Osteospermum plant named ‘Lanapal’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Lanapal’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; inflorescences with soft pink-colored ray florets; and tolerance to high temperatures.

Description

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Botanical denomination: ‘Lanapal’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Lanapal’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Osteospermum cultivars with uniform and freely branching plant habit, unique and attractive floret coloration, and tolerance to high temperatures.

The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination during the spring of 2002 of an Osteospermum ecklonis seedling selection identified as code number 09-49-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an Osteospermum ecklonis seedling selection identified as code number 18-21-01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum 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 Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom in 2003. The new Osteospermum was selected on the basis of its freely branching habit, attractive ray floret coloration and tolerance to high temperatures.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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

• • 1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit.
  • 3. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 4. Inflorescences with soft pink-colored ray florets.
  • 5. Tolerant to high temperatures.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Akope, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,684. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Akope in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more compact than plants of the cultivar Akope.
  • 2. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Akope.
  • 3. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more outwardly spreading than and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Akope.
  • 4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Akope differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Akope had lighter pink-colored ray florets.
  • 5. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Akope differed in disc coloration as plants of the cultivar Akope had brown-colored discs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum 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 Osteospermum.

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

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Lanapal’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Osteospermum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom in a glass-covered greenhouse and under typical production practices. Plants were about five months old when the photographs and description were taken. Plants were grown in 15-cm containers and were pinched one time. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 19° C. and night temperatures averaged 14° C. 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.

• Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Lanapal.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Seedling selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 09-49-01, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Seedling selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 18-21-01, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate rooting.—About two weeks at 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About one month at 20° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit. Freely branching habit, about five primary lateral branches and numerous secondary lateral branches. Moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 15 cm.
    • Plant width or area of spread.—About 14 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 4.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 3 mm. Aspect: Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 143C.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length: About 4.7 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Oblanceolate to obovate with protruding points. Apex: Acute to obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire with six protruding points. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; towards the margins, sparsely pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 143A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137D. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B; venation, 143B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C; venation, 143C.
• Inflorescence description:
  • • Appearance.—Solitary terminal and axillary inflorescences held above and beyond the foliage on strong peduncles. Composite inflorescence form, radially symmetrical, with narrowly oblanceolate-shaped ray florets and disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences face mostly upright.
    • Flowering response.—Early flowering; plants flower continuous and freely from the late spring until the early autumn in the United Kingdom.
    • Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about two weeks on the plant.
    • Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; at one time, about five to six inflorescences per lateral stem.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Color: 144B; towards the apex, 143C.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height): About 2.9 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle height: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.7 cm.
    • Ray florets.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Width: About 7.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright then about 70° from vertical. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 20 in one to two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: 12C tinged with close to 48D; towards the base, 49C. When opening, lower surface: 10A; longitudinal stripes, 177A to 177B. Fully opened, upper surface: 11C tinged with close to 35D; towards the base, 50D; longitudinal stripes, 55A to 55B. Fully opened, lower surface: 162A; central band, 165A.
    • Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 5 mm. Width: At apex: About 1.5 mm. At base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 85. Color: Immature: 65C. Mature: Apex: N92A. Mid-section: 65A. Base: 145D.
    • Phyllaries.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Number per inflorescence: About 16 in a single whorl. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 143A.
    • Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5.4 cm. Length, fourth peduncle: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Terminal peduncles, mostly upright; axillary peduncles about 28° from stem axis. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 143B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamen number: Five per floret; fused around style. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther color: N92C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: N25B. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 186A to 186C. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: 145D. Ovary color: 145D.
    • Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been observed.
• Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Osteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse or outdoor conditions.
• Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to 40° C.

Claims

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