Geranium plant named ‘Pacabel’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacabel’, characterized by its upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves with a zonation pattern; early and freely flowering habit; and semi-double dark red-colored flowers.

Description

Botanical designation: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PACABEL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pacabel’.

The new Zonal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform and early flowering Zonal Geranium plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Zonal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2004 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. The new Zonal Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany during the spring of 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Zonal Geranium plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany since January, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. 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 ‘Pacabel’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pacabel’ as a new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant:

• • 1. Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit.
  • 2. Freely branching habit.
  • 3. Moderately vigorous growth habit.
  • 4. Dark green-colored leaves with a zonation pattern.
  • 5. Early and freely flowering habit.
  • 6. Semi-double dark red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant vigor and flower color.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Pacvimp’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,928. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of ‘Pacvimp’ in the following characteristics:

• • 1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were larger than plants of ‘Pacvimp’.
  • 2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had thicker lateral branches than plants of ‘Pacvimp’.
  • 3. Leaves of plants of the new Zonal Geranium were darker in color and had a more intense zonation pattern than leaves of plants of ‘Pacvimp’.
  • 4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger umbels than plants of ‘Pacvimp’.
  • 5. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had darker red-colored flowers than plants of ‘Pacvimp’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Zonal Geranium 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 Zonal Geranium plant.

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

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter and spring in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Zonal Geranium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levels ranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were three months old when the photograph was taken, and plants were four months old when the description was taken. In the detailed description, 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: Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Pacabel’.
• Parentage:
  • • Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.
    • Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.
• Propagation:
  • • Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.
    • Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at temperatures of 20° C.
    • Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at temperatures of 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days at temperatures of 20° C.
    • Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days at temperatures of 18° C.
    • Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.
    • Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.
• Plant description:
  • • Plant/growth habit.—Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; densely foliated; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit with about eight lateral branches developing per plant.
    • Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 30 cm.
    • Plant height, to top of leaves.—About 25 cm.
    • Plant width.—About 40 cm.
    • Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.
• Foliage description:
  • • Arrangement.—Alternate and opposite; simple.
    • Length.—About 4 cm.
    • Width.—About 7 cm.
    • Shape.—Reniform, rounded.
    • Apex.—Rounded.
    • Base.—Cordate.
    • Margin.—Bicrenate.
    • Venation pattern.—Palmate.
    • Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; felt-like.
    • Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 146C.
    • Zonation pattern.—Intensity: Strong. Location of zone: About 5 mm from the margin. Width: About 1.5 cm. Color: Closest to 200A.
    • Petiole.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Darker than 147A.
• Flower description:
  • • Flower arrangement.—Single semi-double flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; flowers flat to slightly cupped and face upright to outward depending on the position in the umbel.
    • Fragrance.—None detected.
    • Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about ten umbels develop per plant; each umbel with about 18 flower buds and open flowers.
    • Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 80 days after planting; in the greenhouse, plants flower year-round; in the garden in Germany, flowering is continuous from April until frost in the autumn.
    • Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about six to ten days on the plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.
    • Umbel height.—About 6 cm.
    • Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.
    • Flower diameter.—About 4 cm.
    • Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.
    • Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Roughly elliptic. Color: Close to 166A.
    • Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Six per flower arranged in a single whorl; petals imbricate. Length, upper and lower petals: About 2.5 cm. Width, upper and lower petals: About 2.2 cm. Shape: Roughly obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 45B; towards the base, close to 155A; venation, close to 45A; color becoming closer to 44A with development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 43A; towards the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 45A.
    • Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 166A.
    • Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly erect or outwardly slanted. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 166A.
    • Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 166A.
    • Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens: About ten per flower. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Tubular. Anther color: Close to 169A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 169A. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils: One per flower. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Five-parted. Stigma color: Close to 58A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 58A. Ovary color: Close to 177A. Seeds: Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Color: Close to 165A.
• Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal Geraniums.
• Garden performance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been observed to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacabel’ as illustrated and described.