Nemesia plant named ‘Inupcream’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘Inupcream’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; early flowering habit; numerous large light yellow and white-colored flowers; and long flowering period.

Description

Botanical designation: Nemesia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Inupcream’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia hybrid and referred to by the name ‘Inupcream’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new strong Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and unique flower colors.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors of an unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection, not patented during the summer of 2001. The cultivar Inupcream was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany during the summer of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia 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 characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Inupcream’ and distinguish ‘Inupcream’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

• • 1. Upright plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.
  • 3. Early flowering habit.
  • 4. Numerous large light yellow and white-colored flowers.
  • 5. Long flowering period.

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

• • 1. Plants of the new Nemesia have larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Nemesia and the female parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have white to soft pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more vigorous than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Plants of the new Nemesia flower for a longer period of time than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Inuppink, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/174,963. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Inuppink in flower color as plants of the cultivar Inuppink had red purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, 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 Nemesia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Inupcream’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Inupcream’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the summer with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 18° C. After rooting, plants were grown for ten weeks in 15-cm containers with one plant per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Nemesia hybrid cultivar Inupcream.
• Parentage:
  • • Female parent.—Unnamed Nemesia fructicans selection, not patented.
    • Male parent.—Unnamed Nemesia strumosa selection, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 20° C.
    • Time to develop roots.—About two to three weeks at 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine; white in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • General appearance.—Upright; columnar. Freely branching, typically about twelve primary lateral branches; numerous secondary and tertiary lateral branches. Moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 23 cm.
    • Plant diameter or spread.—About 27 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Appearance: Square in cross-section with longitudinal ridges. Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Petiole length: About 4 mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.
• Flowering description:
  • • Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards apex. Flowers bilabiate with nectar spur. Flowers face upright and outward. Flowers last about five days on the plant. Flowers not persistent.
    • Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; natural flowering season is spring to fall; flowering continuous during this period.
    • Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 26 flowers and flower buds per inflorescence.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Inflorescence length.—About 12 cm.
    • Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.4 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 1.6 cm by 1.5 cm.
    • Flower depth, including nectar spur.—About 1.2 cm.
    • Flower buds.—Shape: Ovoid with spur. Length including spur: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: 182C.
    • Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Five petals in a single whorl. Four upper petals are fused at base to form an upright lobed and arched banner lip; lower petal modified into a larger lip with nectar spur and central protuberance which serves as pollinator nectar guide and landing platform. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Upper lip petals: About 5 mm. Lower lip petal: About 6 mm. Width: Upper lip petals: About 4 mm. Lower lip petal: About 1.5 cm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 155A. When opening, lower surface: 70D. Fully opened, upper surface: 8D; towards the margins, 155D; stripes at base, 71A. Fully opened, lower surface: 8D; stripes, 71A. Nectar guide: 14A to 14B. Nectar spur: 155A tinted with 70D.
    • Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.
    • Peduncle.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: Upright. Color: 146A.
    • Pedicel.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 45° from the stem. Color: 146B.
    • Androecium.—Stamen number: Four per flower. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 11A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 11A.
    • Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 145C. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145C. Ovary color: 145A.
    • Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new Nemesia.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesia.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2° C. to 35° C.

Claims

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