Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Ora’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Ora’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits; orange red-colored fruits; and tolerant to wind and rain.

Description

Botanical designation: Hypericum androsaemum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Esm Ora’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Esm Ora’.

The new Hypericum 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 pot-type Hypericum cultivars with numerous attractive fruits.

The new Hypericum originated from a cross-pollination in February, 2000 in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador of a proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 59, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 56, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, since August, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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

• • 1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.
  • 2. Vigorous growth habit.
  • 3. Uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits.
  • 4. Orange red-colored fruits.
  • 5. Tolerant to wind and rain.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant height as plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the female parent selection.

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

• • 1. Plants of the new Hypericum are shorter than plants of the male parent selection.
  • 2. Fruits of plants of the new Hypericum have broader fruits than fruits of plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Bosapin, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,993. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador, plants of the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Bosapin in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Hypericum were shorter and had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Bosapin.
  • 2. Plants of the new Hypericum flowered earlier and more freely than plants of the cultivar Bosapin.
  • 3. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller leaves and fruits than plants of the cultivar Bosapin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates 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 photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical stem of ‘Esm Ora’ with mature fruits.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

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. Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions in an outdoor nursery in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador for about 18 months. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to averaged 12° C. and light levels ranged from 1,000 to 1,150 foot-candles.

• Botanical classification: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Esm Ora.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 59, not patented.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identified as code designation Line 56, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at 22° C. to 30° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four to five weeks at 22° C. to 30° C.
    • Root description.—Thick, fibrous; color, 175A.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Form.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit. Freely branching with about eleven flowering stems developing per plant per year; dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth habit. Typically grown as a pot-type Hypericum.
    • Plant height.—About 56 cm.
    • Plant width (spread).—About 34 cm.
    • Lateral branch description.—Length: About 52 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145B overlain with 165B.
• Foliage description:
  • • Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.
    • Length.—About 5 cm.
    • Width.—About 3 cm.
    • Shape.—Ovate.
    • Apex.—Obtuse to retuse.
    • Base.—Cordate.
    • Margin.—Entire.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; leathery.
    • Venation pattern.—Pinnate.
    • Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 139A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 146B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, 147C.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement and shape.—Bright yellow-colored single flowers arranged in terminal compound umbels; freely flowering with about twelve flowers per umbel. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face mostly upright.
    • Fragrance.—Moderate.
    • Natural flowering season.—Year-round in Ecuador.
    • Flower longevity.—Flowers last about three to four days on the plant.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: 15A.
    • Inflorescence size.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About 13 cm.
    • Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Depth (height): About 1.5 cm.
    • Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; papery. Aspect: Incurved; concave. Color: When opening, upper surface: 14A. When opening, lower surface: 13B. Fully opened, upper surface: 14B; color becoming lighter than 14A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 14B.
    • Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl; three larger than the other two. Length: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 5 mm to 8 mm. Shape: Ovate to elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surface: Glabrous, smooth. Aspect: Recurved. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 144A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 146C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 143A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 144A.
    • Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 143C overlain with 175A.
    • Pedicels.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: About 58° from the stem axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 166B.
    • Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 85. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 22A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to N163C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Single pistil with three stigmas. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Circular. Stigma color: Close to 46A. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 154C. Ovary color: Close to 1B.
    • Fruits.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 34A to 34B; towards the base, N144D.
    • Seeds.—Length: About 0.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.03 mm. Color: Close to 200C.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hypericum.
• Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been observed to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 35° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Esm Ora’ as illustrated and described.