plant named ‘Fidostpifla’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Fidostpifla’, characterized by its compact and mounding plant habit; freely branching growth habit; relatively short internodes; freely and early flowering habit; large daisy-type inflorescences with red purple and white bi-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Description

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIDOSTPIFLA’.

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 ‘Fidostpifla’.

The new Osteospermum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Osteospermum plants that are freely branching and freely flowering and have attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in May, 2005 of Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Fidostpur’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,540, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 4-965, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in October, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since November, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Osteospermum 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 ‘Fidostpifla’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fidostpifla’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

• • 1. Compact and mounding plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching growth habit.
  • 3. Relatively short internodes.
  • 4. Freely and early flowering habit.
  • 5. Large daisy-type inflorescences with red purple and white bi-colored ray florets.
  • 6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Fidostpur’ primarily in ray floret color as plants of ‘Fidostpur’ have dark purple-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Osteospermum are more compact than plants of ‘Fidostpur’.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in plant and growth habit as plants of the new Osteospermum are more compact in plant habit and more uniform in growth habit than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum ‘Fidostdapibic’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,346. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Osteospermum are more vigorous and sturdier than plants of ‘Fidostdapibic’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum plant 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 colors of the new Osteospermum plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fidostpifla’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. Plants were pinched one time. Plants were 13 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. 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 ‘Fidostpifla’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Fidostpur’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,540.
    • Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 4-965, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six days at 22° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About one week at 22° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About twelve days at 22° C. to 30° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About two weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.
    • Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant form/growth habit.—Compact and mounding plant habit; relatively short internodes, dense and bushy growth habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.
    • Plant height.—About 25 cm to 26 cm.
    • Plant diameter.—About 26 cm to 27 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit, when pinched, about 14 to 17 primary lateral branches develop per plant. Length: About 4 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 3.5 cm. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 144C.
    • Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length: About 6.5 cm to 7 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Lobed; serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 145C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A; venation, close to 145C.
• Inflorescence description:
  • • Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elliptic to slightly obovate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences positioned beyond the foliage on moderately strong peduncles; inflorescences terminal and axillary; inflorescences face upright; ray and disc florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.
    • Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 40 to 50 inflorescences developing per plant.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Flowering response.—In The Netherlands, plants of the new Osteospermum flower continuously from spring to frost in the autumn; early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about eight weeks after planting.
    • Inflorescence longevity.—At temperatures of 14° C. to 20° C., inflorescences last about 2.5 weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.
    • Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Globular to ovoid. Color: Close to 137A.
    • Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height): About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 1.3 cm to 1.5 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 146A.
    • Ray florets.—Length: About 3.3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 9 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Elliptic to slightly obovate. Apex: Rounded to slightly obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence/arrangement: About 16 in about 1.5 whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 72B; towards the base, close to NN155D; apical color becoming closer to 79A with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to N77B.
    • Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Length: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 50. Color, immature and mature: Apex: Close to 83C. Mid-section: Close to NN155D. Base: Close to N83A.
    • Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16 in about 1.5 whorls. Length: About 8mm to 12 mm. Width: About 1 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.
    • Peduncles.—Length: About 11 cm to 14 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to N77A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 15B. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N77A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: Close to N81C. Ovary color: Close to NN155D.
    • Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been observed on plants of the new Osteospermum.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Osteospermums.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about 35° C.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Fidostpifla’ as illustrated and described.