

Description

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Robpatcha’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Robpatcha.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grain Valley, Mo. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Lantanas with attractive flower coloration.

The new Lantana originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2001 of the Lantana cultivar Robpatcow, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,450, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Lantana seedling selection identified as code number 99-CRM-TC2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lantana was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., on the basis of its compact growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., since September, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Robpatcha have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity, however, any variance in genotype.

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

• • 1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form.
  • 2. Compact growth habit.
  • 3. Short internodes, dense and bushy habit.
  • 4. Freely and continuously flowering habit.
  • 5. Flowers that are soft orange and light pink in color.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parents. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Robpatcow, in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Lantana were stronger and faster growing than plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.
  • 2. Plants of the new Lantana were broader than plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.
  • 3. Plants of the new Lantana were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.
  • 4. Flowers of plants of the new Lantana were lighter in color than flowers of plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Lantana were stronger and faster growing than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Lantana were larger than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 3. Plants of the new Lantana and the male parent selection differed in flower color as plants of the male parent selection had creamy white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana can also be compared to plants of the Lantana cultivar Robcomplan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,837. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Robcomplan in flower color as plants of the cultivar Robcomplan had yellow and hot pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, 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 Lantana. Plants used for the photographs were grown in an outdoor nursery in Grain Valley, Mo. for about three months.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Robpatcha’ grown in the landscape for about three months.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Robpatcha’.

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. Plants used for the description were planted in containers after rooting and grown for about 3 months during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Tolar, Tex. During the production of the plants in the greenhouse, temperatures ranged from about 18° C. to about 35° C.

• Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar Robpatcha.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Lantana camara cultivar Robpatcow, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,450.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Lantana camara seedling selection identified as code number 99-CRM-TC2, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at 27° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 18 days at 27° C.
    • Time to develop roots, summer.—About 35 days at 24° C.
    • Time to develop roots, winter.—About 38 days at 24° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially glaucous white in color then becoming closer to 161D with development.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Form.—Flowering subshrub; upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; compact growth habit. Freely branching; two lateral branches potentially forming at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development.
    • Plant height.—About 17 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 42 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong, but flexible. Texture: Rough, pubescent. Color: Young: Close to 144A. Woody: Close to 199A.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length: About 4.4 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse with truncate tendencies. Margin: Crenate to serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery, rough, coarse; pubescent. Luster: Upper surface: Slightly glossy. Lower surface: Dull. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146B to 146C. Petiole length: About 9 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture, both surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to 146B to 146C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in axillary umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward. Flowers self-cleaning. Very freely flowering with potentially two inflorescences per node; typically about 32 flowers per umbel.
    • Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous and consistent.
    • Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.
    • Fragrance.—Faint, pleasant.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.
    • Inflorescence height.—About 2.4 cm.
    • Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused, four-parted; flowers roughly rectangular in shape. Diameter: About 1.5 cm by 1.2 cm. Corolla tube length: About 1.3 cm.
    • Flower buds (before showing color).—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Roughly spherical to ovoid. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: Upper and lower petals: About 7 mm. Lateral petals: About 5 mm. Petal width: Upper and lower petals: About 9 mm. Lateral petals: About 3.5 mm. Petal shape: Spatulate to somewhat orbicular. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire. Petal lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Corolla throat and tube texture: Pubescent. Color: Petal lobes, when opening, upper surface: Close to 9A; towards the apex, close to 9D. Petal lobes, when opening, lower surface: Close to 9B to 9C. Petal lobes, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 25A; towards the apex, close to 39A; color fading to lighter orange and lighter pink with development. Petal lobes, fully opened, lower surface: Close to 25C. Throat: Close to 9A and 12A. Tube: Close to 25C.
    • Calyx.—Quantity: One sepal per flower. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper and lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Flexible, but strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Pedicels.—Not observed, flowers not stalked.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per flower, adnate to floral tube. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 144B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.
    • Fruit.—Fruit development has not been observed.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana grown in the garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lantana.
• Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to be very tolerant to rain and wind.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 0° C. to 38° C.

Claims

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